NASA Astronauts on moon
(20 July 1969) --- The flag of the United States, deployed on the surface of the moon, dominates this photograph taken from inside the Lunar Module (LM). The footprints of astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. stand out very clearly. In the far background is the deployed black and white lunar surface television camera which televised the Apollo 11 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA). While astronauts Armstrong, commander, and Aldrin, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit. NASA/ JSC

One would think that humans reaching Planet Mars is a big deal but not for Americans, a survey showed.

According to a report, most American citizens want NASA to focus on detecting asteroid impacts that can wipe out the planet rather than putting its efforts on sending men and women to the Moon or Mars. The poll, conducted by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, said that around two-thirds of respondents feel that it is more important to monitor comets, asteroids and "other events in space that could impact Earth." The survey was conducted a month before the 50th anniversary of the first man on the Moon.

The survey also reiterated that Americans still think exploring space is important and that we should continue studying the Earth’s atmosphere, the Solar System and the universe. However, most of the respondents believe that this should be done by robots and not by astronauts.

"It would cost a lot of money to send somebody to Mars and we have roads and bridges that need repaired here," Toni Dewey, a 71-year-old retired clerical worker in Wilmington who answered the survey, told AP.

On the other hand, NASA said that people shouldn’t worry about rogue meteorites hitting Planet Earth. The space agency said that once a year, asteroids the size of automobiles often hit Earth’s atmosphere but all tend to burn up even before they reach the surface. The chances of larger objects hitting us rarely happen and, usually, it happens thousands of years apart.

A general sentiment of going back to the Moon also seems unanimous: “We’ve been there.” This means that interest among civilians is not as strong as before. Based on the survey, 23 percent of respondents favor another Moon mission while 27 percent of the respondents believe that humans should pursue going to Mars.

Reaching Planet Mars and going back to the Moon are considered priorities for the space agency. However, U.S. President Donald Trump said that NASA should be concentrating on the Red Planet. “NASA should NOT be talking about going to the Moon. We did that 50 years ago. They should be focused on the much bigger things we are doing, including Mars (of which the Moon is a part), Defense and Science!" Trump said in a controversial tweet.

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