essay on why space exploration is important

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The Planetary Society • Aug 30, 2021

Why space exploration is always worthwhile

Your guide to advocating for space in a complicated world.

Most people who love space and believe in exploration have probably heard this once or twice: “We shouldn’t waste money on space exploration when there are problems to deal with here on Earth.”

While public health concerns, social injustices, climate change, and other urgent issues are important to address, solving these problems doesn’t depend on defunding space programs.

This can be a difficult conversation to navigate, so we’ve outlined a few ideas here that you can share when advocating for space.

Space research isn’t as expensive as people think

Many countries around the world invest in space science and exploration as a balanced part of their total federal budget. Public opinion research has shown that people estimate NASA to take up as much as a quarter of the U.S. federal budget, but in fact,  NASA’s budget only represents about 0.5% of the total federal budget and the proportion is even smaller for other spacefaring nations . The correct information may go a long way to reassuring critics that space spending isn’t eating up as many public resources as they think.

The United States government spent approximately $6.6 trillion in fiscal year 2020, of which just 0.3% ($22.6 billion) was provided to NASA. In this chart, shades of blue represent mandatory spending programs; shades of orange are discretionary programs that require annual appropriations by Congress. "Defense and related" includes both the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Source: Office of Management and Budget Historical Tables 8.5 and 8.7.

Space spending pays off

If someone is arguing that public funds should be spent on solving the world’s problems, they should know that money spent on NASA positively impacts the U.S. economy . We get the same kind of payoff for space spending in other countries. Spending on space supports highly skilled jobs, fuels technology advancements with practical applications, and creates business opportunities that feed back into the economy. This in turn grows the pool of public money that can be spent on solving the world’s most pressing problems.

Space research directly impacts Earthly problems

When people apply themselves to the challenges of exploring space, they make discoveries that can help the world in other ways too. Studying how we might grow food in orbit or on Mars yields insights into growing food in extreme conditions on Earth , generating knowledge that can help mitigate the impacts of climate change. Medical research conducted on the International Space Station helps us understand the human body in new ways, helping save lives and improve quality of life .

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Studying space helps us understand our own world

Studying the cosmos gives us an important perspective shift. When we learn about what lies beyond Earth, it gives us context for understanding our own planet. Studying the other worlds of our solar system and beyond makes it clear that Earth is a precious oasis for life. When we sent spacecraft to Venus we saw how a runaway greenhouse effect turned the world from a habitable planet to an absolute hellscape. When astronauts travel into space they see just how thin and tenuous Earth’s atmosphere is, appreciating the fragile balance in which we live . A cosmic perspective underscores the importance of protecting our planet’s habitability and encourages investment in that effort.

Studying space may one day save us all

All the social and environmental progress in the world won't help us if an asteroid impacts the Earth. We have to explore space to find and study the asteroids and comets in our cosmic neighborhood if we want to make sure we can  defend our planet  if an object ever heads our way.

Space is inspiring

Not every child who dreams of becoming an astronaut will get that opportunity. This is a sad truth that many of us know from experience. But to be inspired to aim for something so grand gives kids the motivation to study hard and gain skills in science, engineering, medicine, or other fields that benefit humanity and directly help overcome problems that we face as a species.

And inspiration isn’t just for kids. When we marvel at the beauty of Jupiter’s clouds or the mystery of Enceladus’ oceans , we get an opportunity to appreciate the wonder and majesty of this cosmos that we inhabit. The idea that life might exist elsewhere in the universe reminds us that we might not be the only planet struggling to achieve balance, justice, and sustainability. And even in the bleakest of times, there’s something beautiful about still striving to achieve something great and discover something that could change how we see ourselves and our cosmos forever.

There’s plenty of room at the table

There’s no denying that there are many important issues facing humanity that need fixing. But to deal with those problems doesn’t mean we have to stop looking up, stop exploring, and stop making discoveries.

Human civilization has astonishing capacity, and we can do more than one important thing at a time. If someone thinks that a particular issue should get more attention and investment, they can and should advocate for that. The problems we face don’t persist because we’re spending money on space science and exploration. And there’s no reason to pit our aspirations against one another.

The Time is Now.

As a Planetary Defender, you’re part of our mission to decrease the risk of Earth being hit by an asteroid or comet.

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Reasons Why Space Exploration Is Important

Space exploration is pivotal for enhancing our understanding of the cosmos and driving technological innovation, as well as fostering global collaboration. It is a testament to human curiosity and ingenuity, providing practical benefits that permeate various aspects of our daily lives.

