Or Sony 65-inch HD TV (and a Toshiba 42-inch HD TV with XBox video game system for the bedroom) for every housing unit in America.

Or buy 2,390,057 houses in the US at $209,200 (the median cost of an American home). Or 625,000,000 basic Habitat for Humanity homes in third-world countries.

Or pay four years of tuition at Indiana University for all of the 15,300,000 college students in the US. (Or send 5,856,996 students to Harvard for four years.)

Or provide $14,460 worth of prescription drugs for every one of the 34,578,000 Americans over age 65.

Or buy 555,555,555,555 Mars candy bars.

Or build and equip 16,358,580 medical clinics in third world countries (includes electrical generator for each).

Or support 1,600,000,000 third-world children for one year

Or pay for 1 manned mission to Mars!

Yep, on January 14 President George Bush told a crowd at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration that he wants to see humans return to the moon by 2020. And then . . .

With the experience and knowledge gained on the moon, we will then be ready to take the next steps of space exploration: human missions to Mars and to worlds beyond. Robotic missions will serve as trailblazers—the advanced guard to the unknown. Probes, landers and other vehicles of this kind continue to prove their worth, sending spectacular images and vast amounts of data back to Earth. Yet the human thirst for knowledge ultimately cannot be satisfied by even the most vivid pictures, or the most detailed measurements. We need to see and examine and touch for ourselves. And only human beings are capable of adapting to the inevitable uncertainties posed by space travel.

According to The New Republic a 1989 NASA estimate put the sticker price at $400,000,000,000 or $600,000,000,000 in today's dollars.

But Konstantin Feoktistov, who worked in the Russian space program and now lectures at the Moscow Bauman Technical University, told SPACE.com a manned mission to Mars would cost $1 trillion. "Even if the surface of Mars were covered with gems and gold, a manned mission would still be too expensive because of such a great cost," Feoktistoy said.

So, half a trillion is a conservative estimate.

To be fair, there are some down-to-earth benefits of space exploration. The space program has yielded breakthrough advances in communications, weather forecasting, electronics, and countless other fields. CAT Scanners and MRIs trace their origins to technologies engineered for use in space.

But $500,000,000,000 is a lot of money to invest in space when there are so many more practical (and life-saving uses) for that kind of cash right here on the home planet.

Or to put it another way, that amount of money would provide the President, each member of his cabinet, all twelve Supreme Court justices, and every one of 485 members of congress inpatient psychiatric care for 3,722 years. Now that might not be a bad investment!

Copyright © 2004 James N. Watkins

Notes:

United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Statistics 2000 lists 11,030,029 drivers in California. A BMW X5 lists for $45,330.79./P>

A Sony HD TV lists for $2,429, a Toshiba HD TV for 1,500, and XBox for $179 ($4,108). United States Census Bureau lists 119, 302,132 housing units. That comes to $490, 093,158,256.

Habitat For Humanity can build a home in a third-world country for as little as $800.

Society for College and University Planning 2003 reports 15,300,000 students enrolled in college. In 2000 four years tuition at Harvard was $85,368; four years at Indiana University $29,444 in 2000. And those are "out of state" costs!

World Hope can build and equip a medical clinic for $30,565.

World Hope can support a third world child $300 per year.

MediCare will cover $716 per day for psychiatric care.

Comments

[Following reprint of this column in reference to July 2005's "Deep Impact" comet mission] I stumbled upon your website tonight while researching the NASA Deep Impact mission and was a bit startled that you felt the money could be better spent. Surely you are entitled to your opinion but it seems that the mission which can provide answers about the origin of the universe is worth the cost of what we spend in Iraq in 2 days. Or, about 1/20 of the cost to the nation that the wealthiest 100 taxpayers save by Bush's tax cuts in one year. And yes, I too have grave concerns about the way the government is allocating funds. As mentioned above, it seems perverse and unchristian to give such huge tax cuts and at the same time cut education and programs for the poor. Food stamps for a starving family of five or a new boat for a millionaire? Hence, I guess my point is that the cost of the Deep Impact program is tiny in the big scheme of things and there are much better places deserving of ridicule. That's my 2 cents which I now regret pushing on you. Guess the context just got me riled. Best, ladyandscamp@yahoo.com July 2005

