Over the course of this great country’s history there have been grotesque wars, groundbreaking discoveries, and ultimately new standards set. As a nation, the United States was built on the grounds of exploration. Testing the boundaries and reaching new heights is how the U.S. became what it is today, and is what distinguishes the U.S. from other countries. Now, of course, not every person is a scientist, astronaut, or great explorer. This is nearly impossible simply due to the fact that society branches off into countless different people with varying interests, jobs, and focuses. However, this is the time for the United States to provide its space program with the funding it needs to pave the way for a brighter future for all of mankind. …show more content…
These broad but complex points help outline the importance of learning and discovery. Space travel may seem like a far-fetched notion but it is basically just a piece of the puzzle that will someday guide us and help us to see the bigger picture. Natural humanistic curiosity of the unknown has intertwined scientific ideals into the everyday citizen-- whether knowingly or not. It has influenced the way we shape our cultures, the way we live our lives, and will ultimately determine the future of our existence. Space travel is solely molded around the current economy, and is directly correlated to its fluctuation. Next, there are countless reasons to reach out to the universe--all going back to the theories of creation, and the facts known about the natural world. Man fears what they do not know. So, the most basic reason to explore what we don’t know is so that we might hope to fear what we know appropriately-- if at all. History may be in the past but it will always be the one deciding factor of our future. To explain, the history of NASA has shown how not to do certain things, but at the same time has provided some of the greatest tools for …show more content…
In order to effectively argue the future space travel, there needs to be a firm understanding that these endeavors are a financial black hole that affects not only those directly involved, but economies all over the world as well. What is known as the “Space Race” began with Sputnik and the Apollo missions and has grown exponentially ever since. This “race” is the implied competition between major nations to be the first to venture into the unknown. As technology and science continue to thrive, the interest in space also increases. With this comes certain pressure put on prestigiously educated nations to discover and go further than the competitor. All math and science aside, this is the real backbone of extraterrestrial
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), was booming in the late 1960 's because the U.S. invested over 4.5 percent of the Federal Budget (Bolden). Unfortunately, in the recent years the Government has slashed funding for many of NASA’s projects in an attempt to cut back on the deficit and boost the economy. Despite the plummet in NASA 's budget, the program has proved that it 's prominence in the U.S., space programs like NASA continue to face difficulty in increasing its funds. Although, NASA leads Evidently, the government doesn 't think NASA is worth more than 0.47 percent of the federal budget. NASA is being underfunded and its funding should be substantially increased to make ends meet. This trend needs
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.
The word race is defined at its core as a competition between runners, horses, vehicles, boats, etc. to see which is the fastest in covering a set course. Well, interestingly enough, a race of a different kind occurred between two countries from the years 1957 to 1969. The competition was unclear, and the opponents were on two entirely different continents, not something as simplistic as two horses. The United States and the United Soviet States of Russia both set out as arch rivals in the “Space Race,” a quest for dominance beyond the known Planet Earth. Ironically enough, just as communism was spreading to all parts of the world, the United States always sought to squash this form of government, despite somewhat dire consequences. Now, with
The NASA Space Program should not be cut. However, there are those who don’t share the same viewpoint, or see the same value in NASA, as experts do. They believe that giving money to NASA is a waste. That the money would be better spent on keeping us safe, and fixing the deficit. This essay is going to bring to light why the NASA budget, instead of being cut, should be increased.
Colonizing Mars, it seems like a distant achievement. Some say impossible, some say it will happen soon. Since Elon Musk has entered this field of exploration colonization of Mars has seemed even more plausible. Still, problems have surfaced to make this much more difficult than it has to be. This makes some believe this to be impossible or unlikely for the time. Despite what side you are on we can both agree that we want to advance in space exploration.
The moon landing is one of America's greatest accomplishments, not only showing that we were capable of doing something so great but also bringing America together as a whole making everyone feel united and patriotic, if you try to tell anyone who witnessed the moon when it was broadcast in July of 1969 that it was a hoax, they will be quick to correct you and then they might tell you about how they saw it with their own eyes a man walking on the moon, but with the advancements in our scientific knowledge we have more proof than ever that the moon landing was a hoax.
The National Space Policy has undergone changes throughout its new creation on August 31, 2006, under both the Obama administration and the Bush administration. The act originally was established for overarching national policies that governed the conduct of U.S space activities. President Dwight Eisenhower said “More than by any other imaginative concept, the mind of man is aroused by the thought of exploring the mysteries of outer space. Through such exploration, man hopes to broaden his horizons, add to his knowledge, improve his way of living on Earth.” With that statement, is where our time in space begins.
Humans have dreamed of leaving the earth and traveling space for many years, and up to this day they have taken many steps in the right direction. Yet, with every new frontier they approach, new problems loom over the horizon. All problems involved with space exploration may not directly involve space itself. Many of those problems surface right here on Earth. Some of the easier issues have been resolved, such as escaping the forces of gravity to reach outer space. More of these problems are far more arduous and the solutions need more time to be worked out properly. In “The Coming Schism” by James E. and Alcestis R. Oberg, humans have already begun colonizing space, yet there are still new problems arising. Major problems such as financing, communication and culture conflicts are important in the journey to space, because they all have the potential to disrupt progress.
