Poll Watch: Rasmussen (R) Survey on the United States Space Program

Rasmussen (R) Poll on the U.S. Space Program

Do you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable impression of NASA?

• Very favorable 36%
• Somewhat favorable 40%
• Somewhat unfavorable 13%
• Very unfavorable 3%

Since we first landed on the moon, has the United States’ investment in space exploration been worth the expense?

• Yes 50%
• No 28%
• Undecided 22%

Looking to the future, should the federal government spend more, less or about the same on space exploration?

• More 25%
• Less 31%
• About the same 37%

Should the current goals of the space program include sending someone to Mars?

• Yes 36%
• No 38%
• Not sure 27%

How likely is it that continuing the space program would lead to technological discoveries that would help create jobs?

• Very likely 36%
• Somewhat likely 30%
• Not very/Not at all likely 23%

National survey of 1,000 adults was conducted August 7-8, 2012. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.

Inside the numbers:

Sixty percent (60%) of men believe the U.S. space program has been worth the expense, but just 42% of women agree. Men are also much more likely to support sending a human to Mars.

Younger adults favor a manned mission to Mars more than their elders do.

Fifty-eight percent (58%) are following recent news reports about the U.S. space program at least somewhat closely, but only 21% are following these stories very closely.