It's Your Call: Shuttle space role

A majority of respondents to The Evening Sun's SUNDIAL telephone poll say the federal government should spend more ** money on the space shuttle program, and most callers also said they'd be willing to ride along on the shuttle.

Of 315 callers, 173 (55 percent) approved of more funding for the shuttle program, while 141 said no to that idea. When asked if money for space exploration should be redirected toward other missions, 175 respondents (55 percent) said no. Fifty-four percent (168) of the callers rejected the idea of a space trip to Mars, while 142 (46 percent) liked the idea.

Six out of every 10 callers, or 184 of 308 respondents, said they would be willing to ride the space shuttle, but about 40 percent (124) said they wouldn't go.

"It's Your Call" represents a sampling of opinions from certain segments of the community, but it is not balanced demographically, as would be done in a scientific public opinion poll.