Most Americans favor US returning to moon and going to Mars, new poll shows

Americans want the U.S. to return to the moon and shoot for Mars, according to a new poll.

According to a YouGov/CBS News poll, 67 percent of respondents said they'd like to see the U.S. send astronauts back to the moon for further exploration. Slightly fewer — 65 percent — said they wanted to see the U.S. send explorers to Mars.

Respondents aged 30 and older were all fairly consistent in their approval of exploring the cosmos, with 68 percent of people ages 30-44 approving, and 65 percent of respondents aged 45 and over signing onto more space exploration.

Younger adults, aged 18-29, were 71 percent in favor of further exploration.

The general approval for space exploration extends backwards as well; when asked if they believed the 1969 moon landing was worth the effort, 77 percent of respondents said it was, with only 23 percent saying it did not seem like it was worth the trip.

The overall support for space exploration is likely tied to another metric measured in the poll: a fair number of Americans believe that successful journeys to the stars contributes to feelings of national pride.

The poll found that 44 percent of respondents believed space exploration added somewhat to the U.S.'s national pride, while 29 percent said it added "a lot" to national pride, and 27 percent said it does not add much.

The same number of individuals who believe space exploration adds to national pride — 44 percent — also felt that it contributes some to scientific advances.

A smaller number, 33 percent, felt space exploration yields "a lot" of scientific advancement, while 23 percent believed it added little or nothing to scientific discoveries.