I'm Hannah, and I actually disagree.  I think searching the moon, or just astronomy is important.  One major discovery we discovered was that the moon is a dry atmosphere instead of covered with oceans.  Someday, we could find something big, whether it is aliens, or treasures in craters.  The universe is a big place and we only know so little about it. The future someday will bring bigger and better things, so there is no point of stopping now.  Bonding to these studies make us interested and pass it on to future visitors.  

My name is Kayleigh and I agree with Steven. The US has been to outer space many times, and it's all the same thing! No astronauts have ever found life or useful material on the moon. So what's the big deal?

I think that it is a waste of money because we could be using that money to a) improve earth with robots and stuff or b) give money to the homeless.

Of course yes, governments spend lots of money for space exploration and a lot of people think that it's waste of money and governments can spend that money different ways - build hospitals etc. But these problems - famine and same problems at Africa, wars at the Middle East (Syria, Libya and so one) - all are because of over population and struggle for the resources. Maybe if we explore the space (I don't mean all the space, just our solar system), we can find more resources and solve over population's problem. So, maybe we should wait for the moment when Earth's problem will be solved and we'll be able to direct our attention for the space, but I think that have to wait over hundred years.

One of Russian scientists - Konstantin Ziolkovskiy- said that "the Earth is the cradle of the humanity, but the child, when he\she has grown up, move from this cradle "

Nowadays, we can see that humanity "has grown up" and we should "move from our cradle". The reason of all wars and conflicts is that it's cramped for humanity on our planet. That's all what I wanted to say.

We need to see if there are planets out there that have a life population to see if we can live there at some time. Also space is full of beauty.

No way! Would you like to get hit by a meterorite? We need to know if we will get hit by a ball of fire! So that is why we need space ships and space exploration.

Hi, I am Ansh from India & and I think that what you're saying is on the right topic, because the governments are spending money on all the wasteful things.  That's just my opinion, of course.

I think that money should be spent on both.

I agree with what you said. We should focus on people in need, not going to space. The term space is the last frontier so it should stay that way until we can help our own world and the people in it.

I agree that we are wasting money on something that is not worth it. Instead of worying about everything else we should worry about living a happy life here on Earth not on Mars.

I agree with you. It is a little too much money that we use for space and turns out we haven't found much out there! I think it would be nice to give the extra money to poor people to get food and things that they need. Even use it to keep things going in the world will help everyone. I hope that things get better in the world and money is not being wasted!

Well, actually, if we can find a planet just like Earth that has enough water for themselves and another planet that is running out, then it is a great idea.  Sure, Mars looks barren, but maybe they may find some water on it.  There is also a planet they found about 73 years away using the Hubble Telescope that is just like Earth.  I say spend as much money as you need to explore this planet, if it will save us.  I am right?

William, I'll have to agree with that idea.  Although I'd go a step farther, and say to privatize NASA and space exploration in general.  Put it into the hands of private businesses, who will consistently put their best foot forward.  A private business, in any endeavor, must operate at their highest potential, so as to maximize profit.  Therefore, a business has more incentive to keep their shuttles safe than would a government employee doing the same job. 

Therefore, were the space program put into the hands of a private business, that business would NEED to do their job well.  They would need to find a purpose in exploration, rather than doing anything "Just because they can."  Why would a business put a probe on Mars?  To search for resources.  Why explore at all?  Resources, room.  Potential for easing the pain of those who suffer from hunger and such.  For example, if a source of oil were discovered on an uninhabitated planet (we'll say Mars, for sake of argument) then the immediate abundance that would rise from that oil would bring prices down, and would remove the need for any nation to fight another over the same resource.

In addition, by drilling oil on other, uninhabitated planets, the issue of environmental destruction by oil rigs would be removed.  That's not even mentioning the creation of jobs and increased amount of currency in circulation from all of the contracting and hiring that would need to be done.   What we need to do is watch the flow of everything before we should even stop to think on what is worth it.

     I kind of agree, but I kind of don't. I think that we should spend money on things that will help us and our world. But I also think that we should be able to explore space so we know what is out there beyond us.

If you think that space exploration is a waste of money, I think differently. Besides, right now we need to cut our budget in the U.S. anyway. We already give very little to NASA anyway. Instead of cutting NASA, cut public radio.