There's nothing like a spectacular success to bring out the hordes of troglodyte critics in droves. The very second NASA's car-sized rover, Curiosity, was safely set down on Mars last week, the drumbeats of money agony were begun by umpteen tribes of assorted knuckle draggers.
Leave it to the myopic to miss this: NASA's budget is less than 1% of the federal budget. The most expensive "space program" we all pay for in this country is the vacuum between the ears of confused and ignorant people.
We pay for that space, for that vacant and unused real estate, in so many ways, and so often, not the least being in lost opportunities for men and women, as well as for our entire species.
It seems to be human nature: The loudest ranters and critics are the ones without any information or facts -- it being so much easier to have a headful of rock-solid opinions, no matter how uninformed or wrongheaded.
The chief objection from many science-lacking, religion-spooked, knowledge-intimidated, and/or imagination-impaired folks about NASA's small budget is always the same: It's money we should spend down here on Earth!