NASA Spending Millions To Find Water On The Moon

by rabbifink on October 8, 2009 · 7 comments

moon-earthAm I missing something?

Normally I stay out of politics. But I think this issue transcends politics.

Friday October 9, 2009 at approximately 7:31 AM EST NASA is going to bomb the moon. This is an exercise designed to confirm or deny the existence of water on the moon. Video of the anticipated explosion is below.

The cost for such an exercise? $79,000,000. Yes. Seventy-nine million dollars. Are we running out of water on the Blue Planet that we need to find water on the moon!?

I plan a longer post on my opinion on Space Exploration, but in honor of tomorrow’s bombing I will provide you with just one figure that is sure to blow your mind.

NASA has a public record of their yearly budget request. Take a look at it by clicking NASA Budget 2010.

If you dig around there for a few minutes you’ll find what I found. The actual 2010 NASA Budget Request from the Federal Government is enumerated. The number? Astronomical (hehe).

$18.686 Billion. Yes. That is right. $18,686,000,000

We spend a lot of money each year on space exploration. Is this the best use of such extravagant funding?

So again. Am I missing something?

If you want to see $79,000,000 explode in outer space you can find links by clicking here for Gizmodo’s links.

And as promised, here is the video:

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Tagged as: astronomical, gizmodo, moon, NASA, ridiculous, space, video

  • http://www.twitter.com/surlyadopter Nate

    It is a bargain at twice the price. In terms of space exploration, 79 million is couch-cushion money. With NASA planning to return to the moon, this is a necessary first step to observe Lunar geography/composition.

    We know that there is water on the Moon(somewhere). We also know that there are components of water in the lunar soil. The question is then, how much water is there? It is thought that the permanently dark craters (such as those in the polar regions), could contain water in the form of ice. By impacting with the crater, hopefully we will learn more about the composition of soil in these craters which will hopefully include a concentration of ice which will be a needed for a human development/ presence on the Moon.

  • E. F. Shaar

    Is this just sour grapes because it makes some of the wording in the New Moon Blessing problematic?

  • http://finkorswim.com rabbifink

    It was the sticker shock of seeing NASA’s yearly budget combined with the question of whether this is the best way to allocate those tremendous resources.

    Maybe these programs should be on hold while the economy struggles to revive itself…

  • Isaac

    I guess we could have spent that money on a few extra days of getting our guys killed overseas…

  • Isaac

    By the way, do you know how many things you take for granted now that were only enabled by past space program expenditures? Global communications via satellite and GPS come to mind very quickly.

  • http://www.twitter.com/surlyadopter Nate

    If it was not for the US space program you would not have your iphone:)

  • http://finkorswim.com rabbifink

    Nate, Isaac:

    You are only right as that is the way it is. And you are only partially correct.

    For example, Directv launches their own satellites into orbit, not NASA’s. If the private sector wanted or needed GPS and other benefits that NASA provides we would get them through the private sector.

    Plus, there is a huge difference between space exploration and development of technology using space. Maybe I do want satellites in orbit, but I certainly could not care less if there are life forms on other planets…

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