I second that. When America invade countries and wipe out many lives it is honourable. When anyone else does it it is wrong.

There is some serious brainwashing and double standards here.

Russia and China can always drop the dollar.

I just wish the U.S. would stop wasting money on outer space. Who cares if we go to the moon or Mara when it costs billions of dollars (that could be spent much more practically) to do it? I guess I don't mind the stations that they do experiments in if they are truly beneficial, but to go to Mars to do rock samples for billions is a joke.

We should not have to rely on the russians anyways. Another stellar move by obama.

The money doesn't go into space; it goes into science, technology and research to achieve the goal of space travel.  That technology and understanding benefits us as a society in way we produce materials, deliver health care or even basic things around our homes.  Pushing the frontiers of our knowledge is one of the most noble things humanity has ever done and selfishly it does make life better and easier for us.

http://list25.com/25-coolest-nasa-discoveries-that-changed-your-life/

"When the US space station evolved into the International Space Station project, which suffered from long delays and design changes before it could be completed, the service life of the Space Shuttle was extended several times until 2011, serving at least 15 years longer than it was originally designed to do. Discovery was the first of NASA's three remaining operational Space Shuttles to be retired"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle

You know we have a company called SpaceX that we will soon rely on?  I thought Republicans wanted privatization of everything?  So you should be happy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX

since obama cancelled the nasa things that go to space or something

Because thinking beyond term limits, is extremely important where technology ventures are concerned.  Just because you're not aware of the benefits that tecnology spinoffs have graced us with since the Space program began, doesn't mean they aren't extremely important and impactful to civilization:

LEDs in Medical Therapy, Infrared Ear Thermometers, Ventricular Assist Devices, Artificial Limbs, Invisible Braces, Scratch-Resisteant Lenses, Space Blankets, Aircraft Anti-Icing Systems, Highway Safety (Highway grooving), Improved Radial tires, Chemical Detection, Video enhancing and analysis Systems, Fire-resistant reinforcement, firefighting equipment (lightweight breathing systems, mask, frames, harnesses, air bottles and the use of aluminim composite material developed by nasa for use on rocket casings), Temper Foam, Enriched Baby Food, Portable Cordless Vacuums, Freeze Drying, Water Purification, Solar Cells, Pollution Remediation, Structural Analysis Software, Remotely Controlled Ovens, NASA Visualization Explorer, Powdered Lubricants, Improved Mine Safety, Food Safety, to name a few.  I think that trumps, by quite a far margin, the paltry yearly budget that NASA is afforded.

As Tyson iterates in his speech before Congress, it's the job of Government's to undertake these risky ventures, because corporations won't undertake a massive 'new' project, such as a mission to mars (or beyond), without knowing they can get something out of it.  It's not a risk they're willing (or capable) to take (Investors don't like hearing that 5-10 years from now the spinoff tech would be a goldmine...they want their money every quarter).  Now that low earth orbit and getting to the moon have been achieved, NASA needs to be able to pivot towards deep space exploration, and the Government needs to assist the private sector into assuming NASA's role of low-earth orbit travel.  The problem is, they moved at a snails pace, and now it's kind of caught up with them, because people assume that we're just sending people/things out into space with no return.  Well, the returns are all around us, and used by people constantly day in and day out.  Just need to get people to understand that immediate return isn't always possible with such ventures, but the return is there.

WHAT?! It's all usa's fault.

People shouldn't comment in threads on subjects that they don't know shit about.  Some of you are doing a very good job of looking like a fool.

at bolded i think elon musk's almost instant response to dimitri rogozins joke about a trampline indicates that the U.S did move to the private sector well before it was necessary.  the dragon mk2 should be flying astronauats to the iss by 2017. that is  3 years before russia will stop letting the U.S use their rockets.
http://www.spacex.com/news/2014/05/30/dragon-v2-spacexs-next-generation-manned-spacecraft