On June 30, 1908, the asteroid Tunguska struck an isolated area of ​​Siberia. The asteroid measured 164 feet in diameter and caused tragic devastation to the forest it struck. People 37 miles from where the asteroid touched down were knocked down. If this asteroid hit a populated region of Siberia, thousands of people would have been killed. Asteroids have the capacity to cause significant damage; Some believe that an asteroid wiped out all the dinosaurs in the prehistoric era. However, thanks to NASA, there is now nothing to worry about thanks to the satellites it has launched. NASA already does a lot with the little money the government provides. If Congress decides to continue funding the company, its possibilities are endless. The government gives NASA $16 billion every year. This represents only 7% of the federal government's budget, or $2.8 trillion. To put it in perspective, for every $2,800 in the federal government's budget, $16 goes to NASA. With more funding, NASA could launch more telescopes, explore other galaxies and determine exactly where an asteroid will hit. Citizens of the United States of America estimate that a huge percentage of their taxes go to NASA. The truth is that only 1% of taxes go to scientific research, and half to NASA. For someone making $100,000 a year, $1,000 goes to scientific research, half of which goes to NASA, or just $500. The benefits of continuing to fund NASA far outweigh the costs. Michael Massimino, one of NASA's astronauts, says it best: "You have bills to pay, but you always want to put something aside for your children's college education." NASA is like a university fund, we are the future” (Massimino 1). NASA is not only doing space research, but... middle of paper... are not ready to do it. These companies must work with NASA to begin the knowledge transfer and initiate the process. Additionally, unlike NASA, these private companies explore space primarily for financial gain, not to learn and improve the lives of humanity. NASA seeks to share information, teach it in schools and uncover the mysteries of space. Eliminating federal funding for NASA is short-sighted and risky. The benefits of NASA's work over the past five decades have been considerable. Future generations will continue to benefit from the many discoveries carried out by NASA and its space research. The risks of reducing NASA's funding and ending its existence are great, because it is unclear what the next discovery will be and its impact on the United States and the world. The true potential of space research can only be realized by continuing to fund NASA.