If the space industry really gets going, and we start to mine asteroids and set up lunar, possibly Martian, colonies we would see the greatest economic expansion in the history of man. We are currently on that path, just at a slower pace due to budget cuts. However, with private industries like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic joining the space race, the competition to be the cheapest should serve as a catalyst to jump start the movement. As this emerging industry continues to grow, so will the need for highly qualified employees. This would fix our dilemma with, college students graduating and having nowhere to go. It would give adults the motivation to pursue higher education along with captivating the hearts and minds of young children. Children need astronauts to look up to, they need to have a goal that is right on the edge of impossible. Will Smith, a firm believer in self-worth and hard work once said, “Being realistic is the most common path to mediocrity.” It is true that many of humanity’s greatest ideas we not realistic and having that mentality impedes progress. It is sad how many people will say we are 18 trillion dollars in debt, let’s be realistic do we need to spend 17 billion on space junk? 17 billion dollars sounds like a lot until it is compared to the cost of the war in the Middle-East which will eventually total 4 trillion (Washington Post). Aside from helping America’s economy to grow, it will also improve relations with foreign countries. Just as the International Space Station united eleven countries with a common goal, many countries will want to join us and be a part of next gold rush in space. Advancing our goals in space is not just one way to improve the economy, it is the only
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.
It has always been a part of human nature for a man or woman to be curious of their surroundings. First it was what is beyond those mountains; then what is beyond that ocean, then the sky, under the sea, and in the 50s, 60s, and 70s it was space and the moon. Our ancestors and the early civilizations were strongly focused on explorations and expansion. Even notable historical figures were primarily focused to either expand their empire for increased power and fame like Julius Caesar, or to explore new lands for rich booty or possible colonization like Eric the Red. We are doing nothing out of the ordinary by wanting to explore the vast expanse of space first hand. We are curious what is out there. Is there life? Is there a world out there that can sustain human life? As curious beings, we must at least try to answer these questions. If not for man taking personal initiative to answer the question left before him, we would not have a Columbus or Lewis and Clark. Manned space flights instead of robotic crews bring this human element of curiosity to the table.
For thousands of years, man had looked to the heavens and dreamed of going into space and walking on the distant moon. In 1969, the Saturn V rocket was part of the Apollo 11 mission carrying Neil Armstrong to became the very first to accomplish that dream. The famous quote by Neil Armstrong the moment he step foot on the surface of the moon was, “That’s one small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind”. Those words simply sparked my interest for outer space explorations and looking into worlds beyond our Earth. Like the billions of people before me, all we could do was dream and imagine the vast world outside our atmosphere as we gaze upon the sky. However, my curiosity grew and I wanted to know what it will take for us to go beyond the heavens and into the space. It is stated that in order to escape Earth’s gravitational pull, one must travel with velocity of 11.2km/s and is also known as the ‘escape velocity. Which is why in this exploration, I am going to explore and research on Tsiolkovsky rocket equation to discover what it takes travel into outer space and to our moon by observing the Saturn V’s ideal velocity during when it first took Neil Armstrong onto the moon and whether or not it takes that much speed in order to escape Earth’s gravity.
As we continue to develop technology here on earth, we need scientific minds to pursue our ideas. These minds are driven to succeed, whether this success comes in the form of exploration, being the first astronaut on Mars or being able to invent and extend already available items. People are excited about the unknown, it drives people. Space exploration lets people pursue ambitions and help others by providing information about the unknown. How would you feel if NASA were to shut down tomorrow? Many would be anxious about the unknown as it is human instinct, the same as feeling uncomfortable in the dark. Many are asking about space exploration, what they are actually looking for? Many believe that we are looking for physical results and accomplishments such as landing on Mars and maybe sending a colony to inhabit the deserted planet. Space exploration is helping humans deal with problems on earth. Scientists have gathered a better understanding about pollution in our oceans and the issue of deforestation through space exploration. Although these are great resources to create change in what we do on earth, they are only Earthly benefits. Wouldn’t it be better to invest in these particular issues rather than benefit from them as somewhat of a bi-catch? These benefits are only short term. If we want to achieve exploration is space it would take decades to see any physical
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.
Some may think exploring outer space is simply a human’s curiosity. This is true but on the contrary, people explore to learn about things they may have never known and touch on the essence of the creation of the universe. Another reason for exploring this uncharted area is the technological advancements people have made and immense amount of innovation they have achieved in this field (Wood). Lastly, scientists study the other planets just in case one day humans need to relocate after overwhelming damage has been done to Earth. Suffice to say, it is a vital part of today’s day and age to research outer space (Rothery).