U.S. space shuttle flights are nearing their end, but Americans wish they would continue. In the latest Economist/YouGov Poll they give NASA a positive rating and say the expense of putting men on the moon 40 years ago was worth it. Only 18% of Americans would end NASA's human space flight program (the last shuttle is scheduled to take off April 19). A majority favors continuing the space shuttle program, and there is also significant support for sending human missions to Mars and returning to the moon. Americans also favor having the government make grants to private companies to provide transit to the International Space Station (but just over a third say that it is likely that there will be commercial vehicles taking astronauts to the space station in the near future).
Given the costs and risks involved in space exploration, would you favor or oppose the United States...
| Favor | Neither favor, nor oppose | Oppose | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sending astronauts to explore mars | 47% | 27% | 26% |
Sending astronauts back to explore the moon | 43% | 29% | 29% |
Continuing the space shuttle program | 55% | 28% | 17% |
Awarding federal grants to encourage private companies to build, launch, and operate spacecraft for NASA | 47% | 28% | 25% |
Endings NASA's human space flight program? | 18% | 28% | 54% |
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There tends to be even more support for the space program from men, from younger adults, college graduates, and those who are economically better off. Republicans are more in favor of the program than are Democrats. And Republicans have more positive reactions to the 1969 mission to the moon: though 69% overall say that putting a man on the moon was worth the time, effort - and expense - 78% of Republicans think so.
In fact, when it comes to spending money on the space program, Republicans - who view the federal budget deficit as second only to the economy as the country's most important problem - are more likely than Democrats to say that too little is being spent on space exploration. Overall, Americans divide on spending on the space program.
But there is no party division on NASA's performance. Most Americans say NASA is doing a good or excellent job.
But would Americans go into space themselves if they could? About half would, but there are enormous differences by age, gender and education. More than six in ten college graduates and young adults and most men would travel to outer space (if money were not an issue); most women and 75% of adults 65 and older would not.
If you had a chance in your lifetime to travel to outer space and money were no object, would you do so or not?
| Gender | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Definitely would | 25% | 32% | 19% |
Probably would | 24% | 25% | 23% |
Probably would not | 24% | 21% | 27% |
Definitely would not | 26% | 22% | 31% |
Definitely would | 35% | 26% | 8% |
Probably would | 30% | 24% | 17% |
Probably would not | 26% | 24% | 24% |
Definitely would not | 9% | 27% | 51% |
Definitely would | 19% | 30% | 31% |
Probably would | 23% | 21% | 30% |
Probably would not | 25% | 29% | 18% |
Definitely would not | 33% | 21% | 21% |
