What Is Going To Become Of Nasa? What Purpose Do They Serve?

[Iceberg Slim]

Since NASA has retired all of the space shuttles and we now need a ride from the Chinese or Russians to get into space, what purpose do they really serve. It seems for years, until the development of the space shuttle we (humans) were trying to reach into the stars, to go further. Somewhere along the way, we lost sight and thought it was cool to orbit the earth, and just go around in a big ass cirlce. I know when the Mars flight landed and we were actually able to control the rover, I felt a sense of hope that things were going to move forward again, but sadly that is not the case. So I ask, what is the purpose of NASA, can we just dismantle it and use the funding to reduce the deficit...

[mmmbeans]

i think not funding nasa is really f*cking stupid... and i really hope we don't ever dismantle it.

i thought there was another launch vehicle in the works for late 2020's but i'm not sure.

[Davidson Deac II]

The Space Shuttle was only one of several projects NASA worked on, and most of them are still going.

[Iceberg Slim]

With all due respect, ,most of NASA's current projects are not exploratory projects. To that point most of them are looking at the earth, not really looking outward. Take a look at the link if you don't believe me.....http://www.nasa.gov/missions/current/index.html

[Hotsauce]

I saw a really interesting news segment about government funded NASA vs. private sector space exploration. It talked about how if the government wasn't running the show, we would be so much further along with private businesses building and developing technology. I would link the video if I knew how/where to find it.

[mmmbeans]

they would've outsourced to china a long time ago too.

[Iceberg Slim]

I saw a really interesting news segment about government funded NASA vs. private sector space exploration. It talked about how if the government wasn't running the show, we would be so much further along with private businesses building and developing technology. I would link the video if I knew how/where to find it.

See this I agree with, NASA has an overbloated budget with no true mission. They allow the private sector to captor just a portion of those funds for development, we will have some serious progress....

[Iceberg Slim]

good point on the outsourcing, that is a possiblility unless legislation was to be put in place to hedge it

[Davidson Deac II]

With all due respect, ,most of NASA's current projects are not exploratory projects. To that point most of them are looking at the earth, not really looking outward. Take a look at the link if you don't believe me.....http://www.nasa.gov/missions/current/index.html

They are still space based missions.

But fwiw, NASA is working on several exploratory missions right now, including exploring Mars, deep space, the outer planets and the Asteroid belt. They are also planning launches for several observation satellite and telescope launches.

[Davidson Deac II]

I saw a really interesting news segment about government funded NASA vs. private sector space exploration. It talked about how if the government wasn't running the show, we would be so much further along with private businesses building and developing technology. I would link the video if I knew how/where to find it.

In commercial aspects perhaps, but not necessarily in exploration. For the most part, the private sector is concerned about making money, not in exploration or furthering science.

[mmmbeans]

Its not as though the private sector is banned from doing these thigs if they wanted. Bunch of google billionaires and james cameron just started something with the ultimate goal of mining asteroids.

[mmmbeans]

Ooooh but we are talking about gov funded "private sector".... Lol, yea thatll save money.

[MadHatter]

See this I agree with, NASA has an overbloated budget with no true mission. They allow the private sector to captor just a portion of those funds for development, we will have some serious progress....

Can be said about pretty much all government programs and departments.

[Inimicus]

See this I agree with, NASA has an overbloated budget with no true mission. They allow the private sector to captor just a portion of those funds for development, we will have some serious progress....

That is a mere fraction of what it should be. Doubling NASAs budget form 18.7 billion to 37 billion it would be a vastly better way to spend the money than a whole slew of bureaucratic morasses they throw money into.