Report · Money

Few Americans prioritize beating China back to the Moon

Reading

In a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 1 to 11, 2024, 42% of Americans said it is not very important for American astronauts to land on the Moon before China.

About three-in-ten said being first is important but not worth increased NASA spending (31%), 17% said it is important even if increased spending is required, and 10% said the U.S. should not send astronauts to the Moon at all.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

42% of Americans say it is not very important for U.S. astronauts to land on the Moon before China.

Do you think it is important that American astronauts land on the Moon first, before China, even if that requires increasing federal spending on NASA?

  • Not very important to be first 41.7%
  • Important to be first, but not worth increased spending 31.5%
  • Important to be first, even if increased spending is required 17.1%
  • The U.S. should not send astronauts to the Moon at all 9.8%

2024 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.4%

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2024-10-01 → 2024-10-11
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.4%
Module
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Source

  • 01
    Few Americans prioritize beating China back to the Moonreports.verasight.io/reports/verasight-apsa-omnibus-survey-2024-103

Citation

Verasight APSA Omnibus Survey #2024-103, fielded October 1-11, 2024, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.4%.

https://reports.verasight.io/reports/verasight-apsa-omnibus-survey-2024-103#q-media_fin-36

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. Each wave's specific field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that wave's report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
Every wave is published as a standalone report at verasight.io/reports with full instrument and methodology.
Transparency
AAPOR transparency standards.

Wave-specific methodology, full weighting variable lists, and verbatim instrument text live in each report at verasight.io/reports.