Poll: Most say shuttle program was worthwhile
CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.
Most Americans say the tens of billions of dollars spent on the space shuttle program have been worthwhile, according to a new CBS News poll - though only about half are disappointed the program is coming to an end.
Sixty-three percent of Americans say that given the costs and risks of space exploration, the space shuttle program has been worth it, while 31 percent say it has not.
Estimates vary on precisely how much the shuttle program cost in its four decades of existence, but NASA and outside scholars place the figure at close to $200 billion for 135 launches since 1981.
Atlantis launched into orbit for the final time on Friday, and its scheduled return to Earth in almost two weeks time will mark the end of the vaunted program that had initially promised to make space flight cheap and routine. NASA had predicted each mission would cost about $7 million.
Perceptions of the shuttle program have fluctuated over the years: A slightly smaller percentage of Americans - 59 percent - saw it as worthwhile in 2005. But in 2003, three in four Americans said it was worthwhile. And in 1986, after the Challenger disaster, the percentage who saw the program as worth the costs and risks reached 80 percent.
Meanwhile, only about half of Americans say they are disappointed that the program is coming to an end. Forty-eight percent expressed disappointment, while 33 percent said they don't care; 16 percent said they were pleased it was coming to an end.
Men seemed to like the shuttle program more than women: 54 percent of men were disappointed it was ending, compared to 43 percent of women.
Americans have a mixed view of the U.S. space program overall. Thirty-six percent say it has accomplished less than they expected since the moon landing more than four decades ago, while just 23 percent said it has accomplished more than they expected since the moon landing. Thirty-five percent said the space program roughly met their expectations.
Older Americans were more likely than younger ones to say the program exceeded their expectations. While 29 percent of those 65 and older said it has accomplished more than they expected; only 17 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 29 feel the same way.
This poll was conducted by telephone on June 17-20, 2011 among 1,045 adults nationwide. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.