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4 benefits of space travel
4 benefits of space travel
4 benefits of space travel
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Were you aware that the budget for space exploration extends well over thirty-two billion dollars? People are dying of hunger overseas, not even wealthy enough to feed their own families, and NASA is spending twenty billion dollars to put a man on the moon! What did we learn on the moon, how can this endeavor help mankind? Nothing, and it can't! Some people declare that space exploration is man's greatest enterprise into the unknown. Space exploration is no great endeavor, it is in fact man's greatest waste of money and time that could be better spent elsewhere.
Did you know that NASA spends up to fifteen point forty seven billion dollars per space mission? The Space Review is a pretty reputable site for science related news, one account stated that, ?No firm cost estimates?. cost of Mars expedition estimated at nearly one trillion dollars?. That is a great deal of money that could easily pay for multiple operations all over America, and other places too. A spacecraft en-route to Mars exploded in nineteen sixty-nine by USSR technicians. These failures are taking big chunks out of NASA?s (over-sized) budget, much of which is being funded toward more inevitable failures. They say that you learn from your mistakes, but those mistakes can lead to some way bigger problems.
These expeditions are taking too much time as it is. It took us four years just to take pictures of the surface of Mars. I saw these pictures, and I must say, I have seen better views of Mars taken through a telescope. This is too much time taken just to get some bad pictures of a planet that, sources suggest, has long been dead. Half of NASA?s rovers haven?t even got to the planet, even less have ever even sent any data back to Earth. Numerous satellites, spacecrafts, and rovers are endlessly exploding, getting lost in space, and so on. Until we can send things into space with a one hundred percent chance of success, we shouldn?t send any up period.
All this money that NASA is spending on failed missions could save countless lives, multiple times over. As mentioned previously, people are dying overseas: starving, dying of dehydration, perishing ever so slowly. Their lives gradually wasting away to nothing, while some people are using the money that could be used to send them food and medicine, in order to send big hunks of metal into space which, as they say, is a whole bunch of nothing! I will admit that money isn?
By increasing funds it would support cutting edge aeronautics and space technology innovations, education, and development that will help fuel the nation’s economy for years to come. In conclusion, NASA does not drain nearly as much money from the economy as it contributes, so the funding that goes to NASA is not all lost and should be seen as an investment.
The government gives NASA $16 billion every year. That is only 7% of the federal government’s budget, which is $2.8 trillion. To put it in perspective, for every $2800 of federal government budget, $16 goes to NASA. With more funding, NASA could launch more telescopes, explore other galaxies, and pinpoint exactly where an asteroid will strike. Citizens of the United States of America believe that a huge percent of their taxes go to NASA. The truth is, only one percent of taxes go to scientific research, and half of that goes to NASA. For someone earning $100,000 a year, $1000 goes to scientific research, with half of that going to NASA, only $500. The benefits of continuing to fund NASA, far outweight the costs. Michael Massimino, one of NASA’s astronauts says it best, “you have bills to pay, but you always want to put something away for your kids college fund. NASA is like a college fund, we are the future” (Massimino 1).
Bill Nye, the “Science Guy,” asserts, “NASA is an engine of innovation and inspiration as well as the world's premier space exploration agency, and we are well served by politicians working to keep it that way, instead of turning it into a mere jobs program, or worse, cutting its budget.” The United States of America’s government is currently in an economic debt encompassing billions of US dollars. Unfortunately, the government has attempted to balance finances by cutting the funding for most programs, including NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA, in over half a century, has brought the most economic, technological, and social benefits than any other program held here in the USA, as well as any other extraterrestrial program in the world. The last thing this nation needs is the cutting of NASA finances. NASA should be receiving more funding because the Earth will not last forever and humans will need a place to live, there’s a curiosity within humans about the vast universe they live in, there is evidence to suggest life on other planets, the USA’s superpower status will be improved, and the economical income NASA brings is more efficient than any other governmental or educational program.
Have you ever wondered what Earth was like without space exploration? In the story Leaving Main Street the author states, “The United States has more important things to spend money on.” On the other hand some people believe that successful space programs adds to our economy,national prestige,create jobs,and improves national security. We shouldn't spend valuable resources on space exploration, because we could end hunger and poverty.
In 2013 spending on NASA will be at the lowest point in the last four years because the United States government is in extreme debt. Many feel that this will lead to a halt on all space exploration and technological advancements in the world of Astronomy. In my opinion I feel that this lack of funding for NASA will thoroughly hinder progress for future generations as well as our own.
