The huge advancements made by commercial space companies, which now fly cargo to the International Space Station and should soon send astronauts there, appear to be winning the trust of the country, according to a new poll.
Even though space flight has long been the sole province of governments, nearly 6 in 10 say that private companies should be able to build and fly their own rockets, according to the poll, conducted by Monmouth University.
Meanwhile, 42 percent say they support the U.S. spending “billions” on programs destined for the moon, Mars and asteroids. But a large share of the public — 50 percent — oppose spending that much money on space, which was similar to American sentiment in 1967, two years before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. Still, most respondents in the poll said the U.S. space program has provided long-lasting benefits to society and 51 percent said increased spending would be a good investment.
Because they'd rather have more money to spend on iPhones and Playstations? To read more, click here.