Thierry wrote:
"canopus56" wrote in message
...
snip As you say, there are not many difference between US and
Europe in this regard. All depend in fact on the current activity of the
space program as you showed. snip
However, when there is a stop in the program for any reason or when a new
program is scheduled (e.g. Constellation), then again medai and people are
all behind astronauts waiting the next hero.

I feel public support is caused by ongoing discoveries that are
accessible by the public and not by astronauts becoming herioc media
celebrities. Niel Armstrong personal modesty with respect to his
historic role of being the Christopher Colombus of the Moon is a case
in point. Public support for the space program in 1990s through 2005
has more to do with images being regularly returned and distributed by
the Great Observatories like the Hubble and Spitzer space telecopes and
robotic missions like Cassini, Gallileo and the Mars rovers. The 50%
of the public supporting space exploration understand that it is
long-term endeavor and is a necessary expression of the human spirit of
exploration. The human need for exploration is why 50% of American and
French citizen support space expenditures, even though it might take
away from necessary social program spending.

The danger to public support for NASA is too much emphasis on manned
exploration.

At $8 billion U.S. a piece for two lost shuttles and $700 million U.S.
to make a delivery to the International Space Station using the
shuttle, there will be a limit to that public support after a
catastropic spacecraft losses. We need both - manned missions and
robotic - but the current U.S. administration's committment is to
support only one or the other while reducing inflation adjusted funding
for both. If shuttles cost $100-200 million U.S. and only $50 million
per launch, public opinion might be different.

If NASA's budget is concentrated in manned exploration and there is a
catestrophic loss of spacecraft and astronaut life, it is easier for
politicians to call for the entire program's cancellation. If there
is catestropic loss of a Constellation-Orion, it will be missions like
the Mars Reconnisance Orbiter (MRO), the Mars Rovers and Cassini that
will keep the agency afloat in public opinion.

Looks like the 2007 NASA budget ratio is 0.6% - 16.3B / 2770B = 0.6%
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2007/tables.html

- Canopus56