Space Opinions Survey

[NuclearDem]

35. Here we go:

1. Should the NASA budget be higher, lower, or stay the same?

Higher.

2. How high do you think the NASA budget should be? Feel free to express in whatever terms you please - exact dollars, % of budget, or % of GDP.

10% of the total budget, on the low end.

3. Should NASA place a higher priority on manned spaceflight or unmanned robotic probes?

Depends on the mission. Manned missions aimed at expanding the ISS or a potential visit to Mars, unmanned for other missions to the outer planets or Venus.

4. What prorportion of the budget would you assign to manned spaceflight vs. unmanned robotic probes, leaving out other priorities?

Put the majority of the budget towards unmanned, at least until longer-distance manned flights are feasible.

5 Should NASA play a leading role in Earth-observation, or should that be the domain of other, more specially-focused institutions?

I'm assuming this questions refers to weather monitoring, communications, GPS, etc. Yes, leave these specific institutions ultimately in charge of these programs.

6. Should solar observation be placed under the purview of NOAA, since solar dynamics have a direct and immediate impact on daily terrestrial life while NASA's interest is more abstract and scientific?

Don't really see a need to divide the two. NASA and NOAA can share responsibility and goals.

7. What priority should exploring each of the solar's systems worlds have in sequence?

Mars for its potential habitability, Europa for its water, asteroid field for its mineral resource potential, all other bodies in no particular order for their own respective scientific benefits.

8. Should these priorities be different for manned space exploration? How so?

Mars is already at the top of the list. Otherwise, manned priorities should be for the inner planets, because of distance and feasibility.

9. Beyond the Moon and Mars, where should human beings visit next, and why?

Not entirely sure. I'm not well-versed enough in the solar system to know what other bodies may be habitable or not for even short visits, or if there is, whether a visit is feasible.

10. What is an acceptable death rate for manned space exploration, from a public perspective that won't directly face the risks?

Zero. Hence why I place priority on unmanned exploration until manned travel is feasible.

11. What is the death risk you would find acceptable if you personally were to undertake space exploration?

Oddly enough, I would be willing to risk quite a bit. But that's just for myself.

12. Would it be be justifiable to increase the NASA budget with a tax increase of some kind? Would you be willing to pay such a tax increase? What is the maximum rate increase you would accept?

I would prefer a significant tax increase on the ultrawealthy, but after that increase, if it was necessary to pay for the program and I felt comfortable the revenue would be wisely used, I would be willing to pay some more.

13. At what point is space safe enough for children?

When adults have continuously lived in either orbiting platforms or permanent facilities on other bodies for a full generation.

14. Where do you want to go?

Mars.

15. What places do you feel have the most significant future hitstory in a spacefaring civilization?

There are far too many factors in that question for me to adequately address it.

16. What kind of governments do you think will arise in various places of the solar system?

See #15.