Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Poll: Scanning for Asteroids More Urgent Than a Trip to Mars
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
June 20, 2019

Share

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Americans prefer a space program that focuses on potential asteroid impacts, scientific research and using robots to explore the cosmos over sending humans back to the moon or on to Mars, a poll shows.
The poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, released Thursday, one month before the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, lists asteroid and comet monitoring as the No. 1 desired objective for the U.S. space program. About two-thirds of Americans call that very or extremely important, and about a combined 9 in 10 say it’s at least moderately important.

“There are all kinds of other things, not the least of which is climate change, that deserve our attention. This other stuff can wait.” Jan Dizard, a retired environmental studies professor
The poll comes as the White House pushes to get astronauts back on the moon, but only about a quarter of Americans said moon or Mars exploration by astronauts should be among the space program’s highest priorities. About another third called each of those moderately important.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969, became the first humans to walk on another celestial body. In all, 12 NASA astronauts stepped on the moon.
Jan Dizard, 78, a retired environmental studies professor living in Chico, California, acknowledges there’s more to learn on the moon and it would be “miraculous” to send astronauts to Mars. But now’s not the time, he stressed.
“There are all kinds of other things, not the least of which is climate change, that deserve our attention,” Dizard told the AP. “This other stuff can wait.”
After asteroid and comet monitoring, scientific research to expand knowledge of Earth and the rest of the solar system and universe came next on the list of Americans’ space priorities — about 6 in 10 said that was very or extremely important. Close to half said the same about sending robotic probes, rather than astronauts, to explore space, and about 4 in 10 said the same about continued funding of the International Space Station.

Trump Wants Space Force as New Military Service

Searching for life on other planets came in fifth with 34% rating it at least very important, followed by 27% for human Mars expeditions and 23% for crewed moonshots.
In a dead heat for last place among the nine listed goals: setting up permanent human residences on other planets, with 21% ranking it as a very high priority, and establishing a U.S. military presence in space with 19%. While other goals were considered at least moderately important by majorities of Americans, about half called a military presence and space colonies unimportant.
President Donald Trump, who wants to create a Space Force as a new military service, said at a rally formally kicking off his reelection campaign this week that, if he wins a second term, the country will “lay the foundation” for landing astronauts on Mars.
That came after a confusing tweet from Trump in which he said that NASA “should NOT be talking about going to the Moon” and instead focus on “much bigger things” including “Mars (of which the Moon is a part).” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine later explained that the moon can be used as a “waypoint” for Mars access.


Toni Dewey, 71, a retired clerical worker in Wilmington, North Carolina, said space exploration should benefit life on Earth and the explorers should be machines versus humans.
“It would cost a lot of money to send somebody to Mars,” she said, “and we have roads and bridges that need repaired here.”
As for the moon, Dewey noted, “We’ve been there.”

NASA Aiming for Water Ice-Rich Lunar South Pole by 2024

But Alan Curtis, 47, of Pocatello, Idaho, considers moon and Mars trips a top priority, especially if the U.S. is to remain a world leader in space. Compared with its feats of the 1960s and 1970s, the U.S. space program is now a second thought, he said.

For Americans under 45 — born after NASA’s Apollo moonshots — Mars came out on top by an even larger margin: 50% prefer a Mars trip, versus 17% for the moon. A third said neither should be a priority.
“It’s pretty bad that we have to rent a spot on a Russian spacecraft to get to the space station,” said Curtis, a store cashier who says he’s an occasional bounty hunter. He pointed to the first-ever landing by a spacecraft on the far side of the moon, by China in January.
Abdul Lotiff, 28, a retail security company manager in Mason City, Iowa, also favors a return to the moon. He sees economic benefits there, with the resulting new tech spilling into areas outside the space business. In addition, he said, if and when Earth becomes overpopulated, the moon could serve as a springboard for humanity’s expansion into space.
The survey asked Americans to directly choose between the moon and Mars for exploration by U.S. astronaut. The red planet was the winner by about double: 37% compared with 18%. However, 43% said neither destination was a priority.
For Americans under 45 — born after NASA’s Apollo moonshots — Mars came out on top by an even larger margin: 50% prefer a Mars trip, versus 17% for the moon. A third said neither should be a priority.
For those 45 and older, 52% said neither Mars nor the moon should be a priority as a human destination. Of that age bracket, 26% preferred sending astronauts to Mars and 19% to the moon.
As for the White House’s deadline of returning astronauts to the moon within five years — NASA is aiming for the water ice-rich lunar south pole by 2024 — about 4 in 10 Americans favored the plan, versus 2 in 10 against. The remainder had no strong opinion either way.
The AP-NORC poll of 1,137 adults was conducted May 17-20 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

