FAO UK peeps-support a British space program?

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I read recently that the total cost of the recent curiosity rover landing on Mars cost one quarter of the total cost of the London Olympics. This is why I'm confused as to why its argued Britain can't afford to make its own footprint in space, despite the fact that India and Japan are also taking the initiative.

(Britain also gave India to the tune of £40 million in aid recently and the cheeky bastards spent it on a battleship)

Would you support tax money being used for this purpose (if perhaps it came at a cost from a different department such as defence)?

In my opinion it would be much better if there was multi-country collaboration and financial contributions towards large space related projects such as establishing a moon base with a view of further manned exploration and possibly the establishment of a science and research base on Mars; possibly with a view to establishing domed and/or underground self-supporting colonies there.

I don't know if its possible due to suspicion between America and China.

There is the European Space Agency, but i don't think the UK is even a member nation and only France and Germany contribute anything to it at a technological level.

Yes, the UK is a member of ESA.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/About_ESA/S ... R1F_0.html

I think ESA has several levels of nation membership. Nations which both provide funds and technology, and nations which provide purely funding. I think the UK is at the most removed level of membership. The Union Jack doesn't even appear on ESA spacecraft.

The flags on the Ariane launcher are the shareholders of Arianespace Launch Services, and the UK isn't one of them. No idea why not.

If I remember correctly, membership isn't just about paying money. Each country benefits from their contribution in the form of contracts with businesses in that country, so the UK must be selling something or provide some service to ESA. There's also a division of ESA opening (or is already in operation) in the UK.

ESA is already participating in a planned manned mission to Mars (Mars 500), conducted by the Russian space agency.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars500/

I don't think it's only about the money that the UK doesn't have its own space program. No nation can go to space alone (not even the mighty USA). To undertake something like a manned mission to Mars or a moonbase, the world needs to work together.

ETA: undertake: classic case of Dunglish.