Nasa's Kepler telescope finds 10 Earth-like planets:

So what does NASA do on a slow news day? Why, with impeccable timing they suddenly find a few more Earth-like planets of course - what else?

https://www.theguardian.com/science...ne-nasa-telescope-finds-10-earth-like-planets

And some pretty pictures to prove it?

 

MORE MONEY URGENTLY NEEDED FOR *RESEARCH* ! ! ! ! !
SHUTTLE BAYS FULL OF MONEY WE'RE TALKIN' ! ! ! ! ! !

http://nasagoldrecord.blogspot.com/

 

The Kepler mission was money well spent, it seems, since it has seriously advanced human knowledge of our immediate galactic environs.

Of course to some luddites its just a waste of money since they can't grasp the import of the quest for expanding our knowledge,nor the direct benefits our civilization accures.

NASA FY 2017 BUDGET REQUEST
FY 2016 FY 2015 FY 2017 1 FY 2018 2 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021
$18.0B $19.3B $19.0B $18.8B $19.4B $19.9B $20.4B

The President's Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Carries out an ambitious deep space exploration program and continues the Nation’s Journey to Mars. NASA’s budget advances the Nation’s space exploration plan and ensures our nation remains the world’s leader in space exploration and technology, aeronautics research and discovery in space and Earth science. The budget supports developing the technologies that will make future space missions more cabable and affordable, partnering with the private sector to transport crew and cargo to the International Space Station, continuing the development of the Orion crew vehicle, Space Launch System and Exploration Ground Systems that will one day send astronauts beyond low Earth orbit. The budget also keeps the Webb Telescope on track for a 2018; builds on our scientific discoveries and achievements in space; and supports the Administration’s commitment to serve as a catalyst for the growth of a vibrant American commercial space industry.

Science - $5,601 million
 $2,032 million for Earth Science, including a plan to continue the 43-year Landsat record of global land-imaging measurements.
 $1,519 million for Planetary Science, keeping on track the Mars 2020 rover and the next selection for the New Frontiers program and including formulation of a mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa.
 $782 million for Astrophysics, continuing support for the Hubble Space Telescope, the Explorers Program, and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST).
 $569 million for the James Webb Space Telescope, maintaining its 2018 launch date.
 $699 million for Heliophysics, supporting the launches of two Explorer missions this decade as well as research to improve space weather modeling.
 Continues development of 30 missions toward launch and operation of 60 missions producing leading edge science.
 Funds over 10,000 U.S. scientists in universities, industry, and government labs through over 3,000 openly competed research awards.

Human Exploration Operations - $8,413 million
 Includes $3,337 million for Exploration and $5,076 million for Space Operations.
 Continues commercial development of US crew transportation systems to be certified to support the ISS by the end of 2017, ending the need to pay Russia for crew transport services.
 Enables use of ISS as a platform for scientists to identify and quantify risks to human health and performance, develop countermeasures, and develop and test technologies that protect astronauts during extended human exploration missions.
 Continues development of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew vehicle to send astronauts on deep space missions.
 Furthers Advanced Exploration Systems development of foundational technologies – often through public-private partnerships – for future exploration missions, including deep space habitation.
 Continues mission-critical space communications and navigation services for customer missions, including human, science, and commercial crew and cargo missions.

Space Technology - $827 million
 Enables the U.S. aerospace community to find technologies at the “tipping point” and make them viable for use by industry, NASA, and other government agencies in order to accelerate the transfer and commerlization of these technologies.
 Cultivates small businesses as the central home for NASA SBIR/STTR and engages with academia through early stage research.
 Continues formulation activities for a full-scale in-space demonstration of on-orbit robotic satellite servicing.  Continues development of high-powered solar electric propulsion to meet demands by U.S. aerospace industry, and for NASA exploration missions.
 Support fast transit in-space propulsion and high-bandwidth deep space communication to support future exploration missions.

Aeronautics Research - $790 million
 Advances aeronautics research bringing transformational advances in the safety, capacity, and efficiency of the air transportation system while minimizing impacts on the environment.
 Develops transformative capabilities that enable the U.S. aviation industry to maintain and advance its global leadership and contributes to the nation’s economic growth and job creation
 Establishes a major new experimental flight initiative to demonstrate and validate new technologies that dramatically reduce fuel consumption, emissions, and noise, and open new markets for U.S. Industry
 Supports research and development for revolutionary low carbon emission aircraft, including associated transportation systems, as part of a multiagency effort to enable a 21st century clean transportation system.

