Most Americans think the $10 billion NASA space telescope is a good investment, says a poll

almost NASA has shared the first stunning photos taken by the new agency, the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, a new online poll asked Americans: Was the nearly $10 billion observatory a good investment? The answer: Yes.

Today, YouGov Marketing and Data Analytics Company Published an online survey of 1,000 AmericansAsking them about their public opinion of NASA and whether or not the various space programs are good investments. Nearly 70 percent of those polled had a positive opinion of NASA, and 60 percent thought the James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST, was worth it.

YouGov notes that this survey was conducted between July 14 and July 18, after NASA released the first dazzling JWST images of sparkling galaxies and nebulae on July 12. Looks like these photos were enough to outdo each other JWST’s past drama. The telescope may be in space and operating now, but it was a long and exhausting journey to get to that point. Prior to its launch, JWST development was marked by significant delays and budget overruns. Originally, NASA and mission planners had hoped to launch the telescope sometime between 2007 and 2011. At a relatively low cost from 1 to 3.5 billion dollars. But the telescope passed Amazing collection of slips and crashes. By the time JWST was finally released on Christmas Day 2021, it had a total lifetime cost stood up $9.7 billion.

To be fair, the nearly $10 billion price tag for JWST is the permanent cost to NASA, so that includes the bulk of its development since the early 2000s, as well as its first five years of operations, According to the Planetary Society. The Planetary Society also notes that total JWST costs represented 0.0095 percent of total US spending between 2003 and 2026.

Of course most people Perhaps the pollsters didn’t think about the price when they were looking at the intricacies of the Carinae Nebula that JWST captured in amazing detail. When the iconic image actually showed up, people got a haircut. “Amazement in the face of stunning beauty,” said one of the people who responded to a YouGov survey. Another wrote: “It overwhelmed me a lot.” “It’s great to be able to see so many details in such a small part of the universe.”

And these first pictures are just a little teaser of what’s to come. Stunning images and discoveries will continue to emerge the longer the telescope stays in space. Respondents to the survey said they were eager for more. “Some have praised NASA’s continued exploration of space for its broader contribution to scientific knowledge, and others said they look forward to seeing what the telescope reveals as well,” YouGov wrote in its release.

YouGov also polled respondents about other space investments, including the Hubble Space Telescope currently in Earth orbit, the International Space Station, and the Space Shuttle program. All received positive reviews in general.