Nasa's latest price tag....

Systems · May 2009

$1,000,000,000

To get Hubble back up and running again.... I don't know, I'd rather they would spend the money on a Mars mission. I hope to see that before I die....

Ron-P · May 2009

Or maybe just use it to help the human race here on planet earth?

Systems · May 2009

Ron-P wrote: »

Or maybe just use it to help the human race here on planet earth?

That too.....

CaligulaPolk · May 2009

or prevent shuttle from explode

Ron-P · May 2009

It's always nice to see what's in space, or what's on other planets but if we don't start spending some money on us, there won't be anyone here to enjoy what's out there.

MillerLiteScott · May 2009

It's only 1 billion. Sheeeesh that is not much $ at all.

skrol · May 2009

Hubble keeps me off the streets and provides for my family so I may be biased.

$1billion sounds like a lot, and it is, but compared to what we spend on other things, it really isn't. How much does a single hit movie rake in? What if we spent all our entertainment money on worthy causes like feeding the poor, fixing the economy, fixing the ecology and world peace? Those entertainment dollars are part of our economy too.

Is Hubble a worthy cause? What do we get for our money? Much of the technology developed for Hubble, and other space vehicles, finds it way into other worthy causes. For example, the technology that went into developing the detectors for the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) has found its way into the medical field for detecting breast tumors. NASA is well known for its spin-off technologies that benefit the world. There is a publication, NASA "Spin-Offs" dedicated to this topic.

Today we just did what has never been done in space before. We FIXED an instrument on-orbit. Sure we have replaced them but we have never cut the box open, yanked out faulty circuit boards and replaced them. It worked! Pardon me, I am flying high on the success.

I do struggle with the question of, "Is what I'm doing really benefiting the world?" The answer I find is, Yes. I am contributing to society, fueling dreams, helping to answer age old questions of who are we and where did we come from, providing for my family. The experience that I have gained as senior power system engineer on Hubble may very well take me into the "Green Energy" field. Our technology and experience have already benefited NASA's and other programs who's missions are Earth sciences (weather, climate, etc). I do have a job that I can feel good about even if it does cost $1billion in tax payer money.

I hope I haven't stirred the pot too much
Stan

markmarc · May 2009

Right On Stan!!!!

Airplay355 · May 2009

And lets not forget the tempur pedic mattress! Just kidding around. I think Hubble is a worthy cause.

lightman1 · May 2009

Atta boy Stan! The images of far space alone are worth $1 billion. Spin off tech rocks too. You and the rest of the crews keep up the good work.

Ron-P · May 2009

Well said Stan, but, you cannot rightly compare the film industry to NASA. I go on my own free will to spend my money on a film I want to see. I don't get any rights on how the government spends my money that I've earned. Also, we all know how much the government wastes money.

BlueFox · May 2009

Ron-P wrote: »

It's always nice to see what's in space, or what's on other planets but if we don't start spending some money on us, there won't be anyone here to enjoy what's out there.

Haven't been paying much attention to the news lately, have we? :rolleyes:

Ron-P · May 2009

So very true, and no plans to start.

skrol · May 2009

Time to go to work and help fix another science instrument, this time Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and install a Fine Guidance Sensor.
Stan

skrol · May 2009

My mistake. Today is STIS repair and installation of outer thermal blankets (NOBLs). Tomorrow is the 2nd set of batteries and the FGS.

Too early in the morning
Stan

tonyb · May 2009

A billion?? Thats it? Hell,our government spends more than that on hookers and blow.
Besides,it would be nice to eventually have another planet to go to just in case,Preservation of the species and all that.Who knows,an asteroid could hit us,Boy George could make a comeback,lots could happen to put the human race in harms way.

Knucklehead · May 2009

How about NASA's estimate of $104,000,000,000 to send a crew BACK to the moon!:eek:

obieone · May 2009

A question for the resident 'uber-geek': How do they navigate in space? What do they use for a reference?
Down here it's Long., Lat., & altitude, with the N pole as a reference point.
But what do they use in outer space? The Sun?

williamgauci · May 2009

obieone wrote: »

A question for the resident 'uber-geek': How do they navigate in space? What do they use for a reference?
Down here it's Long., Lat., & altitude, with the N pole as a reference point.
But what do they use in outer space? The Sun?

Map Quest!

Seriously though, I don't have a clue either.

howie777 · May 2009

That sounds like a pretty sweat gig Stan. And I can't agree more. NASA should be much better funded than it is. It is also a good way to keep jobs in the US as you can't just outsource that kind of work easily. And the tech is pretty sweet. I have also heard it is the only government funded project that has a return on its investment though the technologies that are developed and used outside of NASA. Not sure its true but it would make sense that our government would cut them first if it is true, lol.

