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Astronaut Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin during the Apollo 11 mission to the moon on July 20, 1969. NEIL ARMSTRONG/AP/Press Association Images
The Daily PollPoll: Is space exploration worth the money?
As one of NASA’s dead satellites comes crashing to Earth, we ask if space exploration is worth the money spent on it. What do you think?
A NASA SATELLITE came crashing (or splashing) to Earth in the early hours of this morning.
The now-defunct satellite was launched over 20 years ago but the human race’s exploits in outer space started long before that.
Space exploration has certainly given the world some memorable moments – the first space walk in 1965 by Russian Alexei Leonov, Neil Armstrong’s successful mission to the moon in 1969, the robot Viking 1 making the first landing on Mars in 1976 and Sally Ride becoming the first American woman in space in 1983 – to name just a few.
In the past, discoveries in space were used as a barometer to judge which countries were the greatest technology “superpowers” and it seems that tradition is being upheld.
Earlier this month, US President Barack Obama revealed plans to build a super-size rocket with a super-size US$35 billion price tag.
At a time of global economic uncertainty, the move has been criticised in some quarters.
What do you think? Is space exploration worth the money?
Poll Results:
Yes (1139)
No (205)
It was in the past but not anymore (139)
I don't know (65)
have your say