Space Frontier & Politics Survey, 2016
N=210
Q1: What is your age?
<18 3 1.43%
18-24 20 9.52%
25-29 18 8.57%
30-39 37 17.62%
40-49 34 16.19%
50-64 62 29.52%
65+ 36 17.14%
Q2: What is the highest level of education you have completed?
High school or less 21 10.0%
Some college 63 30.0%
College graduate 59 28.1%
Post-graduate (> 4 years of college) 67 31.9%
Q3: Are you registered to vote in your state as a Republican, Democrat, Independent / no party preference, Other party, or not registered to vote?
Republican 56 26.67%
Democrat 57 27.14%
Independent / No party preference 73 34.76%
Other party 3 1.43%
Not registered to vote 21 10.00%
Q4: Have you ever voted either in person or by mail in your precinct or election district?
Yes 170 80.95%
No 34 16.19%
Don’t know 6 2.86%
Q5: How often would you say you vote — always, nearly always, part of the time, or seldom?
Always vote 84 40.00%
Nearly always vote 64 30.48%
Vote part of the time 27 12.86%
Seldom vote 12 5.71%
Never vote 18 8.57%
Don’t know 5 2.38%
Q6: How much thought have you given to the coming November election?
Quite a lot 125 59.52%
Some 50 23.81%
Only a little 18 8.57%
None 15 7.14%
Don’t know 2 0.95%
Q7: How likely are you to vote in the general election this November?
Definitely will vote 160 76.19%
Probably will vote 26 12.38%
Probably will not vote 6 2.86%
Definitely will not vote 18 8.57%
Q8: In the 2012 presidential election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, did things come up that kept you from voting, or did you happen to vote?
Yes, voted 161 76.67%
No, did not vote 43 20.48%
Don’t know 6 2.86%
Q9: How would you rate your chances of voting in November’s election for president on a scale of 1 to 10. If 1 represents someone who definitely will not vote and 10 represents someone who definitely will vote, where on this scale of 1 to 10 would you place yourself?
1-Definitely will NOT vote 17 8.10%
2 4 1.90%
3 0 0.00%
4 3 1.43%
5 5 2.38%
6 3 1.43%
7 4 1.90%
8 4 1.90%
9 16 7.62%
10-Definitely WILL vote 153 72.86%
Don’t know 1 0.48%
Q10: As a voter, would you support a NASA-led 10-year, $100 billion effort to create a manufacturing facility in space housing 1,000 or more American workers IF all of the public funds invested could be recovered through fees and taxes on private sector companies using the facility?
Strongly agree 30 14.29%
Somewhat agree 65 30.95%
Neutral 55 26.19%
Somewhat disagree 27 12.86%
Strongly disagree 33 15.71%
Q11: The technology to mine asteroids in space is available today, but private companies cannot yet invest at scale because a market for these resources has not yet been created. Would you support a NASA-led program to purchase asteroid material from the private sector at a cost of $50 billion dollars over 20 years IF the materials purchased were then owned by the American public and were valued at $100 billion on the open market (a taxpayer profit of $50 billion)?
Strongly agree 30 14.29%
Somewhat agree 56 26.67%
Neutral 58 27.62%
Somewhat disagree 30 14.29%
Strongly disagree 36 17.14%
Q12: If an economically profitable American presence in space could also spark strong economic growth at home in America, create millions of high paying jobs, and pay back all of the public money invested plus a profit, would you support a government program led by NASA to build it?
Strongly agree 59 28.10%
Somewhat agree 83 39.52%
Neutral 31 14.76%
Somewhat disagree 15 7.14%
Strongly disagree 22 10.48%
Q13: If it would cost $200 billion per year (5% of the federal government’s budget) for 50 years to achieve an economically profitable presence in space with enough self-supporting economic activity to return all of the public money invested plus a profit, would you support a NASA-led program to invest that $200 billion per year to make it happen?
Strongly agree 26 12.38%
Somewhat agree 65 30.95%
Neutral 55 26.19%
Somewhat disagree 23 10.95%
Strongly disagree 41 19.52%
Q14: Would you vote to invest $10 trillion in taxpayer funds over a period of 50 years to establish an economically profitable presence in space IF that investment would return $20 trillion in taxpayer revenue by the end of that same period of time?
Strongly agree 30 14.29%
Somewhat agree 58 27.62%
Neutral 55 26.19%
Somewhat disagree 31 14.76%
Strongly disagree 36 17.14%
Q15: If a Congressional candidate in your district backed a bold government-led program to develop an economically profitable frontier in space that would generate millions of jobs in America and would pay back every public dollar spent along with a significant profit, would you consider voting for that candidate?
Strongly agree 34 16.19%
Somewhat agree 77 36.67%
Neutral 56 26.67%
Somewhat disagree 18 8.57%
Strongly disagree 25 11.90%