Re:Why we need a space program
by pavel_lishin on Thursday July 21, 2011 @08:34PM
(#2791894)
Sometimes it's hard to tell what ends up being important. Would you have valued scientific research into space travel in the 50's? Especially if there wasn't a cold-war powered space race? Because I sure enjoy GPS and other satellite-backed technologies.
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That argument is too powerful. What if we spent the money we're dumping into a rather ineffective space program on $RESEARCH_X instead? Who knows what aspect of $RESEARCH_X will be important?
You haven't proved money should be spent on the space program, you've proved money should be spent on X for all X. Though this does bear a certain resemblance to our budgetary priorities of late.
Re:Why we need a space program
by jjmaxwell4 on Thursday July 21, 2011 @10:00PM
(#2792082)
This is exactly the problem - why should the government decide what is useful research? When you let the government do anything, it instantly becomes political. Nowadays professors have to constantly jockey for research dollars.
I say that private markets/individuals do a pretty good job deciding what technologies are worth long term investment dollars/charitable donations. Let them figure out what research programs they should be funding.
Re:Why we need a space program
by dennisgorelik on Thursday July 21, 2011 @08:45PM
(#2791918)
It would be much cheaper to develop space missiles 20 years later. Especially if saved resources would have been invested by private sector into more useful technologies such as chemistry, computers, machinery etc.