Its time for todays high tech to be tomorrows low tech and for the US to come up with a new high tech. I was told a eruopean company is asking my company (US based) to do some work as they now consider the US to be a mid cost country now. yikes!

H

Systems · May 2009

Its been interesting watching them work on it, pretty tough work in those space suits though....

HB27 · May 2009

MillerLiteScott wrote: »

It's only 1 billion. Sheeeesh that is not much $ at all.

I'm in full support of Nasa and all the benefits we reap from their projects.
I was sent this a while back and it's an eye opener so I thought I'd throw it in:

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend,
but one advertising agency did a good job of
putting that figure into some perspective in
one of its releases.

A.

A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B.

A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C.

A billion hours ago our ancestors were
living in the Stone Age.

D.

A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E.

A billion dollars ago was only

8 hours and 20 minutes,

at the rate our government

is spending it.

skrol · May 2009

obieone wrote: »

A question for the resident 'uber-geek': How do they navigate in space? What do they use for a reference?
Down here it's Long., Lat., & altitude, with the N pole as a reference point.
But what do they use in outer space? The Sun?

Very good guess, but they use Google aaaah Space... No, actually they use many different suns. Just like the captains of the sea, we guide using stars with devices called Fixed Head Star Trackers.

Face · May 2009

HB, new math?

Lord Vader · May 2009

Ron-P wrote: »

Well said Stan, but, you cannot rightly compare the film industry to NASA. I go on my own free will to spend my money on a film I want to see. I don't get any rights on how the government spends my money that I've earned. Also, we all know how much the government wastes money.

yes he can... Titanic made 650,000,000 at the box office alone in 1998 dollars! And that idiot George Lucas is a multi-billionaire after stealing my image and making a politically motivated film slandering the Empire.

Hillbilly61 · May 2009

Ron-P wrote: »

Or maybe just use it to help the human race here on planet earth?

That is already being spent and then much more. While the figures haven't been checked lately, I think $250 billion was spent on the Iraq war last year. A mere billion that helps human understanding in pure science should not be a big deal.

ohskigod · May 2009

hell yeah we need the Hubbell. how else are we going to see the Asteroids that can destroy the planet. honestly, who hasn't seen Armageddon and doesn't know this!?!?!

lightman1 · May 2009

STFU Lou.

Ron-P · May 2009

Lord Vader wrote: »

yes he can... Titanic made 650,000,000 at the box office alone in 1998 dollars! And that idiot George Lucas is a multi-billionaire after stealing my image and making a politically motivated film slandering the Empire.

You're missing my point.

People spent their money on how they saw fit which made these films millions and those people rich. The government takes my money and spends it on how they see fit. Two very different animals that cannot be compared.

shack · May 2009

Ron-P wrote:

Or maybe just use it to help the human race here on planet earth?

US Government spending (federal state and local) for 2009 will be about $6.4 Trillion (6,400 Billion). Over half of that is spent on basic "help" in the form of healthcare, education and welfare. That does not include foreign aid and welfare, infrastructure, public lands, roads, etc, etc. (BTW total defense spending is only slightly above welfare and less that healthcare and education).

The space program has been one of the major contributors to many areas of our daily life...computer technology, health and medicine, industrial development and management, environmental and resource management, transportation, communications, etc, etc, etc. Lots of things we take for granted every day were developed because of the space program. There are often technological breakthroughs in areas we could not even fathom when they were being designed for NASA.

I for one would like to see NASA get a bigger budget and for us to spend less on things like huge (and very costly) improvements for an airport nobody uses as was reported in the news recently (ie: pork barrel spending).

venomclan · May 2009

My thoughts on NASA:

Shut em down. At least the space exploration part for the time being. Let me explain: There was a time when we were racing against other countries to be the first to do anything in space, go to the moon, space stations, etc...It was a political move, a superiority move. Today's superiority has to do with energy. Those with it have the advantage.

Of course today, the U.S. is the largest user of energy while the supplies of oil are conveniently located in our enemies hands. We are at their mercy. Alternative energy brings hope, but it is moving too slow, and stops when oil is cheap. Ever notice how anything that is invented to improve our lives, country, planet etc... is only utilized if it is at a profit. Our government is it's own business and lets thrid parties negotiate, profit and decide our fate. NASA is our's and can be a game changer for the US.

I feel that if we have the technology to put a probe on another planet 30 years ago, that we can invent a battery that will get us 150 mpg. I propose that NASA is given a 5 year mission to use our resources to help the American people become energy independent, using all methods we now know and many others I am sure they will discover. Just think of our power potential using Methane, Hydrogen, batteries, algae-based ethanol etc... without big oil, other countries etc. getting in the way. Lets go around those ****-hats to become strong again. Now is the time to do this, since our government owns 2 of our 3 automakers. Let's implement that technology to our home team.

Does this make too much sense?
Venom

Nasa's latest price tag....

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