--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man is a fabulous nuisance in space…" description: "\"A man is a fabulous nuisance in space right now. He's not worth all the cost of putting him up there and keeping him comfortable and working.\" — James ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73e/james-van-allen-39189_comfortable_a-man-is-a-fabulous-nuisance-in-space-ri_1965181.png" --- # A man is a fabulous nuisance in space right now. He's not… ![“A man is a fabulous nuisance in space right now. He's not worth all the cost of putting him up there and keeping him comfortable and working.” quote by James Van Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73e/james-van-allen-39189_comfortable_a-man-is-a-fabulous-nuisance-in-space-ri_1965181.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73e/james-van-allen-39189_comfortable_a-man-is-a-fabulous-nuisance-in-space-ri_1965181.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73e/james-van-allen-39189_comfortable_a-man-is-a-fabulous-nuisance-in-space-ri_1965181.png) > “A man is a fabulous nuisance in space right now. He's not worth all the cost of putting him up there and keeping him comfortable and working.” [James Van Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-allen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human presence in space is costly and offers limited benefit compared to the expense of sustaining life there. **In simple terms:** Space humans are costly and marginally useful. Key Takeaway Weigh costs versus benefits of space missions. Themes space exploration cost‑benefit human factors Mood critical analytical Type debate philosophical When to use this quote - budget planning - mission design - policy debate Key Concepts economics ethics Questions to Reflect On - What discoveries could offset expenses? - How to prioritize human vs robotic missions? A Different Perspective Scientific breakthroughs may justify costs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comfortable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfortable/) [Cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost/) [Fabulous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fabulous/) [Fabulous Nuisance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fabulous-nuisance-3265755/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nuisance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuisance/) [Nuisance Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuisance-space-3265754/) [Right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-now/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Space Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space-right-303668/) ## Related quotes > [As a designer, the mission with which we have been charged is simple: providing space at the right cost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-von-zell/as-a-designer-the-mission-with-which-we-have-been-charged-is-simple/) [Harry von Zell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-von-zell/) > [There's some good girls on the Space right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-black/there-s-some-good-girls-on-the-space-right-now/) [Big Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-black/) > [We may need some space right now, but that doesn't mean we don't still love you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-may-need-some-space-right-now-but-that-doesn-t-mean-we-don-t-still/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Love is the time and space where "I" give myself the right to be extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-kristeva/love-is-the-time-and-space-where-i-give-myself-the-right-to-be/) [Julia Kristeva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-kristeva/) > [My position is that it is high time for a calm debate on more fundamental questions. Does human spaceflight continue to serve a compelling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-allen/my-position-is-that-it-is-high-time-for-a-calm-debate-on-more/) [James Van Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-allen/) > [Nest of Soviet fellow travelers clacking busybodies in a Soviet jellyfish front, sitting here in Leesburg oozing out their funny little propaganda and making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-larouche/nest-of-soviet-fellow-travelers-clacking-busybodies-in-a-soviet/) [Lyndon LaRouche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-larouche/) > [There was one field in which man was unsurpassed; he showed unlimited ingenuity in devising bigger and more efficient ways to kill off, enslave,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/there-was-one-field-in-which-man-was-unsurpassed-he-showed-unlimited/) [Robert A. 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Civilization held nothing like this in its narrow and circumscribed sphere, hemmed in by restrictions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-rice-burroughs/this-was-life-ah-how-he-loved-it-civilization-held-nothing-like-this/) [Edgar Rice Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-rice-burroughs/) > [“seperate morality from its effects, and you will see that everyone regards ias a nuisance, an annoying brake on their freedom of action.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-blackburn/seperate-morality-from-its-effects-and-you-will-see-that-everyone/) [Simon Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-blackburn/) > [My problems are sort of more on a nuisance level. I can't stand scratchy clothes, I've got to have soft kinds of cotton against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/my-problems-are-sort-of-more-on-a-nuisance-level-i-can-t-stand/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) ## More by James Van Allen > [Our family was very fond of the University of Iowa. We thought it was a good place to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-allen/our-family-was-very-fond-of-the-university-of-iowa-we-thought-it-was/) [James Van Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-allen/) > [I was a kind of a one-man army. I could solder circuits together, I could turn out things on the lathe, I could work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-allen/i-was-a-kind-of-a-one-man-army-i-could-solder-circuits-together-i/) [James Van Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-allen/) > [Certainly one of the most enthralling things about human life is the recognition that we live in what, for practical purposes, is a universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-allen/certainly-one-of-the-most-enthralling-things-about-human-life-is-the/) [James Van Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-allen/) > [My position is that it is high time for a calm debate on more fundamental questions. 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Being possessed by a promise I live without options. I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/i-could-not-limit-my-values-and-pursuits-to-what-makes-others/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [How much more comfortable it is to say 'Yes, and...' than 'Yes, but...'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-fagg/how-much-more-comfortable-it-is-to-say-yes-and-than-yes-but/) [Lawrence Fagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-fagg/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [I'm more comfortable modelling as a man because I don't get any criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rain-dove/i-m-more-comfortable-modelling-as-a-man-because-i-don-t-get-any/) [Rain Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rain-dove/) > [I'm aware of who I am and I'm comfortable with who I choose to date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shibani-dandekar/i-m-aware-of-who-i-am-and-i-m-comfortable-with-who-i-choose-to-date/) [Shibani Dandekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shibani-dandekar/) > [Money is only used for two things. 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And I would like to return to it, because I feel very comfortable with it, and I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/it-s-like-my-second-home-it-and-i-would-like-to-return-to-it-because/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [I was a bit overweight as a teenager, which may be why I'm more comfortable playing with clothes than showing my body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orla-brady/i-was-a-bit-overweight-as-a-teenager-which-may-be-why-i-m-more/) [Orla Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orla-brady/) > [When you're comfortable with someone you love, the silence is the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britney-spears/when-you-re-comfortable-with-someone-you-love-the-silence-is-the-best/) [Britney Spears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britney-spears/) > [Our families and our homes are the center of American life, Everything we do is to make those homes-and the lives in them-more beautiful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stewart/our-families-and-our-homes-are-the-center-of-american-life-everything/) [Martha Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stewart/) > [You build the bonds through the community and police force, build bonds of understanding, and then when people feel comfortable in their communities, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kaine/you-build-the-bonds-through-the-community-and-police-force-build/) [Tim Kaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kaine/) [Browse all 4,560 Comfortable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfortable/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man is a fabulous nuisance in space right now. 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