Pennies for NASA: Small change to help bolster our underfunded space program

NASA has taken major budget cuts in the last few years.

By Aaron Williams

On Aug. 6, 2012, the robotic rover Curiosity landed on the dusty surface of the red planet known as Mars. It was a historic moment for the American people and for the country that can proudly boast having put the first man on the moon. NASAs propensity for innovation and ability to make dreams a reality has inspired scientifically minded Americans for over half a century now.

One such group is an organization known as Penny4NASA. According to Penny4NASAs website, their goal is to convince the Obama administration and the U.S. Congress to increase NASAs current federal funding of 0.48 percent to a whole annual one percent of the U.S. annual budget. According to their data, 2012 is second lowest year of NASA funding by percentage of the U.S. annual budget since NASAs founding in the years of 1958 and 1959.

Should NASAs budget be increased to one percent of the U.S. annual budget? I would argue that it must. President Obama and the Democrats spent all of last week stressing how they will strengthen and stimulate the U.S. economy by improving our infrastructure, funding innovation and increasing funding in education in critical areas such as science and math, where the U.S. has fallen so far on the world stage.

A budget that is worthy of the work that NASA does is a necessity for our society. It shows where America places its values. The funding of NASA can have a direct economic and technological impact in the U.S. With more jobs for engineers, physicists, and mathematicians, we can become a leader in innovation and technological advancement once again.

In a CIO article entitled, It Came From Outer Space: NASA Innovations in Our Lives Meredith Levinson discusses several new technologies that the public now enjoys that were originally developed by NASA. These include nutritional supplements, aerogel insulation, memory foam pillows, high-tech swimsuits designed for Speedo by NASA, lithium batteries for hybrid and electric cars and infrared thermometers. These are just a few of the technological advancements that American society has benefited from thanks to NASA.

Even if you cannot concede that increasing NASAs budget would encourage growth in math and science sectors of the American education system, you must accept that planet Earth will not be around forever. Whether due to asteroid impact, irreparable climate change or nuclear war, our planet can quickly become inhospitable to life.

If the human race is going to ascend past planet Earth and take our exploratory spirit with us across the galaxy, it begins with our own solar system. Lunar colonization and eventually martian colonization are vital steps to ensuring the human race can outlast the Earth. It is a long road but we must start to pave the way today if we ever intend on seeing one of our boldest dreams come to fruition. It starts today, with NASA and with the funding of organizations like Penny4NASA. If you have the means, you can donate directly to Penny4NASA on their website. If you do not, call your representatives. Tell them that you believe NASAs funding should be increased, to the benefit of us all.

opinion@louisvillecardinal.com Photo courtesy of NASA.gov

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Pennies for NASA: Small change to help bolster our underfunded space program