Driving home in rush hour traffic I thought I heard we are going to send astronauts to lasso an asteroid and park it next to the moon. Hmm. I don’t always listen to the radio carefully when I’m driving my crazy commute. And lassoing an asteroid seems highly unlikely. Maybe they were talking about a movie plot.
After supper I thought I’d see if I could look it up. And what do you know; if you google lasso and asteroid up pops the story which is very interesting. But it makes me wonder.
Do we need to park an asteroid next to the moon so that we can explore it as practice for going to Mars in the 30’s? Do we need to go to Mars? I’m not saying we don’t, just that I haven’t figured out exactly what the long term benefit is for spending this much money.
The radio report said that there is money in the national budget for this program. But there’s no money for mental health issues? No help for people who have been unemployed for months and years? Programs for kids going to bed hungry are getting slashed. So are benefits that many retirees thought they had earned.
Don’t get me wrong. Space exploration is an exciting, sexy topic. It gets attention and is certainly more interesting than stories about budget cuts or sad, confused, hungry people. So I’m open. Tell me why we’re even contemplating this program. I try to see both sides of an argument.
Or are you as incredulous as I am?
Change Is Hard 
April 5, 2013 at 10:37 pm
My concern would be what if it doesn’t stat where they put it………..what fun to look up and see it hurtling towards us !
LikeLike
April 6, 2013 at 7:37 pm
I think this is also an experiment to see if they can ‘nudge’ asteroids in case one does come toward us some day…
LikeLike
April 5, 2013 at 11:21 pm
I can’t figure out why government does a percent of what it does. And I haven’t filed my taxes yet, so right now is not my most government-supportive time. Better ask someone who’s feeling more open-minded…
LikeLike
April 6, 2013 at 7:38 pm
Hope your tax bill isn’t too bad! I don’t understand government either. But I guess I am more involved than I like to think. Sigh.
LikeLike
April 6, 2013 at 6:43 am
I just read a whole article about sending humans to Mars in the next decade or so. The only reason I could rationalize for doing so, was the fact that we are killing earth at such a rapid rate. Mars may be our only hope of preventing human extinction.
However, maybe we should spend more money on saving our planet. A start would be making sure everyone has access to good, wholesome food, from a local, sustainable market. Why not use all those smart NASA people, and put them to work developing clean sources of energy, water and food?
Geez, I’m really sounding like a tree hugger this morning. I should live in California!
Also, I agree with the politicians that education in our country needs to be overhauled, but I don’t agree with the way they are going about it. Children, especially impoverished children, need real world skills and training. Training programs such as auto, electrical, machinery, and green energy need to be brought to public schools. Putting 16 year old kids, who read at a third grade level, on the one size fits all college track is no way to break the cycle of poverty.
Bottom line, helping out our fellow humans, children, elderly, unemployed, and impoverished should come first. Then space, and then wars.
LikeLike
April 6, 2013 at 7:38 pm
Education overhaul would go a long way to fix a lot of what’s wrong.
LikeLike
April 8, 2013 at 8:38 am
Sara, Oreo and Chewy for President!!! We loved what you said!
LikeLike
April 6, 2013 at 6:46 am
OK, I think I just wrote an entire blog post in your comment section!
LikeLike
April 6, 2013 at 7:39 pm
Yes you did and I loved it!
LikeLike
April 6, 2013 at 6:49 am
I see it pretty much the way Sara does. Once the earth’s water supply and soil for growing food are so thoroughly polluted that life on earth can no longer be sustained, survivors will need another base of operations. But is there water on Mars? Who’s lining up to leave our home planet? Stories like this make me shake my head at people who think “science” is going to solve all our problems.
LikeLike
April 6, 2013 at 7:39 pm
There’s so much that needs doing right here. But I kind of get the space thing..the exploration…the learning…it’s just that there’s so much to do right here.
LikeLike
April 6, 2013 at 8:35 am
Thought-provoking post for sure and also all the comments. I like to bury my head in the sand and not think about all the money that is wasted by the government. I hate feeling helpless at the way politics works.
LikeLike
April 6, 2013 at 7:40 pm
This is why I sometimes want to live in a little house in a big woods. Isolation, you know!?!
LikeLike
April 6, 2013 at 2:58 pm
Good question. Sadly, I have no good answer — we seem to spend a LOT of money on crazy things, turning a blind eye to the issues that should take precedence. Perhaps it’s that thing they call “pork”??
LikeLike
April 6, 2013 at 7:40 pm
It’s all special interests. Which I can’t deny sometimes are necessary given I have my own special interests….but still….when it comes down it it, it all seems to be about money and who gets more money for what pet project.
LikeLike
April 7, 2013 at 12:07 pm
Incredulous, horrified, frustrated, sad. I understand we must all have hopes and dreams and exploration of new worlds is a good thing – but perhaps our government should first explore ways to work together, explore the possibility of paying themselves a bit less, explore learning to live like the rest of us do with the same benefits most of us have, and all of those other things people who have commented before me have mentioned. It would be nice if we could afford to grow old. And have clean air. And clean water. And not fear the day our world gets so hot we all become fried eggs. Although that would eliminate our other concerns, wouldn’t it?
LikeLike