The Everett Group recently released results of a poll of Americans. In this survey one set of questions dealt with the reasons for exploring space, the top rated reason was protection of the planet. Selections from the summary report of the Everett Group's poll (27 March and 12 April 2010)...
Most Americans have a positive image of NASA, the country's space agency, and onethird say it’s very important to them that the U.S. continue to explore the solar system (with onethird more saying it’s somewhat important to them). Their reasons?
Protection of the planet, according to the national scientific survey's findings. Sixty-three percent of those who said exploring space was at least somewhat important cited protecting the Earth from collisions with comets and asteroids as a major reason for continuing that exploration. Fifty-seven percent said understanding climate change were important reasons for the U.S. to continue exploring space. Not on many people's list: Determining whether life exists beyond Earth, cited by only 18 percent.
QUESTION:
People mention many different reasons why they think the U.S. should continue exploring the solar system. Speaking just for yourself, would you say that ____ is a major reason, a minor reason or not a reason at all for the U.S. to explore the solar system?
11. Protecting the Earth from asteroid and comet collisions
Answer No. Responses Percentage
Major 507 63%
Minor 234 29%
Not a reason 58 7%
No opinion 5 1%
Those are some of the findings from an independent “space poll,” a landline and cell phone survey of 1,200 randomly-selected adults fielded nationwide between Mar. 27 and Apr. 12, just before Pres. Obama's Thursday speech on space policy. The Everett Group, an opinion and market research company headquartered near Washington, DC, found that, in the days before Obama's speech, many Americans were not familiar with the proposed changes in space policy.
Link: Results from the Everett Group’s “Space Poll”, March 27-April 12, 2010
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