Jeff Foust points out that the usual suspects in Congress are trying to defund the president's new space initiative. And as usual, they have the same stale, non-sequitur arguments about the relative cost effectivity of "science" between humans and robots, as though that's the only reason we have a space program (as I point out in comments over there).

If by nonsequitur you mean rational, I completely agree.

they have the same stale, non-sequitur arguments about the relative cost effectivity of "science" between humans and robots, as though that's the only reason we have a space program

Well, NASA doesn't let paying customers up on the shuttle at any price so you clearly don't have a space program for commerce.

If by nonsequitur you mean rational, I completely agree.

Then ipso facto, you don't agree at all. It's a non sequitur.

The civil space program has never been exclusively (or even mainly) about science, despite your attempt at a flawed false choice argument. Unfortunately, we pretend it is, as the current debate shows, so we never really make much progress in the policy discussion.

Ok Rand, if Civil space shouldn't be about science and commerce, what the hell is the reason to continue with it?

Well, I'm not sure we should have a civil space program. If we disbanded NASA, I probably wouldn't shed many tears.

But your question depends on how broadly you choose to define "commerce."

There are a large number of potential reasons for a civil space program. I think that some of them are weak, but they go far beyond science (at least in terms of making new fundamental scientific discoveries).

• national pride
• technology spinoff
• inspiration of the nation's youth
• development of extraterrestrial resources, material and energy
• development of ability to locate and fend off errant asteroids
• initial activities toward space settlement to get some of our eggs out of this basket
• deliberate climate control

Just off the top of my head.

But your question depends on how broadly you choose to define "commerce."

For now, I define commerce as commsats. When Bigelow gets his inflatables working we might be able to expand that to commsats, tourism and microgravity research.

# national pride
# inspiration of the nation's youth

Speaking as a teenager I can assure you that NASA no longer inspires any of todays youth.

This massive state owned enterprise is never going to help us get a glimpse of space, no matter how hard we study and train. They have made ZERO progress over the last forty years of lowering the cost of access to space, and looking at ESAS the next twenty show no promise either.

deliberate climate control

Why do we need NASA to dump iron sulphate into the pacific, atlantic and southern oceans?