Is the American Space Program Coming to an End?

Is the American Space Program Coming to an End?
By Thomas Ajava

The cold war was not good for much, but it was a great time to be in the space program of either the USA or USSR. The governments were racing to be the first in space in this way or that, which led to the funding needed to do things like walk on the moon and send probes around our solar system. The question is whether this golden period is now winding down.

I’ll start off by mentioning that I am a science fiction fan and huge proponent of space exploration. If I had my druthers, we would already be vacationing on Mars! Alas, nobody is willing to hand me that checkbook, which is probably a good thing. The question these days is whether the space program as we know it is going to exist in another decade or two. We assume so when discussing the future, but a practical problem may bring that vision to an end.

The problem is economics. As a nation, we are facing a huge national debt problem. The cost of Medicare, Social Security and just paying the interest on our national debt is estimated to be as much as 80 percent of our total yearly budget by 2020. How this has happened is a subject for another article, but it raises the very simple question of whether there government will have money to pay for things such as the space program. Well, you’ll notice that the cost of the military was not mentioned above. This would seem to suggest that the cost of space exploration is one that cannot be easily carried.

We are already seeing cost shortfalls having an impact in the near term. President Obama has taken a beating for canceling a proposed second trip to the moon. The truth of the matter is there really isn’t any funding available to do it in the current economic environment. When the government is running a $1.9 trillion dollar deficit each year, the idea of setting aside money to go back to the moon is not exactly going to get a lot of play. This trend will certainly continue for the next decade at least.

So, will humanity ever expand upon its efforts to explore the universe around us? It seems that there are really only two options. One would be a private group that starts doing it or the rise of another country that has the financial basis to do it. Until either group appears, the idea of space exploration is going to take a back seat compared to the focus on paying our bills.

Thomas Ajava writes about subjects like 10 Mars facts and other factual topics for FactsMonk.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Ajava

http://EzineArticles.com/?Is-the-American-Space-Program-Coming-to-an-End?&id=3836057

Share/Bookmark

Is Obama dismembering the space program? Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about...
The Canals of Mars The Canals of Mars By Steve Challis Discovery In 1877,...
Kill NASA - Kill Dreams! Kill NASA – Kill Dreams! By Pat Redmond It started...
Obama plan: Space faster, more often Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about...
Care Packages For American Soldiers Care Packages For American Soldiers By M Patelle Have you...