Expensive NASA Space Programs
Re “Atlantis Blasts Off for a Mission to Troubled Russian Space Station,” Sept. 26: I have been a supporter of NASA and our space program for over 30 years, but NASA’s continued funding of expensive space shuttle missions to dock with the Russian Mir space station strains credibility.
The Mir safety questions notwithstanding, NASA has lost its ability to state a clear program of goals and objectives for space exploration to the taxpayer. Instead, we continue to spend millions of dollars to send our astronauts up on an aging shuttle fleet to an even more aging Mir.
What science is being gleaned from all this? NASA officials need to do a better job of selling the program to Congress and to us taxpayers if they want our support.
DAVID ANDERSON
Los Alamitos
* “Failing Satellite Expected to Burn Up in Atmosphere” (Sept. 23). There goes 64.8 million taxpayer dollars!
NASA has money to burn, but we can’t afford a national health plan, affordable housing for the working poor and homeless, books for our schools, adequate road and bridge repairs or even to pay the United Nations bill.
How much longer will NASA continue to play with costly outer-space toys while Rome burns?
SHIRLEY WOLF
Santa Monica
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