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jmalter -> RE: OT - Space Shuttle fly-bys wasting $$$'s because the USA is awesome! (4/29/2012 2:21:55 AM)
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they have a PR department, sure. organizing & publicizing these fly-bys is important to keeping the agency 'in the news'. but if i'm not mistaken, NASA's ambit extends to education as well as exploration.
i think they do v. well - i recall a class trip in 1970 or so, we went to see an Actual Moon Rock at a local venue. but not only do they serve the general public w/ museum displays, they cater to the high end of academia w/ access to collected data, or glomming observation time from their telescopes.
& i think it was the late 60s, my family traveled to Kennedy Space Center. Public tours of the facilities - we saw Pad 39, the VAB, & walked beside that huge crawler as it slowly rolled along.
public funds devoted to NASA is money well-spent, & the %age of that money devoted to public access & museum displays is an important adjunct. a family trip to Kennedy (especially if you witnessed a launch!) was part of growing up in America, like a trip to Washington, DC or a visit to Yosemite Park.
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