Space Shuttle Discovery

In my opinion all the money spent on the space shuttle program and the money planned to be spent on future outer-space programs is mostly a waste. I agree that many jobs are created and that brilliant scientific minds are kept busy, but beyond these benefits I look upon NASA’s projects somewhat like the idea of climbing a mountain just because it’s there. We have so many problems on this Earth that need resolving that it seems a foolish waste of our resources and an unnecessary enlargement of our deficit just for the sake of showing the rest of the world we can do it.

I agree wholeheartedly with the SDI program and defense projects, but why do we need to rush into outer space and beyond--just because dreamers foresee a future somewhere out there as in a TV fantasy? A mission to land men on Mars? Utter foolishness! For what? Just to say we did it? Nonsense! We went to the moon. “One small step for man” and one great big shaft for the taxpayers!

JAMES P. ASHBY

Palos Verdes Estates