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The Pros And Cons Of Nasa

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is perhaps the most well known space agency in the world. Since its formation in 19581, it has pioneered in space science, yet is also renowned for its large budget. NASA has the highest budget of any space agency, $18.6 billion2 in 2015, the equivalent of every American paying $54 towards the agency3, meaning 0.14% of total GDP is spent on NASA3 . This money is spent on the ISS, sending astronauts, probes and satellites into space, astrophysics and planetary science research, maintaining and developing NASA’s space telescopes (the Wide Field Infrared Survey telescope searching for dark energy and exoplanets, the James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope) and developing spacecraft2. Space exploration is an incredibly expensive process with one shuttle launch costing $450 million4 however NASA’s colossal budget benefits the USA greatly; the agency employs 18,000 people5 as astronauts, engineers, scientists and teachers and G. Scott Hubbard, former director of the NASA Ames Research Center estimates that every dollar spent on NASA returns $8 to the economy6.While this figure is an estimate, it demonstrates NASA’s worth and capacity for money making. NASA works on pioneering research and as its patents and licenses return to the US treasury, it …show more content…

There is no longer a need to be a skilled map reader as GPS can provide directions anywhere to the most unskilled navigators, whether it be to a hospital for emergency treatment or a local point of interest for tourists and finds the shortest route16, making travel easier. GPS can also be used to track others16 which has made it far easier to find missing persons as with GPS becoming prevalent in phones and car, almost anyone can be tracked by one of these items. The impact of GPS on travel is unfathomable, it has made the method of navigation that was used for centuries almost obsolete and opened up the world to

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