Space Colonization : A New Frontier

As humans, we are born with a natural desire to learn and discover. With space exploration, we are able to do just that. In an online essay called “Is Space Exploration Worth the Cost”, Dr. Joan Vernikos,

We are discussing space exploration, and looking at it through the lens of social science and the lens of the humanities.

Many critics believe that NASA and space exploration should not be the main focus of the government. However, NASA is not just about flying rockets and putting men into space. There is science and engineering that is being developed to push humanity forward in life. This space program is essential to answering philosophical questions, creating new technology for practical everyday use, the international collaboration with other countries, and the long-term survival of the human

As the twenty-first progresses, mankind has made milestones in technological advances. With these advances make in idea of space colonization possible in the near future. With the growing population and the resources of earth becoming more and more scarce, the colonization of another planet in space may be needed. In the movie Interstellar, a man is is told that the NASA is planning to initiate the plan of colonization of space due to the desolation of the Earth. Therefore, that man is sent on a mission to find a suitable planet to inhabit. Say we do come to the conclusion that is beneficial to the human race to colonize another planet; the question of its ethics must be asked and what issues may come with this new venture. In this essay

He continues that while authority figures will not go out of their way to the government with a peace treaty, the perspective of viewing Earth 100,000 miles away will “plant a seed that ultimately could grow into such concrete action.” Viewing the Earth, however, will not erase the borders that separate us. We are aware of the pollution we cause and we know of the problems; “but it must be seen to make an indelible impression, to produce an emotional impact that makes one argue for long-term virtues at the expense of short-term gains.” (Source G) In other words, we have to see it to believe it. Viewing Earth from space gives a whole new vantage point and outlook on our home. Observing the obscured land from layers of tropospheric ozone provokes a sense of desire to make a change. McLean argues that we ought to ponder the ethics in the exploitation of space resources, while also considering the anthropogenic damage humans have caused by their presence on Earth. We should assume responsibility for our actions that affect “others, the universe, and the future,” before even considering exploring the frontier of space exploration. (Source

The biggest affect increased space exploration would have could be its change on the education landscape. In 1998, NASA scientists Adriana Ocampo, Louis Friedman, and John Logsdon explored NASA’s effect on education in their article, “Why Space Science and Exploration Benefit Everyone.” Though their writing is nearly 20 years old, Ocampo, Friedman, and Logsdon explain why handcuffing NASA creates a “brain drain” in America –

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

Three main clusters that are developed under this idea of space exploration is the benefits that are gained, ethical code and what it means with regard to the future of the human race. In this paper I will talk about what major projects are being worked on and who will benefit from these. This will also include what laws of space are and ethical code. This will also identify the differing viewpoints on space exploration and whether the big picture is worth the small steps being taken as to advancements in space technology and sciences.

The 20th century was a complex and eventful time period for the Soviet Union. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (also known as the USSR or Soviet Union) survived and advanced through a century that consisted of revolutions, changes in leadership figures and policies, and events such as World War II and the Cold War. As this union experienced a period of so much change, there is no doubt that these events had a variety of large impacts on the history and culture of the Soviet Union. However, a certain series of events and explorations that also reached a peak during this era often took a more subtle route of impact on Soviet society and culture. Space exploration in the Soviet Union and across the world took a huge leap forward toward the end of the 20th century. Namely, the Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States of America lasted from the 1950’s to the 1970’s and engaged the country in an intense competition to the moon. While the Space Race did focus on achieving greatness in space, a deeper analysis showed that it revolved around the desire to obtain supremacy in not only the spaceflight sector of the world, but also as a powerhouse nation in general. The United States and the USSR pushed each other to complete the first to launch into space, send humans to space, and finally to reach the moon. Ultimately, one of the largest ways that the Space Race incluenced the culture and people of the Soviet Union happened through the creation of

Space exploration needs to start happening again because the US is starting to fall behind other countries such as Russia and India. Neil Degrasse Tyson says in his book, Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier, “The Soviets sent the first multi-person crew and the first international crew into orbit. They made the first spacewalk, launched the first space station, and were the first to put a manned space station into long-term orbit” (Tyson 122). The Soviets beat the US to everything other than the moon. The Space Race was a competition between mainly the US and Russia. Neil Degrasse Tyson says in his book, Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier, “the USSR held that high ground until 1969, when, courtesy of von Braun and colleagues,

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. Some of these problems arise right here on Earth. Some of the issues have been resolved, such as escaping the forces of gravity to reach outer space. Most of the 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, they posit that humans can colonize space. Humans need to buckle up and build the technology which will help to solve problems that would arise to

Space has been considered to be the common heritage of all humanity, from the time of the first launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957. This common heritage This is reflected in the landmark the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (‘Outer Space Treaty’ or ‘OST’), which affirms that all have a right to access space for peaceful and scientific purposes, and prohibits the sovereign appropriation of outer space. In 2015 the US Congress passed the Space Resource Exploration and Utilization Act (‘US Space Act’) , which provides for the ‘commercial exploration for and commercial recovery of space resources by United States citizens’. Some commentators

In the early 60s, President John F. Kennedy led America into a space race against the Soviet Union. American men and women across the nation backed this goal, allowing NASA to take great leaps in advancing its space exploration programs. This unified nation fulfilled its goal, and Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. However, since then, America’s space exploration has only declined. Funding for NASA has been drastically cut, thus greatly limiting the opportunities for exploring the cosmos. Understanding and exploring the universe is detrimental to the advancement of the United States and opens the door for vast possibilities. If the government chooses to limits its own advancement, then that responsibility must fall

The mysterious vastness beyond Earth has allured many scientists to explore and contribute much of their effort to the understanding of space. Although humans have been looking up at space for thousands of years, the physical exploration of this frontier has been only going on for the past few decades. Our current understanding of space is unparalleled to any time before in our history, but we still only know a small fraction of what there is to learn. Governments around the world spend about $40 billion dollars a year (Rockefeller, 2010) hoping to undertake tasks such as “human exploration of the solar system” to discovering the origins of life itself (Tatarewicz, 2009, p. 531). Recently, the private sector has also shown interest in space exploration in order to engage in profitable activities such as harnessing minerals from asteroids. Although it is easy to debate about the benefits and negatives of space exploration in its entirety, it is simpler focus on one aspect of it - the direct effect it has to those down on Earth. Rather than trying to decide whether or not going to other planets is worth it, this paper will argue about the value of the terrestrial benefits of space exploration. It is an important topic to think about as programs such as space exploration change lives and help acquire knowledge. Despite the large costs associated with space exploration, the multitude of discoveries in the past few decades has greatly improved daily life on Earth, the jobs the

Humans have always been interested in space and the wonder in which it may hold. In the past, humans worshiped the stars as if they were gods while also studying their position to give them guidance for their lives. Their interested in space has fathered the desire to know more. Today, space has been seen by many as the new frontier or the home beyond earth. Society have even taken a step forward through the creation of stories in books and movies based of the idea of humans living in space and the present of alliances. Yet there is still controversy on the need to continue space exploration when our own planet has so many detrimental problems. There is an ongoing debate on whether not the money used for space travel could be better beneficially use for other causes. It is true that space exploration costs billions of dollars a year alone according to NASA current budget, which is constantly increasing. However, what many refuses to understand is that without space exploration many of the innovations that we have today would not have existed. While there have been, many failed attempts involving space exploration that has caused a tremendous amount of money to go down the drain. However, many people fail to realize the benefits of space exploration and the possible future it may