At a Glance

• Unlocks secrets of the universe, broadening our scientific horizons.
• Spurs technological innovation with breakthroughs stemming from aerospace research.
• Improves daily life through technologies originally developed for space missions.
• Encourages global cooperation , as nations collaborate for common space goals.
• Boosts economic growth by creating new industries and job opportunities.
• Promotes STEM education and inspires the next generation of scientists and engineers.
• Prepares humanity for potential future challenges, like asteroid impacts.
• Advances medical research through unique space-based experiments.
• Offers a planetary perspective , deepening our understanding of Earth’s place in the cosmos.
• Nurtures human spirit and the relentless pursuit of knowledge and exploration.

1. Unveiling Cosmic Mysteries and Enhancing Knowledge

Embarking on space missions has been a game-changer in expanding our scientific knowledge about what lies beyond Earth. These explorations have led to remarkable achievements that have deepened our grasp of the vast universe we’re a part of.

Discoveries of new planets and exotic cosmic phenomena through various missions have provided invaluable insight into the complex machinery of the cosmos. By venturing into space, human beings have managed to collect data that sheds light on age-old cosmic mysteries , such as the origins and the fabric of the universe itself. Each milestone reveals a new layer of understanding, propelling our knowledge and curiosity to even greater heights.

Here are key highlights from the realm of space exploration:

• Identification of exo-planets that orbit stars beyond our solar system, raising questions and hopes about life elsewhere in the universe.
• Observations of distant celestial events, such as supernovae and black holes, providing clues about the life cycle of stars and the gravitational forces at work.
• Study of cosmic background radiation to enhance our comprehension of the Big Bang and the early stages of the universe’s expansion.
• Sending probes like the Voyager spacecraft beyond our solar system, turning them into interstellar messengers that carry information about human civilization.

2. Technological Advancements and Practical Benefits

Space exploration is not just a journey through the cosmos; it’s a catalyst for technological advancements that trickle down into our everyday lives. The drive to create new inventions to withstand the harsh conditions of space had led to breakthroughs that benefit various sectors, from health care to environmental management.

Advances in medicine, such as improved imaging techniques and robotic surgery devices, were developed with space technology. Likewise, space-based environmental monitoring systems have become pivotal in managing Earth’s resources and tackling climate issues, providing real-time data on deforestation, pollution, and resource depletion. These technologies equip us with the means to make more informed decisions about our planet’s health and future.

Not to mention, the space industry has developed systems that may one day protect us from potential asteroid threats , ensuring our planet’s safety from celestial hazards. The same technological capabilities that promise to monitor asteroids also contribute to a deeper understanding of climate change , as satellites give us a comprehensive view of Earth’s changing climate patterns.

Here’s how space-derived technology has impacted our world:

• Health improvements : Innovations such as advanced diagnostics, telemedicine, and enhanced fitness monitoring systems originate from space research.
• Environmental monitoring : Satellite data is crucial for tracking natural disasters, managing agriculture, and studying climate change.
• Resource management : Technologies designed for space help in searching for raw materials and sustainable energy sources on Earth.
• Asteroid aversion : Techniques to deflect or study near-Earth objects are key in planetary defense strategies.

3. Global Collaboration and Societal Impact

The realm of space exploration transcends the boundaries of nations, promoting international cooperation and camaraderie. Countries often come together, pooling their intellectual and financial resources to embark on ambitious space missions that single nations could find challenging to realize. This collaboration not only fosters peace among participating nations but also reinforces national security through shared technology and mutual interests in outer space.

Moreover, the space sector has become a significant driver of economic growth . The creation of jobs and the inspiration for new markets have contributed to a thriving space economy, encompassing everything from satellite communication to space tourism. Companies and governments alike invest in space-related ventures, recognizing the enormous potential for innovation and profit.

The societal influence of space exploration is equally impressive. It appeals to our inherent curiosity and yearning for discovery. As humans look up at the night sky or follow the latest space mission updates, inspiration is ignited across generations, inviting everyone to dream big and pursue their aspirations.

Impact of space exploration on global society:

• International relations : Space missions create a platform for diplomatic engagement and mutual technological developments.
• Inspiration for society : Astronomical discoveries and space travel achievements captivate imaginations, encouraging a sense of wonder and possibility.
• Economic vitality : Investments in the space industry stimulate technological markets, leading to job creation and economic diversification.
• Existential exploration : Pursuing knowledge in space helps humanity in grappling with and answering big questions about existence and our place in the universe.

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AIR & SPACE MAGAZINE

The real reasons we explore space.

Ambition, curiosity, and a reason the NASA Administrator admits has nothing to do with economic benefit.

Michael Griffin

I am convinced that if NASA were to disappear tomorrow, if we never put up another Hubble Space Telescope, never put another human being in space, people in this country would be profoundly distraught. Americans would feel that we had lost something that matters, that our best days were behind us, and they would feel themselves somehow diminished. Yet I think most would be unable to say why.

