NASA's planning a trip to the sun

I guess this is important but aren't there many other more pressing issues that we need to deal with on our own planet that could use the 750 million dollars?

seems a little extravagant this day in age.

Hey guys,

I know there are a lot of hungry people in the world, but science has done a lot to help with the inequities. While you could say this is excessive, the nature of science is that all developments contribute to a global mass of knowledge - so it's near impossible to assess what benefits can be reaped down the line.

I think it's just hard to watch so much money go into a project that 'could' help us understand something very far away from us in the future. While there are so many pressing issues that need attention now.

I'm not sold on this plan either. How is understanding solar storms going to help us here on earth? And what happens when they figure out that the sun is going to burn up a lot sooner that we think? I'd like to see the money be directed to issues here on earth.

Great point by fernandez_is_go. Although I understand why some people feel this is money not well spent because there aren't short term tangible benefits it is important for science to keep pressing forward. As for our more pressing problems, I think there are plenty of existing government resources that can be re-allocated with the right leadership.

I'm not convinced by the urgency of this 750 million dollar research to better understand 'solar storms'. Surely there are so many other ways the money could be used to help our planet.

I understand the benefits of leveraging scientific rersearch but in this instance I struggle to see what good can come out of it, other than a couple of scientists over the moon. Let's hope they take a few more with them.

This better be some good exploration. I'm curious though, how it would be able to withstand sun's gravity. Anybody seen Sunshine?

This is about what we spend in a couple of days in Iraq. As far as I am concerned this is a much better investment.

Yeah...Instead of spending $750 million on going to the sun, why don't we invest that money on solar energy instead? Seriously...I don't think another picture of the sun is going to make a difference here.

750 millions dollars could be spent on so many other things like health care, lower college tuition, helping 3rd world countries, pay off some the this countries debt... the list goes on and on...

Well have fun taking pictures of the sun ...

The $750 price tag is just an estimate. It'll suck to see the price go up and then the project fails miserably because the sun goes to 2600... and 1 degrees centigrade...

Y'all, what if they discover something amazing from their trip up to the sun, some type of fundamental understanding about the laws of the universe ... knowledge like that is worth the money

What if they mess up the units again and just chuck a piece of metal into the sun?

I used to want to be an astronaut. Now I realize that there are many more pressing issues here at home (at least they're more pressing to me.) It seems like you should know something about your own home a little before you venture too far into the neighborhood.

I have to say it will be hot there.

Solar storms could wipe out our existince on the planet so it does need to be studied. But i think it should be studied internationally where alot of countries pitched in on it. NASA has become a shell of its former self. People just arnt as intrested in it as they were 30 years ago.

Let me give one of many thousands of benefits we have had to our general quality of life on plantet earth from NASA....
One of the many spinoffs from the Hubble telescope is the use of its Charge Coupled Device (CCD) chips for digital imaging breast biopsies. The resulting device images breast tissue more clearly and efficiently than other existing technologies. The CCD chips are so advanced that they can detect the minute differences between a malignant or benign tumor without the need for a surgical biopsy. This saves the patient weeks of recovery time and the cost for this procedure is hundreds of dollars vs. thousands for a surgical biopsy. With over 500,000 women needing biopsies a year the economic benefit, per year, is tremendous and it greatly reduces the pain, scarring, radiation exposure, time, and money associated with surgical biopsies.

Its is too bad that many people are so short sighted about the benefits we get back from research and development. Sure, we all need to reallocate governementt spending and our charity to help our immediate needs on earth. But it should not mean cutting research and development at NASA. How about drinking one less latte per day and giving the $1000/year you spend on them to a charitable organization.

It has been conservatively estimated that for every dollar the U.S. spends on R and D in the space program, it receives $7 back in the form of employer and personal income taxes from increased jobs and economic growth.

there needs to be more space exploration and more funding!!!!!!! there are many key ingredients to understanding the earth from what we learn in space and the ocean for that matter. two places that are very unexplored!!

I have to agree with Mako on this one. I believe that this is a more legit reason in the long run to spend money on than spending billions of dollars on a standstill war.

SPF 10,000? It would be nice to solve a few million of the problems here on earth first.

Lets fix the budget and housing market and then throw a piece of metal into the FUCKING SUN.

I mean, shit.
The sun?
Way better uses for the money, and there is way better shit for NASA to do besides shoot stuff at the sun.

That is the closest to Hell that anyone living will ever get to.

Is it just me or do scientists act like we've already cured cancer?

its hot, it burns, it can kill us a(cancer), plants need it. so maybe with another 750 mill, we can find out how to make kool fireworks from metal?

This is the wrong way to spend money or should i say burn it up fast with no trace.

Let's hope where still here after the super rare eclipse in 2012 to received the burning data that it will send back when it gets there 3 years later.

Cherish the Awesomeness of the Universe and all it's mechanics


Peace,
Cherish

clayjj05, you wrote "Solar storms could wipe out our existince on the planet..." Note that solar storms haven't done so in the past several million years, so there is little chance they will do so in the future. Maybe you need to be fitted with a tinfoil hat to protect you from solar storms....

I know that there are wonderful things about scientific study that may only be seen years after and i'm not saying we should stop exploring just because we are low on cash.... HOWEVER!

If i was 100,000 in credit card debt but was really interested in what Egypt looked like in the spring, it would be in my best interest to work down my debt and develop a savings plan that balanced my dreams with my reality...

Who keeps the government's dreams and reality balanced now? Billions of dollars in debt and we're taking an inquisitive vacation to the sun...

People never change. There are always going to be those misinformed few who are going to ask “why are we spending money on this?” If you don’t understand the importance of scientific exploration then you are lost to all reason. Stop saying we need to focus on terrestrial issues only. You can explore space and work on other issues at the same time!

You guys are hypocrites! Our space program is responsible for so much stuff you guys take for granted. We wouldn’t even be talking about climate change if it wasn’t for the space program.

i was not speaking overall, i was just saying figurativly speaking- our science budget? is this like my budget for shoes... because i stop buying shoes when i start not being able to afford food...

and ricky84... wow. read again. i'm not against the space program at all, i love science! but i DO think that right now, when we are spending less and less on education and our future- what is the point of going to the sun right now if the next generation will not be able to appreciate the benifits of our findings? please read carefully before over-reacting.

Redvelvet

You oversimplify the issue of governemetn spending, and cost vs. benefit. When it comes to spending money for NASA, you get more money back...

It has been conservatively estimated that for every dollar the U.S. spends on R and D in the space program, it receives $7 back in the form of employer and personal income taxes from increased jobs and economic growth.

That means you can take $1million and turn it into $7million.

This is very similar to saying that giving governement money to fund pre-school education reaps many fold the rewards in the future. Funding NASA is no different.

The science budget is not like your shoe budget. Scientific exploration(and the education system as you brought up) are more like your job. When you go and do a good job you get a return on your investment. A nice pair of shoes does not pay your bills, and if it does then you’re probably a prostitute.(I’m not calling you a prostitute by any means. I’m just trying to show that your analogy doesn’t fit) Furthermore our future is the space age. I tried to convey this in my last post but I guess you didn’t pick up on it.

Without the space program we wouldn’t be talking about the problem many of you are alluding too. The exploration of space has given us valuable tools to understanding our own impact on this world. Venus is a real world example of what a runaway green house effect does to a planet. Scientists can use Venus as proof of the climate change argument. In the end without the space age we would still be in the industrial age and the industrial age screwed the planet.

The space age is truly going to save us from destruction. The techniques NASA is perfecting right now will provide us with the means to fix or current problems and to live within our resources. Right now the space program is researching how to grow food using minimum resources and minimum energy. They are also studying the interactions of different people. I could go on and on about what NASA is doing now and what it did then to help us.


Lastly we fought the longest war in American history while pursuing the space age. We can deal with our problems on earth and continue to explore space now. Like I said before if you do not understand the importance of the space program then you are lost to reason. You need to educate yourself before you past judgment.

Science is the most important endeavor any members of our species can hope to achieve on this planet. To all the nay-sayers who believe this is a waste of taxpayers money and other hoohah, at least we will have quantifiable results with this project at a meager several hundred million dollar price-tag, and we actually know where the money is going, and will see it launched. Now if the project is scrapped under mysterious circumstances and the money disappears like so many other government funded projects slated to take off... My point is, that we may see results from this that can benefit our existence on this planet for everyone, and maybe it will cost billions of more dollars, but as long as we know where that money is going, what EXACTLY it is doing, and know that it is in the name of SCIENCE, I think we all need to pipe down and read books until this thing is launched instead of watching the myriad reality shows that will air between now and then!

Science directed to the elimination of war, disease, poverty, hunger, and environmental pollution should take priority over everything else. Otherwise, the exploration of space is meaningless.