Copyright © 2005 by David M Livingston. Published by the Mars Society with permission
Dr. David M.
Livingston
The Space Show¨
P.O. Box 95
Tiburon, California 94920
E-mail:
dlivings@davidlivingston.com
Abstract
Many
people in the United States and around the world regard spending public money
(tax dollars) on space programs and exploration as not only a waste, but also
inappropriate. Their argument is
that the publicŐs money must be spent on solving problems right here on Earth,
from ridding our planet of poverty and disease to establishing world peace and
prosperity for all. When space
advocates, industry and other space-aware people respond to those making these
arguments, seldom is an opinion or perception changed, and rarely does the
person holding the anti-space view moderate or abandon his or her point of
view.
Those
of us committed to quality space development by the public-sector need a new
and better way to talk to the general public about the importance, value,
necessity, and even the urgency of pursuing public space development and
exploration programs. For example,
we often talk about the benefits of spin-offs and products developed from the
space program that benefit the public, but these arguments are not
persuasive. To find a better way to
respond to people making the no spending argument, this author has investigated
what actually happens to the money invested in a public space program as it
makes its way through the American economic system to determine if it is a good
investment for the nation. As a
result of this investigation, this paper will show how money invested in a
quality public space program benefits the economy, the nation, and our society. The Apollo program is the model space program
used for this analysis. By
comparing and contrasting the economic investment in Apollo to other successful
government investment programs and projects, one will understand why it is that
investing in space becomes a unique wealth building process, benefiting not
just those of us in the United States, but people outside the United States as
well.
As
a result of the research undertaken for this paper, it is also possible to
identify the characteristics of a quality public space program. The conclusions drawn from the analysis
of this research will lay to rest the argument that we
canŐt afford space due to the pressing problems right here on Earth. Just the opposite will be shown, that we
cannot not afford to pass up investing in quality public space programming and
development which in turn enables us to be far more effective and successful in
handling the problems we have on Earth.
And this type of public investment best serves our nationŐs future.