On Feb. 1, NASA hailed a proposal by Barack Obama to increase spending for any United States space expedition and announced plans to explore one of Jupiter’s moons.

According to Discovery.com, “President Obama is proposing a fiscal year 2016 budget of $18.5 billion for NASA, building on the significant investment the administration has made in America’s space program over the past six years”.

It might come to one’s mind how serious this could be if the budget was passed.

In a matter of time, the United States could have technology on one of Jupiter’s moons. But is that something we really want to do?

Is there anything better NASA and the United States can do with the money that would possibly be more significant to our country’s history? Less costly? Safer?

Yes, there is, and that is to start another Apollo expedition.

In 1969, two men bravely set foot on the moon. The program was broad-casted over the entire world. Millions of people gathered to watch as Neil Armstrong took one stall step for man, and one giant leap for mankind.

It might come to your mind, which expedition would be better for our country?

Yes, making it to Jupiter’s moon would be huge in NASA history and a groundbreaking experience for all of humanity, but imagine the risk. Imagine the cost of doing so.

NASA already has brand new equipment and shuttles designed and sitting in storage facilities for the next Apollo mission, which were neatly canceled and swept under the rug.

It would cost much less to send a handful of lucky astronauts to the moon and repeat history once again than to send a rover and billions of dollars of unmanned technology to Jupiter.

NASA wants to explore Jupiter’s moon, Europa, as it is a possible habitable environment.

According to Space.com, “The moon is believed to harbor a large ocean of liquid water beneath its icy shell”. The moon is also believed to have ample energy sources due to tidal wave heating.

It seems barely feasible to commit to this mission. The mission is expected to launch by 2020, and by that time, NASA has to build an Orbiter that will withstand Europa’s radiation field above the surface.

Yes, $18.5 billion will be spent on a project where we will not even be landing on the surface of the planet.

Is there anything more productive we could possibly spend our budget on?

In fact, if NASA were to start another Apollo mission, it would be just in time for the first moon landing’s 50th anniversary on July 20, 2019.

Sounds like a convenient coincidence.