You are toooo cool, James! Alleluia -- a voice of sanity from a Christian brother! May this post make the rounds far beyond your normal area of interference, er, influence. :) And I'll do my part, OK? Grace, Judith at adlib@ixpres.com

After reading your last message I see who you really are. Unsubscribe me at once. You should be praying for President Bush not criticizing. What ever you sew [sic] you will reap Jim. If you criticize you will reap criticism. Just sew the gospel and give the Lord the harvest. Let him who is taught in the word, communicate the word unto the church. BenWag@aol.com

I do pray for our President, but as a brother in Christ it is also my responsibility to point out ideas that are not in keeping with Jesus' teachings. Neglecting the poor while spending billions on space exploration seems very un-Christ-like to me.

Now THAT WAS AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE!!!!!! SOMEONE ON THIS PLANET IS FINALLY SEEING THINGS CLEARLY HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!! jeanine.gray@sbcglobal.net

Jim, your post sent me over the moon. Thank you for telling it like it is. Jkgbooks@aol.com

I did some consulting work once for NASA, helping them with publicity for a traveling exhibition here in Paducah. I've always been supportive of and taken an interest in the space program. Even planned a vacation or two to see some space shots at the Cape. However, your post from Space REALLY puts some of this in perspective. Funny, funny, stuff. ktodd@vci.net

Thanks! I, too, have been a big supporter of the space program (I was thrilled to be home from school with pneumonia so I could watch John Glenn's first flight. And I came seven seconds from seeing a shuttle launch from the VIP section--but it was suddenly scrubbed. Arrrgh!) But this latest idea is simply spaced out.

As a Republican, who is on steering committees for some key Republicans, I must say that your piece on spending makes me think through this one. Good point wrapped in humor. I suppose some folks criticized Emperor Charles for supporting Magellan. However, when the lone ship returned it was loaded with cloves and the profit paid for the whole trip. Your point is well taken, not much chance to find cloves on Mars. Curious, what are the stated benefits for this trip from the White House? In order to think through this issue in more depth, I'll need to look at those objectives as well. National defense is no small issue, and with the Chinese special advances, I assume this is one of the key U.S. objectives. Again, thanks for your words. Jerry.Pattengale@indwes.edu



Leave a comment, tell a friend, send me money . . .

Email your comments to jim@jameswatkins.com.

And if this page was helpful, please . . .
    a) save it as a favorite at delicious.com
    b) subscribe to the RSS feed
    c) recommend it to digg.com and StumbleUpon.com and
    d) tell a friend:

Your name:
Your email:
Friend's name:
Friend's email:

And if this page was really helpful, please . . .
    e) please consider a donation to our sponsor XarisCom.

You can donate securely with any major credit card through PayPal. Thanks!

Legal stuff and warnings

Copyright © James Watkins. All text and graphics on my sites, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted © in my name, James N. Watkins, and are protected by United States copyright law and international copyright law under the Berne Convention. Please visit the press room for information on reprinting any text or graphics. Thanks!

WARNING: Reader assumes full responsibility for the proper and prescribed use of this site. For external use only. Discontinue if rash, redness, irritation, or swelling develops. If swallowed, do not induce vomiting. Side-effects may include drowsiness or mild to severe agitation. Do not read while consuming alcohol or operating heavy machinery. Keep away from open flame. Do not store above 451 degrees. Do not use near or place in water. Void where prohibited, taxed or licensed. Any medical information provided is for general educational use only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of any other person—real or fictitious, living or dead—using the name James N. Watkins.