So, the Perseverance rover and its flying companion, Ingenuity helicopter have arrived to their destination in Jezero crater safely. The ~$3bn mission now starts for real, but the most nerve racking moments are over.
Just a word to people who think that this kind of expenses is a waste of money when "there are so many more pressing problems here on Earth", as they usually say. Of course there are, but the total mission cost can buy two launches (without payload) of SLS (a.k.a Senate Launch System) at best, if it ever gets completed, or one and a half B-2 bombers the manufacturing run of which was cut short after only 21 or 22 examples, instead of 100+ planned, so that another wasteful program could be initiated; it is about 0.6% of the costs of for all practical purposes failed F-35 "Joint Strike Fighter" program, or less than 0.5% of various form of subsidies fossil fuel industry receives every year in the US alone (exact numbers differ depending on what you count).
So, yes, there are pressing needs of humanity everywhere, but there are far better places to take the funds for them from than this magnificent undertaking.
No comments:
Post a Comment