Science and Society

I wonder why the budget was cut. Is there more to this story than we are getting from NASA? Could be. Could not be as well. Like you said Ned, the Mars Science Laboratory may be sucking up the money, and this is the reason for the cut. I sure hope they get it resolved, we've learned alot about Mars in the past few years these little rovers have been on Mars. They're tough little buggers.

Who cares? These over-privileged space cadets, living their childhood fantasies for six figures, can start taking a bite from the same humble pie as the rest of us who have been downsized from low-paying jobs we were NOT so hot about in the first place, before embarking on a nice, long, year of unemployment. Welcome to the real world!

Thanks Bush.Trillions for Iraq,but Nasa can't have a lousy 4 millions dollars for Mars.Oh well only 9 1/2 months before the worse president in My lifetime and US history is out of office.

Walter, I totally agree with your assessment. They spill that much on the way to a campaign fund-raiser. And how much does the White House spend just to get Air Force 1 off the ground for his trips to Crawford? I'm afraid that's all Bush will have for his legacy is going down in history as a total political, economic and humanitarian disaster.

I don't agree with the trillions for Iraq but how has America benefitted from these little mars rovers? Our goverment is the most wasteful country on the planet. now we're wasting on millions on another planet, mars. Just grown supposed to be adults playing very expensive games with very expensive toys at the tax payers expence. Sameold same old.

We do waste a lot of money. Check out the number of new and used cars in America. Talk about excess production. Now for the kicker, the Earth is dying, not tomorrow, but in the future. Would be nice to check out the neighborhood before our little star goes nova in say four billion years.

Andy,
I agree with the sentiments expressed by you and Walter. Something may be salvaged from the Bush/Cheney time though. We could make "bobble-heads" of them and a number of uses then spring to mind!

Del and Lee, obviously telling you the many benefits of the space program is a waste of time due to you both having no time nor tolerance for facts. Lee; Not too sure where you get the "six figure salary" idea in your head. Government employees and their contractor workers receive salaries which are usually competative with others of like business in the community and are clearly visible with research. But as in your unimagined text shows your not given to such searches. These "toys" as you speak, have given us great knowledge over 3 years about Mars and it's environment for a minimum of investment. NASA's budget is a mere 1% of the national budget. If you want to pick upon true waste go after welfare and other "gimmee" programs that produce more generations of people with their hands out and an expectation of free benefits. Otherwise please educate yourself as to what you speak, don't continue to be unread. Above all, don't be jealous of other's and their abilities, even if it is well above your own.

4 million is all it costs to keep going? Do not Americans value our space agency which is (but not for long) the envy of the world? Have some pride America.

Two healthy rovers? I thought one was dragging around a broken wheel.

Andy Clark, you may be late in suggesting that we make bobble-heads out of them. I think the damage has already been done. Bush made some fine, if patronizing, speeches about the space program, but like the rest of his speeches, they've come to naught.

Andy,

I wrote Bush off years ago. In fact I think that Bush is one of the worst presidents of all time and has much in common with Nero of ancient Rome!

I don't think that any politician is going to take space seriously unless one of two conditions exists. The first is that they (politicians) have to see some way of profiting from their support. At the moment that condition is not met. The second condition would be if a major war erupted on earth and then migrated into space or to the assets in space. We are not quite there yet either.

I suppose that in actuality both conditions could exist simultaneously; someone always profits from warfare.

Well, vizorsdn, as a college grad with 20+ years of management experience, I take exception to your notion that over-privileged NASA employees are intrinsicly superior and smarter than everyone else. And they do make excellent salaries, so perhaps it is I who should be telling YOU to do your homework. NASA's Peter Pan population is about due for the same wake up call tens of thousands of us have had for years.

I sincerely hope the us continue to fund the rovers. It seems to me that so much has been learned fronm these vehicles including how to survive on mars that they must represent the best value for money yet.