Space Exploration - An Expensive Folly? - Summer 2017

Mankind has always been fascinated by the stars, and with advances in technology we now have the ability to explore deeper and deeper into space. This technology is expensive though, and some people argue that the money used could be better spent on things such as education and healthcare. However, in my opinion, we shouldn’t cut back on funding space exploration for a number of reasons.

From a long-term perspective, at the rate we are destroying the earth, either through overpopulation, pollution or weapons development, the time may come when the earth is no longer habitable. Space exploration allows us to discover new potential worlds to which we can relocate and how the body will react on the long trips needed to get to these new worlds. From a short-term perspective, the technology being developed for space exploration can be used for more terrestrial needs. For example, this technology has allowed us to develop better aircraft, better computing systems and better solar technologies. Furthermore, space exploration, such as the deployment of the Hubble telescope, allows us to better understand the origins of the universe and how Earth was formed.

In conclusion, while education and healthcare should not be left underfunded, I believe that benefits derived from space exploration justify the costs.

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