>>>>>>Dude.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>That's pathetic. Dick Rutan's private Spaceship One goes 5 times that high. We had balloons going to those heights 60 years ago but we didn't attach freeze-dried teddy bears to them.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>When will Britain/ESA grow a real space program? By the time Europe gets to the moon they'll land at a Chinese terminal with American restaurants, Russian taxis, and Indian hotels.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1091896/British-bears-space-Schoolchildrens-teddies-pictured-19-miles-Earth-strapped-giant-weather-balloon.html
>>>>>
>>>>>Sam Kinison on the Russian space program: "If you want to impress us, bring back our f*****g flag!"
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>OTOH from 2010 you may have to rely on them for some years to put astronauts in space as you have done after Challenger and Columbia.
>>>
>>>Personally I'm not relying on anyone to put astronauts in space. We have more important things to concern ourselves with.
>>
>>Like what ?
>
>The economy, health care, security, education, homelessness, a crumbling infrastructure, taking care of the planet we already live on, etc. etc. etc.

Money spent on space isn't put in a bag and launched on a rocket. Its spent on engineers and equipment. Mostly in the US. Its like a cash injection right where its needed, in employment and training.