[bazbo]

Nasa’s Budget for 2006 was $16.5 billion of which one fourth, $4.3 billion was for the Shuttle Program

Putting NASA’s Budget in Perspective from http://www.richardb.us/nasa.html
Some Highlights from the 1999 budget:

NASA’s budget is less than 1% (approx. $13.7 billion) of the National budget on average and NASA’s budget represents approximately 0.2% of U.S. Gross Domestic Product.

International Assistance Programs - $10.0 billion
Food Stamps...................... - $19.0 billion
HUD.............................. - $32.7 billion

From the Office of management and Budget (OMB):

Total United States welfare costs for the year 2000:

$434.3 billion of which the federal portion is $312.9 billion and the remaining $121.3 billion comes from state spending on welfare.

Now I ask you, what return on investment do you think is greater, NASA Shuttle Program at $4.3 billion or Federal Welfare at $312.9 billion?

Which is really a waste of money?

[Army Air Corps]

Also, private industry pays to launch satellites on the Shuttle and from government launch sites. Since when did HUD or food stamps seek any kind of return for the taxpayer?

[X-FID]

Hubble telescope has given us great insight into the Universe, things we could only speculate on, and it's still out there.

I'm a big fan of the Hubble and other projects.