$2.6 billion venture for this?

[Morgan]

Was it worth it?

[Freddy]

To be honest, I'm not really sure why we spend so much money for Mars. It's cool and all but 2.6b shouldn't be for cool. I'd bet that same amount invented into the moon would at least have us on the near path to mining  raw materials from the moon or something like that. 

[tripblood]

Mars colony by 2020!!

[mjs020294]

We should spend the money on deep sea exploration.  There is so much we don't know about our own planet, and the potential to find limitless energy supplies.

[The Anti-Java]

To be honest, I'm not really sure why we spend so much money for Mars. It's cool and all but 2.6b shouldn't be for cool. I'd bet that same amount invented into the moon would at least have us on the near path to mining  raw materials from the moon or something like that.

Cool is right, average temp is like 100 degress below zero F.

[dalbuc]

Yes it is. We're exploring another planet. Dear god when you look at the $$$ the government flushes on things that have zero value (the whole Departments of Ag and Education for example) this barely even registers. I'd love to see probes to Europa to get under the ice or to Venus as well.

[Freddy]

Yes it is. We're exploring another planet. Dear god when you look at the $$$ the government flushes on things that have zero value (the whole Departments of Ag and Education for example) this barely even registers. I'd love to see probes to Europa to get under the ice or to Venus as well.

When put in that context, you are more the right. I like mjs's idea as well.

[tatmanfish]

NASA no longer receives money from the US government. That was an early move for Obama. Given those two facts, not sure why youd even bring this up.

[spartan]

Mars is a stepping stone. Bit like learning cursive in 1st grade. It provides the building blocks for essays later on. The way the human race is growing at some point we will need to expand our horizons. Doing that  will be a huge technological leap, one that cannot be done overnight. Simply put, we are learning.

[Runole]

When put in the context of money spent on the Drug War and other entitlement issues by non taxpayers this doesn't even move the needle.  The space program continues to be a huge positive for this country in terms of the technological benefits that are spawned off the program.  So what do we gain by 50 billion a year in maintaining the largest penal colony in the world? There is more student loan debt than all credit and mortgage debt in America combined. All so America can have the most over qualified fast food servers in the world! 

Drug War?   Talk about a losing proposition!!  That being said the worlds Drug Lords and the criminal justice system are grateful for the financing all on the taxpayers dime.

[Pewter Pirate]

Would rather see the money put in exploration than slush funds with "bailout" money

[Runole]

Would rather see the money put in exploration than slush funds with "bailout" money

agree  Left that one out as well....