And they probably should be. Otherwise NASA's money for science would end up being sacrificed as a burnt offering to executive and congressional diddling, too.

And they probably should be. Otherwise NASA's money for science would end up being sacrificed as a burnt offering to executive and congressional diddling, too. The spend on manned exploration expands to consume all available space. Case in point: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2014/12/15/nasas-349-million-monument-to-its-drift/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2014/12/15/nasas-3...