Forget Space, Fix Earth Instead

Pareene asks why bother 'getting Americans boldly from one place to another place?'

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 20, 2009 2:45 PM CDT

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Forget Space, Fix Earth Instead — This photo shows the Apollo 11 astronauts on the lunar surface after landing from a new digitally refurbished version of the original moon landing video unveiled Thursday, July 16, 2009. (AP Photo/NASA TV)

On today’s 40th anniversary of the moon landing, President Obama should again show bravery and determination by not indulging in more space exploration, Alex Pareene urges for Gawker. NASA has $100 billion earmarked to replace the shuttles, in order to do what? Go “back to the damn moon, where we have been.” Dubya’s plans for a Mars colony are even more expensive—and with a payoff even farther away.

Why not focus on our abundant terrestrial problems? Wouldn’t it be nice, Pareene asks, to have that $100 billion for, you know, providing coverage to the uninsured? Or finding solutions to global warming “and maybe forestall the day when we destroy our atmosphere and actually do have to flee the planet in a hurry?”
(More Mars stories.)

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