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Public Supports Space, But Not Paying for It
By Leonard David
Senior Space Writer
posted: 10:22 am ET
05 April 2000
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Poll Finds Public Space Signals COLORADO SPRINGS -- While Americans give a healthy thumbs-up for the U.S. space program, a majority of the public favors holding taxpayer support of NASA at today's level, less than 1 percent of the Federal Government's annual budget. On the commercial space frontier, the public overwhelmingly has a favorable opinion of satellite communications. Citizens look to the space industry, however, to produce scientific breakthroughs that have a direct impact on their lives, specifically in the areas of health, the environment, communications and education. These are part of the findings of a new space poll released April 5. The results were detailed here at the 16th National Space Symposium. The poll findings were based on a nationwide telephone survey of 1,000 registered voters, carried out March 12 to 14. "The results confirm that American's believe strongly in the importance of space exploration and want to continue to see it improve their daily lives," said Bill Knudsen, president of the Space Foundation, which sponsors the yearly symposium. U.S. Presidential wannabes take note: Space issues may also play a role in the November 2000 election. According to the survey. More than half (57.4 percent) of the voters say a candidate's position on space-related issues is "important," with 15.9 percent saying it is "very important". Furthermore, close to two-thirds (64.2 percent) of men 35 years old and over say a presidential candidate's position on space-related issues is "important" to them when they are making a decision on whom to vote for, compared to only 47.3 percent of women under 35 years old. Other space poll findings: - The percentage of those that support an increase in NASA's budget was higher contrasted to results of a similar poll taken last year.
- More than one in ten (10.6 percent) male voters say "global positioning satellite (GPS) receivers" is the product line that comes to mind first when thinking of satellites or commercialization in space, compared to only 3.3 percent of women.
- A majority (53.3 percent) of American voters believe the space industry is a major part of the national economy. However, only 45.3 percent of voters under the age of 53 believe the space industry is a major part of our national economy, compared to 55.2 percent of voters over 35 years old.
- For the second year in a row, most voters single out five specific areas for future space development: protecting the environment, medical research, global communications, education and improving agriculture.
Other poll findings reveal majority support for using U.S. space capabilities to protect the nation from missile attack through development of a National Missile Defense System. Completion of the International Space Station project also enjoyed majority support, according to poll statistics. The survey was conducted by Shandwick World Research Worldwide and has a 3 percent margin of error. The poll was commissioned by the Colorado Springs-based Space Foundation's Space Awareness Initiative.
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