Poll Watch: CNN/Opinion Research Survey on the Space Program

CNN/Opinion Research Survey on the Space Program

As you may know, the current space shuttle mission will be the final time that the U.S. will send astronauts into space using the shuttle. Until the U.S. develops a replacement for the shuttle, all manned U.S. space flights will take place in spacecraft that are owned by other countries. Overall, do you think the end of the space shuttle program will be good for the U.S., bad for the U.S., or not have any effect on the U.S. at all?

• Good 16%
• Bad 50%
• No effect 33%

Just your best guess -- do you think the U.S. will or will not eventually develop a replacement spacecraft that will be capable of sending U.S. astronauts into space and returning them to Earth?

• Will 87%
• Will not 11%

And do you think the U.S. should or should not develop a replacement spacecraft that will be capable of sending U.S. astronauts into space and returning them to Earth?

• Should 75%
• Should not 23%

In general, do you think the U.S. should rely more on the government or more on private companies to run the country's manned space missions in the future?

• Government 38%
• Private companies 54%

How important do you think it is for the United States to be ahead of Russia and other countries in space exploration -- very important, fairly important, or not too important?

• Very important 38%
• Fairly important 26%
• Not too important 36%

Survey of 1,009 adults was conducted July 18-20, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.