E.P. Grondine wrote:
What is the most interesting part of this exchange is that when I brought up the true colors and true geology of Mars, the topic suddenly became everyone's support for NEO search efforts.

Chris' reply:
Hum, It didn't seem as if everyone does support Impactor research. I mean wasn't that your point. Not enough money is being spent on finding them and figuring out how to prevent our injury or destruction by one or more impactors?

E.P. Grondine wrote:
$20,000,000 per year is about what it is going to take for a decent ground based NEO observation program, and given the current budget climate, some of the more esoteric Mars studies is about the only place that money can come from. This is not to say that those studies are not valuable, it's just that there are more pressing needs.

Chris' reply:
Where does this number come from? And exactly why do you believe Mars Exporation is the only place to find this money? Congress in the USA could easly find that kind of money, if that was what it takes. That is about how much is spent each year on SPS research by NASA.

E.P. Grondine wrote:
Now out of a $13,000,000,000 or so per year in its budget, surely NASA can afford to spend $20,000,000 or so of it for the ground based search. As an alternative, the NASA funded Mars studies could be shut down, and the money transferred to the National Science Foundation so that they could fund the ground based NEO search.

Chris' reply:
You have rounded up! NASA budget is not 13 billion USD! You seem to not have a clue how funding happens in this area of government, ask congress. There is this event call March Storm put on by Pro Space each year. Why not go this year and suggest this 20 million USD expenditure.

<snip>

E.P. Grondine wrote:
In closing today's little note, let me point out to you all that by the way, Mars in no way resembles the US desert South West.

Chris' reply:
And "they" say your not delusional and obsessive...8-)

--Chris Vancil