tedkaw

Do you agree that in the amount of time NASA has been established that they have accomplished a lot in term of the dollars spent. NASA seems to spend like 100 billion dollars every year on new missions to space... but really, since walking on the moon what have they accomplished?

k1nk0s

I'm not entirely sure of the specifics of what they have accomplished since then but they do have a lot of advancements in technology which you do see in everyday life.

Commander

While the accomplishments of NASA might not be spectacular in the minds of an everyday person, we do take a lot of their success for granted. CAT Scans, cordless power tools, and velcro are a few of the everyday items developed by NASA that we use today. I'm sure there are countless others.

The future of exploration is not on this world, but in outer space. Just as Columbus and Magellan said the globe, we will be sailing in the solar system. NASA is still only a couple decades old. We just landed rovers on Mars and we send probes to planets all over. We have an international space station too.

In many years time, you will look back and see everything NASA has done.

alexis

Hi, as others have mentioned already, NASA has played a very important role in the invention of many technologies used in everyday life.

NASA is also a great source of information about life in our planet and other places in the solar system. I'm sure that whenever somebody in this planet thinks about space exploration, he thinks about NASA. I think that informing and educating is quite important, almost as important as actually going to space. Let's not forget that the exploration will take many years, centuries perhaps, and the future generations must be prepared from today.

I recently read the NASA guys are already working in new spacecrafts, the Constellation Program, and one of the goals is taking humans to the Moon, again.

During many years there have been speculations about why, since 1969, no more humans have reached our satellite. It seems that is about to change soon (at least soon in terms of these kind of projects, which could be some years from now). They are planning sending an observation satellite to the Moon by 2008 and search for water ice.

The journey has just begun. It will be fun!

GeneCosta

I think considering how long we've been staring up into space with a broken light bulb hovering over our heads, NASA has made great strides in space exploration. Recently we're seeing a lot more people declare themselves futurists, which is good.

A lot of people ask: what's the point? Well, I'm sure the same question was asked by Europeans when they thought it useless to even attempt to cross the ocean.

The fact is, our planet IS going to die. Us as humans are going to be faced by something unimaginable. Most of us agree it is our duty to continue the human race. Well, right now it might look like we're taking baby steps, but it's progress. We have to start somewhere.

I mean, let's return to sea exploration. How long did it actually take us to figure out that we can cross water? How long did it take us to figure out we can build a ship that goes beneath the surface?

kahn

As sad as it may sound, I think that the Human race will be long gone before Earth dies. I think humans have survived a long time, it's only a matter of time before our species is whiped out and the next one comes along.

JustinG

I have to agree, we are doing alot to the earth. As time goes on the earth heals its self and become new once more. Things like use dieing off just as the dinosuars are assured.

kahn

well justin, i see thingas different that you in terms of humans destroying our earth. The eruption of 1 major volcano will produce more pollution than all the SUVs in the world. We are having such a small impact on Earth in the Grand Scheme of things. Nothing we do will destory it. Only mother nature can do that.

Back on topic ... I think NASA does an amaznig job. The international space station is a wonderful starting point as nations on Earth begin to explore outer space.

alexis

Who will die first? Humans or Earth? Interesting question, maybe humans stop being humans at some point.

I think GeneCosta is right, it's all a process and NASA is playing a very important role, I'm sure they are not thinking about colonizing other planets in the next 20 years, their plans may include much more longer periods of time, maybe they have plans for the next two centuries at least.

tedkaw

I would be interested to see NASAs long term business plans and see what they entail... A colony on Mars by 2100? who knows... BUt I do know they spend lots of money building their ships and rocket fuel... this is money that might be better spent funding our schools and curing problems here on earth.