Submission + - Why does the US have a Civil Space Program? (nationalacademies.org)
BDew writes: "The Presidents of the National Academy of Science and the National Academy of Engineering have commissioned a study on the Rationale and Goals of the U.S. Civil Space Program. In short, the Academies are asking why the nation has a civil space program (including human, robotic, commercial, and personal spaceflight). The study is intended to provide a strategic framework for the nation's activities in space that can provide consistent guidance in an increasingly interconnected world. The members of the study committee are interested in the views (positive or negative) of the general public, particularly those people with a scientific and/or technological interest. Therefore we are asking Slashdot: How does space benefit the nation? Does the space program impact your life in a regular and/or meaningful way? What should be the emphasis of the program going forward?"
