Space Exploration

To conclude my argument I can definitely say that space exploration is worth the cost. It generates wealth for America and can broaden the knowledge of many people across the country. As Kennedy said in his speech, “...we shall climb this wall with safety and speed and we shall explore the wonders on the other side.” With all the progress that has been made, humans can decide that space is indeed a

In the past 50 years, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has sent out many planned space exploration missions which have lead to numerous advantages in society and culture. NASA’s technologies benefit American lives with the innumerable important breakthroughs by creating new markets that have spurred the economy and changed countless lives in many ways. NASA is a federal agency and receives its fundings from the annual federal budget passed by the United States Congress. However, there are conflicting opinions that consider whether or not funding for NASA is a waste of government spending.

How would you like to explore a never-ending frontier filled with endless potential and possible benefits for humankind? When put this way, space exploration sounds like an enticing adventure. However, is it all that it’s chalked up to be? We’re here to answer that question. There’s a specific issue that we need to consider when referring to space exploration; should we continue to fund NASA? We acknowledge that some people may already have strong opinions on this, and we ask you to keep an open mind and try to avoid bias. After all, we’re discussing our future.

Some people’s counterarguments saying that it’s pointless and it provides no benefits to us shows that there is a lack of knowledge about space exploration among most people .The ‘Space Race’ i.e. the competition to travel to the moon, was the first political issue that actually became a rivalry between countries. Everybody seems to forget that if we weren’t able to go to space, we wouldn’t have discovered traces of water on other planets such as mars- On the 9th of December 2013; NASA reported that there was once a freshwater lake on the surface of Mars, and there are still traces of water in its atmosphere. This ultimately means that there could possibly be habitable planets in our universe, in our solar system! This could provide a place to go if there in any supernatural disaster, like an earthquake, tsunami or even an asteroid as

Although it is true that there is no concrete outcome “for using taxpayer money” to fund space programs, it does not mean in any way that the money is not being used to help our society grow (Source H). The bulk of the money funded to space exploration goes towards the incomes of thousands of skilled employees who create such successful space missions. It can be assumed that less than one percent is being used from the federal dollar on manned space programs, as space exploration falls under the “All others” category which spends six percent of every federal tax dollar (Source C). Space exploration programs have the potential to discover new technologies and expand on what we have here on Earth, but in order to succeed, there needs to be slight altercations with how each federal tax dollar is spent. National defense gets nineteen percent of each federal tax dollar – a proportion that is too extraordinary considering the United States has access to a nuclear arsenal which is far less expensive and just as effective as maintaining conventional forces (Source C). The United States is pretty much the military for half the world, so instead of collecting all the money from our tax payers here in America, we should collect from other counties that we protect as

While many people support funding NASA and agree with the organization’s goals, there a good number of people who do not. A common reason for this is that they believe that the space program should focus on discovering things that can benefit us immediately, not in the future. This is a valid argument because there

The concept of space exploration was first introduced to the American public in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy famously stood before congress and vowed that America would put a man on the moon “within the decade.” With hopes of defeating the Soviet Union in the “Space Race” and gaining a leg-up in the Cold War, NASA funding reached its all-time high in 1965-1966 when about four percent of the federal budget was devoted to exploring space. Since then however, funding dedicated to exploring space has nose-dived to about one-half of a percent of the federal budget (Tyson), with plans to cut that figure by an additional $260 million in 2017 (cite NASA funding cuts). Experts in the space-sciences field argue that increased funding in space exploration would re-ignite the American economy and return America to the scientific prominence it was once known for, while, on the other end of the spectrum, naysayers suggest that exploring space is an economic sink-hole that the United States can no longer afford to deposit to given its own earth-bound troubles.

It is impossible to stimulate our economy or to find new things in space without a space effort. The space exploration has only begun and it has only been happening for four decades so why stop something that only has truly begun.

Similar to the first source from NASA, Ernst Stuhlinger, then the Associate Director of Science at NASA, responded to this question personally by writing a long detailed letter in 1970. In his letter, Stuhlinger speaks of how he believes that space exploration “in the long run, will contribute more to the solution of these grave problems we are facing here on earth” today. In addition, Stuhlinger uses logistical data by explaining how the United States use around “200 billion dollars a year” and how only “1.6% of this national budget was allocated to space exploration this year.” If this was to be put in the current time period, then space exploration would only be using “0.52 % of the national budget”3. Overall, Stuhlinger focuses on answering

There are also many tangible benefits. Investment in space exploration results in new technologies that help people everyday, such as medical technologies. This can even include relatively mundane things, like cordless power drills, a by-product of the Apollo missions. Every dollar invested in NASA has yielded an economic return of $12. Not only does investment in space help people in our daily lives, but it also helps our national defense. Having a commanding presence in space helps keep us safe from adversaries through the use of satellites and other technological advancements. This has the nice effect of bolstering our military with unrivaled technological achievement, so it can also be seen as investment in our military, one of your campaign promises. I know if anyone can get action done on this, it's you. I hope you consider this when you submit your budget to Congress each

We shouldn't spend valuable resources on exploring space. Some people could argue differently but there is evidence to back this statement up. Like we could bring new problems to the U.S., it could threaten the life of the astronauts that go up to space and the government does not have enough support from the people.

In conclusion, the government needs to remain the use of its space program.There are many jobs in the space program. Eventually the basic necessities like food, water, and a place to live will be hard to come by. For the amount of pollution that is on the planet, the population does not have many options when thinking about how will future generations survive. As well as

The high cost of a National Space Program is the main reason I consider space exploration as a con. Billions of dollars are spent just simply funding the space program exploration. “Spending so much money on space exploration is not seen as the best use of public funds.” I believe there are many things that this money could be used for instead of exploration. Helping kids in poverty, schooling, and different foundations that help with hospital expenses are things this money could be spent on.

Mankind has always been fascinated with exploring the unknown. From sailing to distant lands to someday setting foot on other planets, the spirit of exploration is the same. Bur now with the current economic situation and the high cost of sending people to space, NASA is being looked at as a way to free up some much needed funds. Although, there is many problems here on planet Earth that need addressing, the benefits of space exploration far out weight the disadvantages. Space exploration has given us more advanced technology, advances in the medical field, and a boost to the economy and these facts cannot be disputed.

You hear a lot of people saying that space research is cool but it is typically a waste of money and valuable resources that could be used to benefit our own planet and the many problems that we have all over earth today. But I completely, one hundred percent agree on the further exploration of space for different reasons such as: we are living in a virtual age where everything is done with smart phones and computers and physical exploration is much needed. Second it can actually help the economy in multiple ways not just waste money. Lastly It also guarantees the development of good technology, not only with companies, but among the younger people who need to be inspired through the educational systems we have in America.