spacetoday.net: Poll shows more support for NASA science than human spaceflight programs

Posted: Sun, Jun 10, 2018, 11:08 AM ET (1508 GMT)
A new poll shows broad public support for NASA, but with greater interest in Earth science over human space exploration. The Pew Research Center poll, released Wednesday, found that 72 percent of Americans thought it was essential for the country to lead in space, and 80 percent thought the ISS has been a good investment, both significant increases over prior polls several years ago. However, 63 percent of respondents said that monitoring the Earth's climate was a top priority for NASA, and 62 percent said planetary defense was a top priority, versus only 18 percent for sending humans to Mars and 13 percent for sending humans back to the moon. The poll also found that Americas are, in general, confident in the capabilities of commercial space companies, but with concerns about their ability to prevent the growth of space debris.