Beyond the fact that mankind has NO future whatsoever sticking to one planet, anyone who understands that there is in fact an entire universe beyond the blue sky over our heads can easily understand how important it is to spend money on space exploration.  But then considering we spend only about $20B per year on space it is horrifying to think how few people understand or care what lies beyond this planet.  Even on the miserly budget the american people grant nasa each year within the next 20 years nasa may well send probes under the ice on Europa to determine if life exists there.  Another project is to construct a very large baseline radio telescope that will span a fair part of the solar system and use this to image planets around other stars.  Public housing, national health care and all the other crap liberals pineon about year in and year out is as nothing compared to confirming the existence of oxygen in the atmosphere of another world that orbits an alien star.  If a nation and it’s peoples have no resources to expend on learning basic truths about the universe in which they live then they are little better than the animals they evolved from and ultimately will count for about as much.

Their basic instincts run toward socialization and big government spending.  Such as todays democratic congress with no balanced budget, no fix for medicare, no fix for medicade, no fix for social security. But they need higher taxes, new programs, more spending.

Global positioning, global communications, meteorology, the science and tools to study our planets environment, robotics, materials, laptops, etc etc etc.

Space has paid us back. And some day, we may find another home out there.  But will there be liberals in space?  Possibly trying to tax it?

to go there and take pictures of Mars north pole. Just exactly what does that do for the American people?

This is a lot better than spending money for death and destruction.  $400-500 BILLION a year on defense?  Takes only two years to reach a trillion there.

I vote for robotic space flight.

This is really something. Now, what if they DO find stuff that is organic and life-sustaining?

Are we gonna be able to plant gardens up there, and share the food with the rest of the world without the neocons/neolibs corporatizing it?

Will the Bushes and the Clintons and all the other war criminals be able to move up there? Might be worth all the money then. We could build some gigantic prison up there, and then that could be like the next stop after the Hague. Leave the equipment up there and program it to keep an eye on ‘em.