5 Popular Misconceptions About NASA
#1. "Wasn't NASA shut down after the Space Shuttle?"
Since the 2011 retirement of the Space Shuttle program, the big white birds have been immortalized in museums across America. Last year, many of us marveled at the decommissioned Shuttle Endeavour piggy backing a Boeing 747 soaring over the Golden Gate Bridge, but the piece of information that slipped through the cracks is that while the Shuttle program may be over, the human spaceflight program still very much exists.
The Word: NASA is still very much alive and kicking!
#2. "NASA is too expensive. How can we justify that kind of spending right now?"
Few will contend with the idea that NASA is a source for inspiration to children and adults alike, and a testament to the technological capabilities of American scientists and engineers. But the reality is, this stuff does cost money. And with the sequester wreaking havoc on all federal programs, these questions are more than pertinent.
The Word: NASA is not free, but it certainly isn't the cause of our financial woes.
#3. "Why are we spending all that money on Space when we could be spending it down here on Earth?"
There are currently no banks or shops in space, so it turns out every dollar NASA spends is spent right here down on Earth. The design, R&D, and manufacture of satellites, rockets, and other space-related technologies--and employing tens of thousands of people to do it--pump billions of dollars into the U.S. economy. Studies estimate a $7-$14 return on investment for every $1 of NASA expenditure, with all of it going directly back into the U.S. Treasury.
The Word: Every dollar NASA spends is spent here on Earth, and the technological advances from the work often benefit our everyday lives.
#4. "Private space companies are taking over, so why do we need a government space program?"
Perhaps a byproduct of adversarial debates in Congress about the role of government vs. private enterprise, a rather inaccurate narrative of NASA vs. private spaceflight has emerged. There certainly are activities that private companies are capable of doing faster, better, and cheaper than a bureaucracy plagued NASA. With the success of SpaceX's Dragon docking with the International Space Station, April's Orbital Sciences's Antares launch, and Virgin Galactic's triumphant Space Ship Two test flight, there is no doubt that something very special is happening with private spaceflight this time around.
The Word: It's not NASA vs. private companies, but rather, NASA in partnership with private companies.
#5. "Isn't NASA a part of the Department of Defense?"
Back during the Cold War, sending NASA astronauts to the moon was primarily a powerplay to show the Soviet Union that we were not to be messed with. But the war is over, and the world has changed. While NASA still does the occasional DARPA funded projects and works closely with contractors who also contract with the Department of Defense (e.g., Lockheed Martin and Boeing make the rockets that launched the Curiosity Rover to Mars), NASA is not a defense organization. It is a civilian agency, focused on the peaceful exploration and utilization of space.
The Word: NASA is a civilian agency devoted to the peaceful and cooperative exploration of space.
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