International Space Station Program Pros And Cons

We, humans, stare up at the night sky in wonder, curious of what it contains and in admiration of how beautiful space can be. Occasionally, we can spot a bright “dot” moving across the sky. We assume it is simply a satellite, despite it being much brighter than an usual satellite brightness. We do not realize that that supposed satellite is actually hosting a small group of people who live in and perform science experiments outside of Earth’s atmosphere. That shelter orbiting around the Earth is the International Space Station (ISS). Within the past couple of decades, NASA has been having trouble with budgeting for the programs upon the International Space Station. Scientists are concerned about the program being reduced or completely cut,

due to the budgeting problems. Alongside that, there are concerns with the possible cuts on the progress that they had made within their fields with the help of the International Space Station. Hence, to help humanity discover more and advance, NASA should continue being a part of the International Space Station program. The only issue of continuing it is that the costs are an excessive amount of money to keep it going.
Within the past couple of decades, many problems have arisen within NASA’s plan for the International Space Station. One of the main problems is that in the early 1990’s, NASA had underestimated the amount of money they will need to complete their plan, to research on the International Space Station, because they did not take into account for any maintenance that might be required. Andrew Lawler, a reporter for a spam publication, clarifies that “...NASA will need an extra $7 billion and as much as 3 more years to complete work on its pieces of the project...” (1998). Due to NASA’s inaccuracy with their calculations a few senators that supported NASA and were debating whether or not grant them the extra $7 billion. The U.S. did not give NASA the estimated funds they said they now needed. NASA instead had to budget the original amount to be able to make repairs to the International Space Station. This budgeting caused a few research programs aboard the International Space Station to be limited or eliminated, which disappointed and irritated the scientists within those fields because they had to adjust their plans drastically to be able to continue their program. With all that considered, why should NASA continue being a part of the International Space Station program?
There has already been major feats that wouldn’t have been possible without NASA being a part of the International Space Station program. There are fifteen space agencies from around the world, including NASA, working on the International Space Station. The Atlantic article by Marina Koren states, “The ISS has largely escaped the effects of political disagreements between the U.S. and Russia, making it one of the few places in the universe where Moscow and Washington can agree” (2016). Hence, because of this project, the nations are able to agree with each other on at least one topic, despite the possible bad relationships they have otherwise. In addition to the betterment of relationships between nations, Barack Obama, the President of the United States, lists a few other accomplishments that NASA has made are the discovery of “flowing water on Mars and evidence of ice on one of Jupiter's moons, and we mapped Pluto -- more than 3 billion miles away -- in high-resolution” (2016). These accomplishments show that within the past few decades, technology has increased and we are able to learn more about the universe. Although, we can also still learn about humanity and our planet as well through the International Space Station program.
By continuing the International Space Station program, NASA can research ways in that help benefit humanity.

For example, due to NASA’s involvement in the International Space Station program they were able to send an astronaut up into space and live there for an entire year, creating a new record for a single person to be living in space. They are currently studying how the astronaut was effect due to living in space for a year. They are comparing his body’s reactions on being back on Earth to the body of his twin brother, who stayed on Earth. It is apparent that NASA is trying to figure out the safest way for humanity to live in space for long durations of time. Another instance where humanity is benefits from the International Space Station program is the use of technology that was developed for the space program can now be used for eye surgery. It helps accurately perform the surgery with almost no malfunctions or errors. Finally, due to the space station, people can observe disasters that happen on Earth. The book International Space Station: Benefits for Humanity explains that this is important because “The SERVIR project [NASA/US Agency for International Development] provides satellite data and tools to environmental decision makers in developing countries and operates” (n.d.). Hence, this demonstrates the idea that we, as a society, can make accurate and helpful decisions when it comes to helping the environment and in turn ourselves. NASA is already in the process of helping humanity even more by creating a plan for the

future.
In recent years, Nasa has developed a plan for the future of space travel and set goals to accomplish through the help of the International Space Station. In order to accomplish their goals they must rebuild the entire space program. One goal is to have people on missions beyond a low orbit of Earth for long periods of time. Two of their plans for this goal is to send astronauts to an asteroid by the year 2025 and have people on Mars by the 2030s. The article Obama Administration Extends International Space Station to 2024 states that “The ISS extension will give NASA and its private-sector partners time to more fully transition to the commercial space industry the transportation of cargo and crew to low-Earth-orbit, allowing NASA to focus on developing the next-generation heavy-lift rocket and crew capsule necessary for deep-space exploration.” (2014). According to this article, NASA is receiving some funds from private donors and they plan to use that money to explore further out in space. Deep-space exploration has always been humankind's dream. Hence, to have a plan for it to happen soon is exciting and inspiring.
Space exploration has always been a dream for many people.. The International Space Station helps fulfils that dream for those who followed that dream. Although, within the past few decades NASA has been having trouble coming up with funding for the research conducted on the International Space Station and its maintenance. Despite the funding issue, NASA should continue being a part of the International Space Station program. The International Space Program has helped humanity in more ways than one. It’s help conflicting countries to be able to get along in a few ways. It has created technology that has improved the way we do things. NASA’s plans for the future are only set to end less than a decade away, but, for the benefits of humanity, it should continue past their end date.