Space exploration is the process of investigating into physical conditions in space, planets, stars and celestial bodies by use or man-made satellites. In many cases spacecraft’s are used to orbit around the earth and space with a human crew to collect sufficient information of the entire solar system. Space exploration is geared to answering scientific questions on the physical conditions which directly affect people in their day-to-day activities. Purposively, space exploration explains the nature of space and other environmental factors that result from natural forces. A few scientists and public argue that space exploration is not a brilliant idea since its benefits evaluation reveal little success in solving problems facing people and that government budget towards space exploration should be used in something else. I think devoting in space exploration has many benefits like gaining scientific knowledge which can help us in many applications as well as averting dangers that we face on earth. Therefore, this paper focuses on explaining how space exploration is beneficial to the entire world.
Many critiques have come out to say that the advantages of space exploration are long-term. They argue that we should not be interested in colonizing the galaxy and planet, and yet we are overwhelmed with a lot of problems that we should give priority to better lives here on earth. The critiques go ahead to acknowledge that of course we will be gaining knowledge and inventing new technologies for exploring the extraterrestrial environment, they will do less than misusing funds. They say that cash spent on rocketry and technological machines, it can be withheld to help people live a better life like helping those affected by pollution, congestion earthquakes, disease, civil wars and hunger in various parts of the world. Thus, they recommend that we should fix things first on earth before worrying about the planet.
Spinoffs are the most evident benefit from space exploration technologies expended in the land. This has been the talk in many agencies, but our focus will mainly dwell on NASA spinoff program. The spinoff program started from the desire of NASA to showcase at a congressional budget hearing. It began with a technology utilization report in the year, 1973, which began as a black and white circular but later advanced to color in 1976, in the wake of public interest. Since then, NASA has printed over 1,800 reports on matters relating to spinoffs. The agency does this to dispel the notion that taxpayers’ dollars are being wasted as well as calling for the citizens follow space exploration and its presentation on how American creativity works in space (Katz, and Some, 52-61). The program has contributed to several commercialized advances including the one of memory foam which was originally used for protecting against airline crash, smoke detection as well as magnetic timbre imaging. Arguments from critiques are that the spinoff would have been developed minus space exploration. Thus, the amount of cash spent does not justify the invention.
Another notable benefit that comes from space exploration is the creation of job opportunities. Frequently, NASA reports the number of jobs created from a given project and its actual impact on the economy. NASA administrator by the name Charles Bolden wrote a blog on Curiosity Mars rover landing and explained that $ 2.5 billion allocated the project was spent right here to create over 7,000 job opportunities in 31 states. Many universities have in place researchers working on several projects that are NASA-related. Therefore, it is evident that that space exploration leads to part-time, full-time and occasional employment. Thus, space exploration is doing great to solve the unemployment problem which is rampant all over the world. Thus, critiques should not dash to critiquing the whole process as it is helping in bettering people’s lives through job creation.
Space exploration contributes to promoting science education. Teaching has gained higher priority in NASA in that it prefers to take astronaut educators into space. Nowadays, astronauts frequently conduct in-flight sessions with their students from space. This is aimed at inspiring them to go in for careers in this field. NASA has a developed education office that advocates for three objectives: inspiring scholars to pursue careers in (technology, science, mathematics, and engineering), developing a stronger workforce and finally, engaging Americans in the mission of NASA (Palesi and Givargis 143). Other space agencies are also, working hard to ensure that education plays a greater part in solving problems in different countries. Embracing education science in various learning institution is good since it will help learners to develop a greater understanding of different phenomenon affecting live. As a result, they will be curious to come up with answers and inventions that will make the world a better place to live. No matter how sharp critiques argue against space exploration on issues regarding its costs. Expenditure on research is justifiable when looking into the technological inventions that have come from space exploration research.
Also, space explorations come with several intangible benefits. It aids people to gain a better understanding of the universe. Space exploration results into benefits like the discovery of Methane on Mars and the construction of the International Space Station for long-term research. It leads to the inspiration of art, especially the one in 2014 after the European Space Agency Rosetta arrived at Comet (Xie et al. 65). This inspired the creation of short videos, songs and many other kinds of art. Therefore, this implies that space exploration instigates positive ideas that result in the creation of arts that are a source of entertainment and income to many people. Those who argue against investigations into space should try to analyze the overall benefits without being myopic to what into contributes to millions of lives.
Space exploration is great since it is helping to solve the scarcity of natural resources on earth. It is evident that human activities on land, have led to depletion of precious natural resources that were used by many firms in their production process. Therefore, multinational companies are injecting more funds to space exploration as there is evidence that space is endowed with abundant minerals that would be used to manufacture different products. Therefore encouraging space exploration will help to conserve the environment which is already depleted and polluted from activities like mining. Thus, it will create sustenance to the ecosystem that conduces to the entire human kind as well as animals. Critiques should as well assess the current situation whereby natural resources have been exhausted leading to pollution of all kinds, thus, embracing space exploration will relieve our natural environment.
NASA has also put a lot of concentration into environmental research. The purpose of this investigation is to help solve issues relating to climate change and pollution. For instance, studying into space helps scientist to learn seasonal patterns of the weather. They contribute to answering the question regarding natural phenomena like earthquakes and their causes (Sallé, et al., 479-490). Their forecast warns people against particular happening that may lead to losing of lives. The agency also explains the conditions in the ozone layer thus discouraging against certain activities that cause emissions of dangerous chemicals to the ozone layer. Also, NASA is trying to access on a planet that can support life (So, Hall, and Diniz 65-83). This is an exquisite idea since the world is densely overpopulated. Any discovery of the globe that can support life can help to solve congestion on earth. Though it is a long-term plan as critiques say, it is an important strategy that needs to be supported from all quarters of life.