Education - $100 million
 Continues to provide opportunities for educators, learners and institutions that are consistent with the goals, objectives, and strategies of the Five-Year Federal Strategic Plan on STEM Education.
 Continues the Agency’s investment in the Space Grant, EPSCOR, and MUREP Programs.

Safety, Security and Mission Services and Construction & Environmental Compliance and Restoration - $3,257 million
 Funds Agency-wide mission support operations, including facilities and environmental activities.
 Ensures NASA infrastructure and assets are safe, secure, environmentally sound, and operate efficiently.

 

Bloody sceptics, questioning and challenging, and otherwise standing in the way of scientific progress. All together now 'Per ardua ad astra.' Let's do it!

 

Questioning in the pursuit of knowledge while challenging motivations and preconceptions is all part and parcel of the scientific process.

What bothers me are the luddites who cannot grasp the value or import of scientific exploration and its myriad applications, yet unwittingly enjoy the many benefits it accrues to our society on a daily basis.

 

And to HELL with that swearing off of fossil fuel nonsense! Couple of thousand years at 35,000 miles per hour and... everyone in the spaceship is long since dead. Just multiply the distance in light years by ~20,000 to figure your ETA at the star system of your choosing, all you little Trekkies!

 

Well with all the squillions NASA is squandering by exploring an uninhabitable planet called Mars, I suggest that not many human beings will end up living there, don't you agree? I mean, if a planet is incapable of sustaining life then there isn't much point in hankering after living on it, is there? In fact maybe you'd like to point that little obvious fact out to NASA - I'm sure they'd appreciate it. I can recognize fake science when it see it, so why can't you? Grasp that, then the luddites won't bother you? In fact you can become one of us.

 

I don't think the NASA groupies have thought about that.

 

Long as the bureaucrats can pull down six figures government salary, they'll keep stirring up excitement for the off chance of finding a fossil of a microbe on Mars and won't THAT be exciting as all hell.

 

I think we're made for each other - will you marry me?

 

HAHAHAHAHAH!

I can't decide if you are simply a troll or you actually believe such nonsense. either way, I posted the nasa budget, and its one helluva a good deal for America.

Of course I guess you aren't familiar with the innumerable technologcial spin offs from the space program. Hint, you are using about twenty of them simply by being in front of your computer using the internet, but I know, that too is fake science.

It never fails to amaze me how fundamentally ignorant of science the luddites are, yet they appear to have such definitive opinions on its merits.

I suggest you stick to screaming about fake news, because its obvious you don't know much about science.

 

Like you do?? Posting the latest NASA splurge doesn't make you knowledgeable you know, it just makes you gullible that you actually believe every word. I suppose that one day you'll wake up and smell the coffee.

 

Why comment on something you obviously know little or nothing about unless you're simply looking to initiate a response for the sake of an argument?

 

I look upon it as performing a valuable public service. After all somebody has to take up the cudgels in exposing NASA's BS??

 

The only thing you're "exposing" is your profound ignorance.

 

If there's one thing I've discovered in life it's that a closed mind cannot be opened. I'll just have to write you off as a failure.

 

I'll write you off as a troll

 

Oh I completely agree that merely posting something doesn't make one knowledgeable as you have so clearly demonstrated in past posts.

After all it seems rather obvious that you do not possess substantive knowledge of either NASA or the "space" sciences or the many transformative technologies that have arisen from them.

Happy trolling in ignorant certitude.

 

Look matey, I'm only the messenger, so don't get all shirty with me for passing on the message because it makes you come across as (and I use the word again) a closed-minded bigot. Carry on believing - I don't care.

 

I am left to wonder how one can see the view of a beautiful panorama from inside a closed box.

 

Put some context into that and might be able to answer it?

 

This is not a question, it is a statement referring to the irony of an individual who cannot accept reality based data debasing others about an "Open Mind".

 

Oh I readily accept reality where scientific research, discovery and development is concerned, but (as you well know??) it's fake science that I have a problem with.

 

It's not uncommon for conspiracy theorists to confuse real science with fake science.

 

At issue here would be your personal definition of "Fake" science running counter to the science established by the scientists that define it. For this reason are your observations and opinions easily dismissed as uninformed or purposefully ignorant and thus my statement concerning the irony of you accusing others of a closed mind. Although, perhaps "Closed mind" is not as accurate as compromised in this case.