Why is space exploration a waste of money?

Answer 1

NASA wastes money like farming wastes seed.If NASA had been permitted to patent the tech it created, they would not have to spend one dime of taxpayer money. The spinoff of NASA is tremendous. You are reading these words on a descendant of NASA's DSKY computer, powered by a descendant of NASA's Integrated Circuit CPU. If you aren't a waste of money, then neither is NASA!Space ExplorationIs it a waste of money? Research that has led to the exploration of space has given us technologies that would have been impossible otherwise. The space industry has advanced the knowledge of science so much that it is impossible to comprehend all of the ways that our lives have been improved.

The future of space exploration holds a promise of an amazing future for the human species. Complex question, complex answer. This answer is addressing the questions of government expenditure on civilian space programs. First, it is a good idea to identify what "waste" means. In this case, it can be identified as the differences in benefit attained by putting the monies elsewhere.

It is also important how you define "benefit", whether you are defining it solely in terms of GDP, quality of life, and so on. You can always construct an argument that space is a waste of money if your sole definition of benefit is social welfare, for example. Likewise, government space exploration produces a lot of scientific knowledge, most of which has no immediate commercial application. Therefore, GDP may not be the best metric to use if you are concerned with efficacy of the spending of R&D funds, as opposed to spending the money on semiconductor research or biotech.

Last, there is the concept of diminishing returns. Like any production system, increasing spending an extra billion on space exploration will do less than the previous billion spent. The question then becomes, at what point does spending another billion on social welfare, or paying down national debt, or lowering taxes yield more benefit than the equivalent money being spent on a space program?

There is no cut and dried answer, but it should be obvious from the above that -some- amount of spending on a space program is optimal, and it would be fallacious to say that space exploration in general is a waste. The hard part is determining just how much spending on space is worthwhile. It is not a waste of money. It helps in the future but also loses money at the same time. It will be always be a helpful thing later on. We do lose tons of money and gain some at the same time but it is worth it. NASA had a budget of $16.2 billion with human spaceflight division but also other engineering projects and science funds by NASA.

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Additional Answer:

It's only a waste when the funds are abused by coruption or incompatance. Otherwise space Exploration is an investment.

An urgent investment.

But not necessarily for the conventional wisdom reasons, which include

researching new materials and technology, and of course mankind's ferocious curiosity and appetite for knowledge.

Unfortunately our technology is advancing faster then human maturity as a race. Our technology will soon be greater then we are mentally capable to properly steward. This enormous responsibility is already out of control. Much like giving a loaded bazooka to a baby. It has been estimated that within a few decades, even the regular Joe or Jane on the street with have technology enough to destroy the planet as an individual. Lets hope he or she doesn't wake up one morning mad at the world with a hangover or severe PMS.

We need space exploration to colonize off earth, in order to save our race.

Why save the race anyway one might ask? Please consider music, art and love.

Consider literature and history, and the young brilliant loving children yet to

be born. Was it, and will it will all have been a great big waste?

Answer 2

Space exploration pushes the boundaries of human knowledge and technology, leading to spin-off innovations that benefit society. It also inspires future generations to pursue careers in science and engineering. While the cost of space exploration is high, the potential long-term benefits can outweigh the financial investment.