So what is NASA? When asked, many people will give a very simple answer; the program in charge of sending people to outer space. Well, it may seem so due to the fact that only a small percentage of what NASA does is portrayed to media, but the truth is, NASA does so much more than sending spaceships to the moon.

  NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the science and technology related to air and space. NASA has been around for quite some time, considering that it was first initiated in 1958, and it has been breaking through the boundaries of science ever since.

  So, why should Americans spend their hard-earned tax money on some space agency? What has NASA ever really done for them? Well, the truth is that NASA has done a lot more than the average person may think. NASA has contributed to an extraordinary amount of everyday technology. For example, the fact that the average car tire lasts about ten thousand miles can be attributed to the tire technology implemented in Mars rovers. How about the highly advanced technology developed for detecting breast cancer? NASA also had a hand in that. Ever wonder how the soles of your running shoes can be so comfy and supportive? That is because of the technology derived from moon boots used for shock absorption. Even that memory foam mattress that you sleep on was developed from NASA technology designed for crash protection in airplane passengers.

 Yet in spite of these many things people still feel that their tax money should be going elsewhere, such as towards improving the country’s infrastructure or economy, or towards the housing market or fixing poverty, but in reality, NASA is only receiving a very insignificant amount of the federal budget, an so it’s really the other governmental departments who are receiving most of the federal budget. For example, In 2013, The Department of Justice received double that funding of NASA, The Department of Homeland Security received three times the funding of NASA, The Department of Education received four times the funding of NASA, and The Department of Treasury received six times the funding of NASA. And believe it or not, NASA is only costing the average taxpayer ten dollars each year. Yes, a mind boggling ten dollars.

  So overall, NASA isn’t really that pricey, and considering all that it does, it’s pretty much worth it. NASA not only contributes to the field of science, it inspires future generations to reach beyond the barrier of what is thought to be possible, and it continues to fuel progressive thinkers and helps better the human race.