NASA announces manned Mars mission

[SPQR]

Is there a problem making money off your ventures and whatever spinoff technology that comes from it? NASA made money off from the spinoffs from the 1960s all the way to the Space Shuttle.

Capitalism 101

[Dexter]

Is there a problem making money off your ventures and whatever spinoff technology that comes from it?

No, but there is a problem with space exploration being held back by the fact that there aren't immediate and obvious ways to make a lot of money.

[SPQR]

No, but there is a problem with space exploration being held back by the fact that there aren't immediate and obvious ways to make a lot of money.

Space Exploration is being held back because its too expensive for the type of mission you are proposing.A robot can do the same thing at fraction of the cost.A Mars mission would need a major infusion of cash and major cuts from other departments.

[Dexter]

Space Exploration is being held back because its too expensive for the type of mission you are proposing. That would need a major infusion of cash and major cuts from other departments.

If even a small fraction of the money we waste on war and its machines was instead directed towards funding space exploration we would see phenomenal leaps in our understanding of space.

[SPQR]

If even a small fraction of the money we waste on war and its machines was instead directed towards funding space exploration we would see phenomenal leaps in our understanding of space.

NASA is not listed in the Constitution. The military is under Article One Section 8 is.But Congress does allocate money for the sciences and its within the law.

[Dexter]

NASA is not listed in the Constitution. The military is under Article One Section 8 is.

I didn't realize something had to be listed in the Constitution to be a worthwhile use of taxes.

[SPQR]

I didn't realize something had to be listed in the Constitution to be a worthwhile use of taxes.

Congress determines what taxes are to be used for. They are in control of the purse.But Congress does allocate money for the sciences and its within the law.

[SPQR]

Congress determines what taxes are to be used for. They are in control of the purse.But Congress does allocate money for the sciences and its within the law.

But at this current moment there is no money for NASA so we have to depend on other sources or spread the costs around to other agencies. Cost is what killed the Space Shuttle and fleet was getting old despite of upgrades.The total cost of the actual 30-year service life of the shuttle program through 2011, adjusted for inflation, was $196 billion.The exact breakdown into non-recurring and recurring costs is not available, but, according to NASA, the average cost to launch a Space Shuttle as of 2011 was about $450 million per mission.