Why don't we see more multi-national space programs?

[Yru0]

I'm not getting the OP's question.

Space agencies collaborate together regularly. The main science instruments on Curiosity are made by ESA and the results are monitored and analyzed in France. ESA also had instruments on Phobos/Grunt. ESA is building the service module for Orion in Germany. JWST is going up on an Ariane 5. Soyuz is launched in both Baikonour and in Kourou. Most of the ISS USOS modules were made in Italy. Japan provided major instruments for BepiColombo.

The same holds true for most large projects. Practically all space science platforms carry major instruments that are made and controlled by international partners. Actually, I can't think of a single large space exploration mission in the last 20 years that wasn't a major international cooperation effort.

^This is something which I didn't know before posting, and I find it brilliant that space programs collaborate so much for the betterment of all of us; stuff national differences when science is at stake! But then I figure it leads to another question: why isn't this so well known? I mean yeah it's common knowledge for all of you I imagine, but I just found out now, and (I suppose) most people who don't browse forums of a space-program-simulator would be in a similar boat. On the news it's always 'NASA's Curiosity' or 'ESA's newest mission', and so on. Why don't they publicize the co-operation more?

[Skyrunner27]

^This is something which I didn't know before posting, and I find it brilliant that space programs collaborate so much for the betterment of all of us; stuff national differences when science is at stake! But then I figure it leads to another question: why isn't this so well known? I mean yeah it's common knowledge for all of you I imagine, but I just found out now, and (I suppose) most people who don't browse forums of a space-program-simulator would be in a similar boat. On the news it's always 'NASA's Curiosity' or 'ESA's newest mission', and so on. Why don't they publicize the co-operation more?

That has nothing to do with any of the space agencies but more to do with the media that surrounds it. Most people only think of the ISS of Shuttle-Mir when they think of space cooperation. The Idea of a continuous cooperation and not just sticking random stuff together is a wonder for most people. Also it uses nationalism to boosrt their ratings by saying [insert country here] is making huge steps in spaceflight and making everyone feel great pride.

[jwenting]

If Space Programs were the only things where governments are dumb...

FYI : Spacial exploration has a ROI of 4 over 10 years. That means that if you invest now 100€ in spacial exploration, your investment will give you back 400€ in 10 years. Not bad huh !

uh, no.

It means if you invest $100 now you get back $4 in 10 years.

And that's after the next elections so it doesn't even buy you any votes.

Someone else might make a load from using the knowledge gained by the mission in totally unexpected ways, but not you.

And thus it makes no sense funding it, because you're A) losing money, funding your competitors, and C) not getting any votes

[Idobox]

ROI of 4 means you get back 4 times what you invested.

But it's true that 10 years is too long an horizon for politicians to invest in it. And that's why we need administrations and stable budgets to handle that kind of stuff.

[jpvalery]

uh, no.

It means if you invest $100 now you get back $4 in 10 years.

return on investment (%) = (Net profit / Investment) × 100 So if ROI = 4 (or 400%) that means that your Netprofit=4(Investment). So if Investment=100 then Netprofit=4x100=400. That's Mathematics 101.

You're welcome