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Public split on Bush's plan to send men to moon, Mars

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 January 2004, 06:00 CST

WASHINGTON -- President Bush's plan to build a space station on the moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars hasn't grabbed the public's imagination, an Associated Press poll suggests.

More than half in the poll said it would be better to spend the money on domestic programs rather than on space research.

Asked whether they favored the United States expanding the space program the way Bush proposes, people were evenly split, with 48 percent favoring the idea and the same number opposing it, according to the poll conducted for the AP by Ipsos-Public Affairs.

Most respondents said they generally support continuing to send humans into space.

However, given the choice of spending money on programs like education and health care or on space research, 55 percent said they wanted domestic programs. Based on previous estimates for a moon- Mars initiative, the space cost would run in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

"You can't have a war, cut taxes, have the economy in a garbage pail and spend billions going into space," said Dallas Hodgins, a 76- year-old retired University of Michigan researcher from Flint, Mich. "How are they going to pay for all this? I don't see how it's morally justifiable. In Flint, there isn't a school roof that doesn't leak."

On Wednesday, Bush is scheduled to spell out details of his proposal to use an outpost on the moon as a jumping off point for more remote destinations such as Mars or asteroids.

Those most likely to favor the plan to expand space exploration were men, young adults, people with more education and those with higher incomes.

It made a difference who was said to be behind the plan. When half the poll sample was asked about a "Bush administration" plan to expand space exploration instead of the "United States" plan, opposition increased.

Just over half of Democrats' opposed the plan by "the United States." Once it was identified as a "Bush administration" plan, Democrats opposed it by a 2-to-1 margin.

Some have suggested that space exploration could be expanded more inexpensively using robots instead of human astronauts to explore the moon or other planets. The AP-Ipsos poll indicated that option was popular, with 57 percent favoring exploring the moon and Mars with robots and 38 percent saying humans.

Despite the mixed response about the moon-Mars proposal, general support for space exploration remains strong.

SURVEY ON EXPANDING THE SPACE PROGRAM

The U. S. is considering expanding the space program by building a permanent station on the Moon with a plan to eventually send astronauts to Mars. Do you favor expanding the space program in this way?

Oppose 48%

Favor 48%

Not sure 4%

How important do you think it is for the United States to be the leading country in the world in the exploration of space?

Somewhat 44%

Very 29%

Not very 15%

Not at all 12%

On the whole, do you think our investment in space research is worthwhile or do you think it would be better spent on domestic programs such as health care and education?

Spend on domestic programs 55%

Space research worthwhile 42%

Not sure 3%

In light of the space shuttle accident last February, in which seven astronauts were killed, do you think the United States should or should not continue to send humans into space?

Should 73%

Should not 24%

Not sure 3%

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