4 Million Acres of California Forests Could Lose Protection. What Trump’s ‘Roadless Rule’ Repeal Could Do

DON'T MISS

Israeli Settlers Raid West Bank Town, Troops Kill 3 Palestinians

DON'T MISS

West Nile Virus Detected in Mosquitoes in Fresno County

DON'T MISS

Trump Says Netanyahu’s Trial Should Be Canceled

DON'T MISS

St. Agnes’ New Chief Medical Officer Is a Kidney Care Expert

DON'T MISS

US Military to Create Two New Border Zones, Officials Say

DON'T MISS

Trump Signals US May Ease Iran Oil Sanction Enforcement to Help Rebuild Country

DON'T MISS

CIA Says Intelligence Indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program Severely Damaged

DON'T MISS

Upscale Woodward Park Area Apartments Sell for $19 Million

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: Learn the Latest on the Caleb Quick Murder Hearings

UP NEXT

Cuomo Concedes to Mamdani in New York City Democratic Mayoral Contest

UP NEXT

Mamdani Holds Lead Over Cuomo in Democratic Primary for NYC Mayor

UP NEXT

Clovis Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison in Deadly Fentanyl Case

UP NEXT

Victims Identified as Death Toll Climbs to 8 in Lake Tahoe Boating Tragedy

UP NEXT

Florida to Build ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center for Migrants in Everglades

UP NEXT

Americans Worry Conflict With Iran Could Escalate, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

UP NEXT

Advisory Warns of ‘Heightened Threat Environment’ in US After Iran Strikes

UP NEXT

Amazon’s Prime Day 2025 Levels Up With Four Days of Deals Starting July 8

UP NEXT

Voice of America Parent Terminates Over 600 More Staff in Likely Death Knell

UP NEXT

US Court Lets Trump Keep Control of California National Guard for Now

US Justice Department to Probe Hiring Practices at University of California

1 hour ago

White House Wants Major Cut in US War Crimes, Accountability Funding, Sources Say

1 hour ago

No Known Intelligence That Iran Moved Uranium, US Defense Chief Says

1 hour ago

What Does the Fresno County Schools Superintendent Do? Read This Q&A to Find Out

2 hours ago

Israel Says Iran’s Supreme Leader Avoided Assassination by Going Underground

2 hours ago

Much of LA’s Community of Immigrants Is Hiding, Leaving a Hole in the Fabric of the City

2 hours ago

US Supreme Court to Issue Term’s Final Rulings on Friday

2 hours ago

Driver Crashes Into Farm Equipment While Distracted by Phone, Fresno Authorities Say

2 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Timothy Edward Allen

2 hours ago

Newsom and Legislature Tangle With Construction Unions Over Minimum Wage

2 hours ago

Trump Administration Has ‘No Imminent Plans’ to Refill Nation’s Emergency Oil Reserve

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has no imminent plans for refilling the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve, White House ...

9 minutes ago

A boat sails along the Brazos Harbor in Freeport, Texas, U.S., June 23, 2025. (Reuters File)
9 minutes ago

Trump Administration Has ‘No Imminent Plans’ to Refill Nation’s Emergency Oil Reserve

21 minutes ago

Why Is Usually Sleepy Fresno County Schools Superintendent Race Suddenly Hot?

Two armed suspects robbed customers and a clerk at a gas station in Earlimart Wednesday, June 25, 2025, night before fleeing in a blue vehicle. (Tulare County SO)
27 minutes ago

Tulare County Authorities Seek Leads After Armed Robbery in Earlimart

1 hour ago

US Justice Department to Probe Hiring Practices at University of California

A view of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 20, 2024. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/File Photo
1 hour ago

White House Wants Major Cut in US War Crimes, Accountability Funding, Sources Say

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine, speak during a press conference at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., June 26, 2025. (Reuters/Idrees Ali)
1 hour ago

No Known Intelligence That Iran Moved Uranium, US Defense Chief Says

2 hours ago

What Does the Fresno County Schools Superintendent Do? Read This Q&A to Find Out

Defence Minister Israel Katz, then Israel's foreign minister, looks on, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Jerusalem, November 7, 2024. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

Israel Says Iran’s Supreme Leader Avoided Assassination by Going Underground

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend