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Deficit? What Deficit? Space Shuttle Finds Few Foes After Expensive D.C. Flyby

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Why are we wasting billions of dollars on the space program when we have urgent needs here on earth? Could we not benefit more by spending these resources on green energy or some other worthwhile endeavor that can help this planet here and now? This "We The People," did nor approve this spending on the space program. It should now be made into G.E.F.E, Green Energy For Earth program.

J.E. STRUBLE of MA 9:46AM August 10, 2012

Gotta spend money to make money.

dRuck of VA 12:12AM April 21, 2012

The critics should find another career. This article speaks of the Space Shuttle as if it were the 1990 Lincoln town car. Obviously, they were not around on Feb. 20th, 1962.

Doug of CO 10:54PM April 20, 2012

Apparently waiving $11 million is the best effort of NASA officials who "...have for years complained about their shrinking budgets..."
Fourth paragraph from the end*:
The Smithsonian is getting a good deal, too: Free. Free shuttle, free delivery. NASA calculated a delivery fee of $11 million, but the intragovernment transfer of funds “just got too complicated,” said (Valerie Neal, curator of human spaceflight at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum). So NASA waived the charge.
*Source:
Discovery’s last flight sends it to Smithsonian
By Brian Vastag, Published: April 13
The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/2012/04/12/gIQA16ZMFT_story.html

Steve of FL 4:49PM April 20, 2012

A key point missing in this commentary: the shuttle was being flown from Florida to Dulles ANYWAY, so the incurred expense would be the extra operational time for "the victory lap". One hour of flying time for a 747 runs about $10k, so that's the number that should be in question here - not the ~$10M numbers being thrown about here.

Gerard of AZ 3:28PM April 20, 2012