In a time when the federal budget is never far from the front page of the news, there is one federal agency which is far underappreciated, and often the object of entirely undeserved spite: NASA. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an essential and outstanding resource to our country, and yet its allotment of the national budget has seen a steady decline since the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. Granted, there is no objective and measurable goal with the import and tangibility of landing a man on the moon, nor a competitor as villainous as the Soviet Union to beat, but NASA is still incredibly valuable to our country. At the very least, it deserves a stable source of funds so that its projects - more often than not long-term projects since space exploration is not exactly a short-term endeavor - can translate this financial stability into success.
This year is a perfect example of the challenges which the scientists at NASA face. While they are not alone in seeing their budget size reduced, they are alone in their annual struggle to maintain funding for projects which require years of research and development while also grappling with Congress. NASA must offer definitions of what its top priorities ought to be while maintaining academic integrity. Few other departments are called upon to meet such exacting requests with such a tight budget. In the 2011 fiscal year, NASA's budget represented .53 percent of the total federal budget. While this does not necessarily need to be higher for the sake of representing a larger portion of the budget, it is difficult to meet congressional demands, such as the recent mandate that NASA develop a heavy-lift rocket, with such limited funding. The initial development has taken a lot longer than hoped, and this is largely because Congress chose not to give NASA the money it reported it would require.
Further support for NASA's case for an augmented budget can be gleaned from the economic benefits which the program offers. To say the least, NASA is overall quite a positive presence in our economy.
While most formal analyses of its economic impact are outdated, it is hard to argue against the fact that spending on pure research and development not only has tangible benefits but also positive externalities which are often unrecognized, yet immensely valuable. A 1971 study suggested that investment in NASA saw a 33 percent return; a 1989 study found that NASA created 352,000 jobs and brought in $355 million in federal corporate income taxes; a 2002 study concluded that NASA helped the aerospace industry account for $95 billion in economic activity as a whole, including $23.5 billion in employee earnings.
Far more important than the measurable monetary boon of the agency are the less visible yet very real benefits. Few government-sponsored organizations have the ability to broaden academic horizons and sow inspiration with the efficacy of NASA. There is something breathtaking about the nebulous boundary between the known and the great unknown, made more scintillating by our ability to traverse it.
If you have yet to encounter this boundary - or need a study break - Google "Hubble deep field." Or, if the oldest and remotest regions of the universe do not tickle your fancy, give "Orion's Nebula" a quick glance. These glances into the heart of the universe and the origin of our existence are brought to you by NASA. Even more remarkable is the idea that there is more out there that is just beyond our reach. Older galaxies, newer stars and countless planets are waiting to be discovered. A sobering thought, though, is the possibility that their brilliance might never be uncovered should NASA continue to see funding diminish. I would argue at the next congressional budgetary meeting, then, that while other government agencies can make a strong case for their funding, few administrations can call upon something as great as the stars as cause for their support.
Blake Blaze is a Viewpoint writer for The Cavalier Daily.
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