NASA

It's incredible to me that people think we should cancel the Space Program and not continue with our exploration, that it costs too much money. NASA receives less than 1% of the total federal budget and by far they have the highest return yield on any federal investment. Without even knowing or thinking about it, people use NASA "spinoffs" daily, from debit cards to cordless tools to portable defibrillators. How about satellites? Satellite radio, telephones, television, and weather radar.

What about the value of photos like this one of Hurricane Dean from the STS-118 Endeavor mission? This photo was not the purpose of the mission, but people respond better to visual resources. We would not have such detailed hurricane tracking information without weather satellites.

The Eagle Has Landed

"HOUSTON, Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed." Armstrong spoke these first words from the lunar surface 38 years ago today.

A few hours later, those on Earth heard another call from their moon. "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind."

Now we live an age where ordinary people take space travel for granted, they ignore it, they grumble about all the money it costs the US. Talk radio hosts wonder why we should spend US dollars for the good of mankind, for exploration, for pushing the boundaries, for learning about ourselves, our planet, our universe.

The United States today lacks the fortitude to commit to any project and see it through to the very end.

Shall I ever look up to the moon and know that human beings walk on it again?