The picture that illustrates this post is the well known “Pale Blue Dot” , which inspired an historical comment from the irreplaceable Carl Sagan.

Space exploration, ultimately, the discipline that would make possible the survival of mankind in the future, is sometimes a controversial science in many sectors of the population, and unfortunately, its budget has fallen dramatically since the 60’s and Apollo missions.

Unfortunately, it seems that the only purpose of this travels was to go to take the photo. The budget of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is now almost half (in constant dollars of 2007), than in 1965.

Therefore, old dreams of humanity as travel to other planets are proving complicated. By having a much smaller budget, the NASA missions are routed to small unmanned devices, thanks to the enormous technical progress accumulated in recent decades, they get a huge return for every dollar invested. Do not complain, do not bring them back to Earth, and work until the last breath of their battery.

Curiosity is title page these days because of the enormous feat that has brought his incredible landing. Carries between his many instruments the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS), created by the Center for Astrobiology (CSIC) and the Center for Industrial Technological Development in Spain. The rover is now on Mars and try to investigate whether the planet has been living in the past, or even today.

How many Curiosity could launch other expenses depending on the various governments? The calculations were performed taking into account the cost of each unit would be the same, 2,5 billion dollars, regardless of the cost savings that could result in the application of mass production in terms of economies of scale.

The bailout of Bankia, which so far has cost 23,5 billion euros to the spanish government, would send 11.67 “Curiositys”

With what has been invested in the London Olympics 2012, 14.8 “Curiositys”

Incredible? When we analyze military budgets, these figures seem to me ridiculous

The military budget for the defense of the United States (the largest in the world) in 2012 reached 1.41 trillion dollars, which would send no more and no less than 566 Curiosity’s

And if we update this number with the other military budgets of the other countries of the world (all of them, far from the U.S.), the figure would reach us to send 680 Curiosity’s, being the budget of 1,735 trillion in 2011, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Finally, the estimated cost of U.S. Army since 2001 in the “War on Terror”, is about 3.2 trillion dollars, which would send 1280 rovers.

Question of priorities. Indeed, is undeniable, we are a very peculiar species.