Even though Utah has several companies that manufacture space-related equipment, Utahns are mixed over whether the United States should send men back to the moon, build a permanent space station and/or send men to Mars, the latest Deseret News/KSL poll shows.
Thiokol, outside of Brigham City, builds the space shuttle motors and other Utah businesses build other space-related items. Space/defense industry manufacturing has been an important part of Utah's economy for years.Yet pollster Dan Jones & Associates found in a July 26-28 survey that only 47 percent of Utahns favor sending men back to the moon, 46 percent oppose and 7 percent don't know.
Jones found that 50 percent of Utahns oppose sending men to Mars, the planet most mentioned as the next logical step in manned space exploration. Forty-four percent of Utahns favor sending men to Mars and 6 percent don't know.
Finally, 55 percent do favor building a permanent space station, 36 percent oppose and 9 percent don'd know.
Building a space station is still on track, although at various times the U.S. House or Senate have questioned the expenditure. A space station is seen by many, but not all, scientists as a necessary staging ground needed to send men to Mars.
NASA officials in Washington, D.C., say $2.1 billion for the space station has so far been included in NASA spending for next year. Overall, the space station - which has been scaled down in size - is estimated to cost $17.4 billion. So far, about $11 billion has been spent on its design.
The space station's planning has been kept alive because Russia and other foreign countries have tentatively agreed to participate in its expense, NASA officials say.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Deseret News/KSL poll
Would you favor or oppose increased efforts to explore the moon?
FAVOR 47%
OPPOSE 46%
DON'T KNOW 7%
Would you favor or oppose building a permanent space station?
FAVOR 55%
OPPOSE 36%
DON'T KNOW 9%
Do you favor or oppose increased efforts toward a manned mission to Mars?
FAVOR 44%
OPPOSE 50%
DON'T KNOW 6%
Poll conducted July 26-28, 1994. Margin of error +/-4% on interviews of 614 adult registerd voters. Conducted by Dan Jones & Associates. Copyright 1994 Deseret News. Dan Jones & Associates, an independent organization founded in 1980, polls for the Deseret News and KSL. Its clients include other organizations and some political candidates.