As mentioned earlier, space exploration can help to predict and avert possible dangers that the earth faces. For example, the space satellites can be used for political surveillance against the enemies. The space satellites assist in examining every movement in the area hence superpower countries like America, China, and Russia can be able to monitor their rivals from attacking. This led to the signing of International Agreement, in the year, 1967 stating that China, Soviet Union, and the US should never claim ownership of space and thus no placing of arms on the moon, Earth’s orbit as well as other celestial bodies (Stuster 45). Looking unto this, it is clear that space exploration has enabled monitoring of States against attacks from potential enemies whose aim is to take lives and damaging property. Critiques should, at least, appraise such contribution as the world is faced with terror threats. More notably, US has achieved to protect other nations against attacks through space satellite military monitoring. Thus, we should all support space exploration as we wish to stay in a peaceful world without wars which lead to deaths.
Space exploration helps to put us in perspective. Erath is seemingly minuscule and fragile from space. It gives the challenge to think from a wider perspective view. In real life, we have seen human beings stand up destroying earth which is their home while doing their activities. Looking earth from space will caution us from doing harm to our real home. Therefore, human beings should embrace space exploration to preserve the earth since the earth is fragile. Discovery into space will help give a solution to our desires. Therefore, critiques should think from the perspective of causing destruction to their homes. All the cash put into space exploration is not a waste until that day we learn that we have caused enough damage to the earth. We need to better our environment for the next generation.
Evidently, space exploration is important in providing both intangible and tangible benefits in the world. It has enabled firms to natural resources thus, saving the environment from exploitation. NASA projects create several job opportunities to people in different states. This has helped to solve unemployment problem which many governments have not been able to solve. Space exploration promotes education which develops new discoveries and technological inventions that solve problems affecting people. Space exploration will also; help to address the issue of congestion on earth. Therefore, critiques should take the time to evaluate the advantages of space exploration before terming it unnecessary.
Counter Arguments against Space Exploration
Looking into the amounts spent on space exploration activities, there no sense why people are still suffering on earth and those for this whole idea claim that it is aimed at solving problem. Very little has been done to prove beyond reasonable doubts why the government should be supporting this costly exercise. Critiques say that there is no need to colonize the space whereas we cannot manage our problems (Little, Cunningham, Shahar, & Widaman, 2002). They go on to say that the funds budgeted for space exploration should be put into beneficial activities that can better people’s lives on the earth.
The critiques argue that space exploration is a wasteful operation that is geared to solve long-term problems of which there is no surety. For instance, anticipating to find a conducive planet can support live is a miscalculated plan. Instead, this scientific efforts should be directed to solve pollution problem which makes the environment unconducive. They go on to say that space exploration does little in averting natural calamities. Thus, money spent on space exploration should be used to help those suffering with disease and hunger. Moreover, this budget should be set aside for medical research which directly benefits people’s lives. Critiques argue about the whole issue of aiding technological training that is geared to help in space exploration.
Evidently, the critiques arguments against space exploration are mostly on the cost benefit evaluation and that it is a long-term process. Space exploration is a brilliant idea that is geared to solve problems for today generation as well as future generation. We even realize many benefits so far and this proves enough that eventually it will better lives. Also, space exploration has parked many technological innovations that everyone enjoys thus no need to critique the whole process just because of the cost involved. Space exploration has done great in job creation and enhancing science education which we all enjoy. Therefore, critiques should not be ready to refute this beneficial project.
Annotated Bibliography
Katz, Daniel S., and Raphael R. Some. "NASA advances robotic space exploration." Computer 36.1 (2003): 52-61.
The researchers were looking to establish various technological achievements from space exploration. Their work highlights some of the machines used like spacecraft. They also explain NASA’s advances into space explorations.
Xie, Yuan, et al. "Design space exploration for 3D architectures." ACM Journal on Emerging Technologies in Computing Systems (JETC) 2.2 (2006): 65-103.
Sallé, Béatrice, et al. "Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for space exploration applications: Influence of the ambient pressure on the calibration curves prepared from soil and clay samples." Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy 60.4 (2005): 479-490.
This work highlights some of the advantages brought by space exploration. The author mentions that money spent on space exploration is justifiable as it helps to solve environmental problems.
Palesi, Maurizio, and Tony Givargis. "Multi-objective design space exploration using genetic algorithms." Hardware/Software Codesign, 2002. CODES 2002. Proceedings of the Tenth International Symposium on. IEEE, (2002): 143-234.
Stuster, Jack. Bold endeavors: Lessons from polar and space exploration. Naval Institute Press, (2011): 45-76.
So, Byoungro, Mary W. Hall, and Pedro C. Diniz. "A compiler approach to fast hardware design space exploration in FPGA-based systems." ACM SIGPLAN Notices. Vol. 37. No. 5. ACM, 2002: 65-83.
This study concentrated on highlighting how space exploration has benefited humankind. Specifically, they say that the international space satellites have done great to solving many problems that affect people.
Little, T. D., Cunningham, W. A., Shahar, G., & Widaman, K. F. (2002). To parcel or not to parcel: Exploring the question, weighing the merits. Structural equation modeling, 9(2), 151-173.
