Sir, - I refer to John O'Shea's letter (February 15th) regarding the landing of a probe onto the asteroid Eros which cost the United States $143 million.
While I understand that such funds could have been spent assisting the impoverished of the world, they are but a pittance compared with the military spending of the United States, not to mention other nations.
It would be better to criticise spending on the machinery of war and death rather than scientific endeavour. - Yours, etc.,
Malachi O'Sullivan, Dalkey, Co Dublin.