The debate about space exploration has been raging on for decades, people on both sides of the issue vehemently arguing their point of view. However despite the possible risk space exploration has the potential to change humanity for the better, and doing so is well worth the risk. This essay will elaborate some of the plethora of ways that space exploration could benefit mankind.
The question regarding the value in financially supporting large American institutions, such as NASA, has indeed generated prevalent debate. Bobby Braun addresses his individual view on this issue in his article entitled “Space Technology: A Critical Investment for Our Nation’s Future,” published on October 27, 2011, in which he argues that the United States government must continue to invest in NASA. Braun strengthens the logic and persuasiveness of his argument by incorporating facts and examples about the benefits of NASA’s contributions to American society in order to support his central claims and by asserting the long-term influence of NASA’s existence as well as a powerful call to action in order to emphasize the significance of the organization to the reader.
As a country we need to start investing more money and research into space technology. Programs currently exist for this effort, but the potential for research and progress is limited by a lack of funding; compared to other government funded programs, aerospace funding is pitiful. Continued research in space technology is a necessary step in our growth and development not just as a country but also as entire human race. If we are to achieve this goal, it is necessary to increase funding for space research and technology and consider the possibility of colonizing outer space. If we limit our existence to the planet Earth, and continue to drain the resources on this planet, we will destroy the only home we have.
When talking about the current space program, Neil Degrasse Tyson once said, “I got angry with America, because advancing is not just something you do incrementally. You need innovation as well, so that your advances are revolutionary, not merely evolutionary” (Tyson 3). America used to have the top space program in the world. Being first to the moon excited the country and gave everyone a sense of pride and fulfillment. Lately, though, we have been falling behind in space exploration. A successful space program is needed in America, and here’s why: we are losing our grip on the title as the world superpower and a new age of economics and politics is coming faster than we are prepared for. To be prepared for this new age we need the funds,
The amount of funding that the government dedicates to the space research is not that massive. The most common misconception among Americans that NASA does attracts massive government funding. Since the past few years, NASA has received much less than a miniscule 0.5 percent of the overall federal budget (Spotts 4). When compared to other federal budgetary allocations, one could readily understand the fact that the money government spends on NASA is already insufficient as compared to the other attributes it tends to support. For instance, consider the fact that in the year 2013, the government invested double the amount in the Department of Justice as compared to the money it allocated to NASA (Spotts 4).
Carl Sagan once said “every planetary civilization will be endangered by impacts from space, every surviving civilization is obliged to become spacefaring--not because of exploratory or romantic zeal, but for the most practical reason imaginable: staying alive... If our long-term survival is at stake, we have a basic responsibility to our species to venture to other worlds.” The National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA, is executing Sagan’s words every day. President Dwight D. Eisenhower created NASA in 1958 with the purpose of peaceful rather than military space exploration and research to contribute to society. Just 11 years after the creation, NASA put Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon, the first humans to accomplish this feat. NASA’s research and innovation looked promising but it came at a cost. Money, resources, and spacecraft accidents most famously Apollo 13 all hindered NASA’s research. In the 21st century the debate between funding for NASA is at its peak since the birth of the organization in 1958 especially when there are numerous problems throughout the world. Is the money spent on space exploration worth the advantages and advances it contributes to society?
The main argument against space travel is that the money used could be better put on other matters. This is, in fact, very untrue. Looking at NASA’s 2015 budget of $17.5 billion, it may seem like a lot, until you realize that the US military budget for 2014 was $581 billion (5). Furthermore, it was estimated that each dollar in NASA’s budget was equivalent to 8 – 10 dollars of economic benefit (6). If an organization can bring about economic value at 10 folds the original budget, it would be logical to continue funding it, if not increasing the funds.
Most people think that the costly downside to funding space exploration is a reason to avoid spending money on sciences and instead spend it on problems here on earth, but such funding for space exploration actually promotes economical as well as scientific benefits. Space exploration is an important expenditure for the high cost because of the potential for numerous benefits such as the possibility to find useful resources to cultivate, space exploration and satellites produce many thousands of jobs in our economy, and it creates and discovers newer and better technologies through research and development.
Astronauts have been exploring space for nearly decades gathering up information about the unknowns of what lies above. There has been controversy if we should stop going up to space to do research. This is a situation where we should continue space exploration since it has benefits that include boosting our economy, providing job opportunities, searching for a new world, discover new resources, and even expanding our scientific research on new life. First of all, NASA spends about $18 billion on space exploration per year. That money will eventually go around the world to other resources.
Space exploration is very beneficial to humankind because it creates new technologies, it brings different countries together, and gives people a better understanding of our Earth.