1 Yeah, it's just dirt & rocks... ... but it makes me tingle to see it :-)

2 Harvey, everything makes you tingle!

3 Couple of quick thoughts: NASA is only a very small fraction of the budget, somewhere around one percent if memory serves. It is by Congressional standards, chump change and far more goes to pork each year than to NASA. That said, when has any program been eliminated and had its money get used for anything other than pork? No matter what is promised, it never goes as said. Second, consider all that has come out of space research: modern electronics (arrived much faster because of the need for miniaturization and reliability); advanced firefighting equipment and safety gear; advanced protective systems for law enforcement and military; medical diagnostic and treatment systems including but not limited to ultrasound and advanced cancer treatments, not to mention monitors and telemedicine capabilities; and, many modern fabrics came about by or were improved through the program. NASA will very gladly list any and all spin offs, would that they paid as much attention to the spin-ons that have come from commercial space activities: new treatments for cancer, advanced water purification systems for hikers and cities, and even a new perfume. That said, a great deal of the current budget is not well spent in my opinion. A huge amount of it goes not into breaking new territory, but in maintaining the kludge that is the Shuttle. If we want to see the same-pace of technological advancement, and a host of new products that come from companies making use of space and microgravity, then NASA needs to get out of the Shuttle business and start pushing commercial launch such as Space Ship One, XCOR, and the others. Just a few thoughts...

4 Wolf's got a point. Although NASA is a waste of money compared to the private sector, it's less of a waste than, say, mohair subsidies :-)

5 I'm not so sure that NASA is a waste of money. To me it's more that they're mis-directed. NASA is better at research and development style projects, whereas in the recent past they've had to do more business-oriented tasks. Business will always do business better than the government.

6 I agree 100% with this "Laughing Wolf" guy, whoever he is....

7 Thanks LW, You raised some very important points which I had forgotten. If I look around my home I can see 5 things that are currently making my life easier and that have come as a direct result of space exploration and research. As for its budget, it's currently over 1%, but you are absolutely right and dead on target when you talk about the obscenity that is pork barrel funding. Thanks for the reminder!