| The cold war was not good for much, but it was a | | | | government will have money to pay for things such |
| great time to be in the space program of either the | | | | as the space program. Well, you'll notice that the cost |
| USA or USSR. The governments were racing to be | | | | of the military was not mentioned above. This would |
| the first in space in this way or that, which led to the | | | | seem to suggest that the cost of space exploration |
| funding needed to do things like walk on the moon | | | | is one that cannot be easily carried. |
| and send probes around our solar system. The | | | | We are already seeing cost shortfalls having an |
| question is whether this golden period is now winding | | | | impact in the near term. President Obama has taken |
| down. | | | | a beating for canceling a proposed second trip to the |
| I'll start off by mentioning that I am a science fiction | | | | moon. The truth of the matter is there really isn't |
| fan and huge proponent of space exploration. If I | | | | any funding available to do it in the current economic |
| had my druthers, we would already be vacationing on | | | | environment. When the government is running a $1.9 |
| Mars! Alas, nobody is willing to hand me that | | | | trillion dollar deficit each year, the idea of setting |
| checkbook, which is probably a good thing. The | | | | aside money to go back to the moon is not exactly |
| question these days is whether the space program | | | | going to get a lot of play. This trend will certainly |
| as we know it is going to exist in another decade or | | | | continue for the next decade at least. |
| two. We assume so when discussing the future, but | | | | So, will humanity ever expand upon its efforts to |
| a practical problem may bring that vision to an end. | | | | explore the universe around us? It seems that there |
| The problem is economics. As a nation, we are facing | | | | are really only two options. One would be a private |
| a huge national debt problem. The cost of Medicare, | | | | group that starts doing it or the rise of another |
| Social Security and just paying the interest on our | | | | country that has the financial basis to do it. Until |
| national debt is estimated to be as much as 80 | | | | either group appears, the idea of space exploration is |
| percent of our total yearly budget by 2020. How this | | | | going to take a back seat compared to the focus on |
| has happened is a subject for another article, but it | | | | paying our bills. |
| raises the very simple question of whether there | | | | |