There are many good reasons to continue to explore space, which most Americans have undoubtedly heard. Some have been debated in public policy circles and evaluated on the basis of financial investment. In announcing his commitment to send the country back to the moon and, later, on to Mars, President Bush quite correctly said that we do it for purposes of scientific discovery, economic benefit, and national security. I’ve given speeches on each of those topics, and these reasons can be clearly shown to be true. And presidential science advisor Jack Marburger has said that questions about space exploration come down to whether we want to bring the solar system within mankind’s sphere of economic influence. I think that is extraordinarily well put.

But these are not reasons that would make Americans miss our space program. They are merely the reasons we are most comfortable discussing. I think of them as “acceptable reasons” because they can be logically defended. When we contemplate committing large sums of money to a project, we tend to dismiss reasons that are emotional or value-driven or can’t be captured on a spreadsheet. But in space exploration those are the reasons—what I think of as “real reasons”—that are the most important.

When Charles Lindbergh was asked why he crossed the Atlantic, he never once answered that he wanted to win the $25,000 that New York City hotel owner Raymond Orteig offered for the first nonstop aircraft flight between New York and Paris. Burt Rutan and his backer, Paul Allen, certainly didn’t develop a private spacecraft to win the Ansari X-Prize for the $10 million in prize money. They spent twice as much as they made. Sergei Korolev and the team that launched Sputnik were not tasked by their government to be the first to launch an artificial satellite; they had to fight for the honor and the resources to do it.

I think we all know why people strive to accomplish such things. They do so for reasons that are intuitive and compelling to all of us but that are not necessarily logical. They’re exactly the opposite of acceptable reasons, which are eminently logical but neither intuitive nor emotionally compelling.

First, most of us want to be, both as individuals and as societies, the first or the best in some activity. We want to stand out. This behavior is rooted in our genes. We are today the descendants of people who survived by outperforming others. Without question that drive can be carried to an unhealthy extreme; we’ve all seen more wars than we like. But just because the trait can be taken too far doesn’t mean that we can do without it completely.

A second reason is curiosity. Who among us has not had the urge to know what’s over the next hill? What child has not been drawn to explore beyond the familiar streets of the neighborhood?

Finally, we humans have, since the earliest civilizations, built monuments. We want to leave something behind to show the next generation, or the generations after that, what we did with our time here. This is the impulse behind cathedrals and pyramids, art galleries and museums.

Cathedral builders would understand what I mean by real reasons. The monuments they erected to the awe and mystery of their God required a far greater percentage of their gross domestic product than we will ever put into the space business, but we look back across 600 or 800 years of time, and we are still awed by what the builders accomplished. Those buildings, therefore, also stand as monuments to the builders.

The return the cathedral builders made on their investment could not have been summarized in a cost/benefit analysis. They began to develop civil engineering, the core discipline for any society if it wishes to have anything more than thatched huts. They gained societal advantages that were probably even more important than learning how to build walls and roofs. For example, they learned to embrace deferred gratification, not just on an individual level, where it is a crucial element of maturity, but on a societal level, where it is equally vital. The people who started the cathedrals didn’t live to finish them. The society as a whole had to be dedicated to the completion of those projects. We owe Western civilization as we know it today to that kind of thinking: the ability to have a constancy of purpose across years and decades.

It is my contention that the products of our space program are today’s cathedrals. The space program satisfies the desire to compete, but in a safe and productive manner, rather than in a harmful one. It speaks abundantly to our sense of human curiosity, of wonder and awe at the unknown. Who can watch people assembling the greatest engineering project in the history of mankind—the International Space Station—and not wonder at the ability of people to conceive and to execute the project? And it also addresses our need for leaving something for future generations.

Of course the space program also addresses the acceptable reasons, and in the end this is imperative. Societies will not succeed in the long run if they place their resources and their efforts in enterprises that, for whatever reason, don’t provide concrete value. But I believe that projects done for the real reasons that motivate humans also serve the acceptable reasons. In that sense, the value of space exploration really is in its spinoffs, as many have argued. But it’s not in spinoffs like Teflon and Tang and Velcro, as the public is so often told—and which in fact did not come from the space program. And it’s not in spinoffs in the form of better heart monitors or cheaper prices for liquid oxygen for hospitals, although the space program’s huge demand for liquid oxygen spurred fundamental improvements in the production and handling of this volatile substance. The real spinoffs are, just as they were for cathedral builders, more fundamental.

Anyone who wants to build spacecraft, who wants to be a subcontractor, or who even wants to supply bolts and screws to the space industry must work to a higher level of precision than human beings had to do before the space industry came along. And that standard has influenced our entire industrial base, and therefore our economy.

As for national security, what is the value to the United States of being involved in enterprises which lift up human hearts everywhere? What is the value to the United States of being a leader in such efforts, in projects in which every technologically capable nation wants to take part? The greatest strategy for national security, more effective than having better guns and bombs than everyone else, is being a nation that does the kinds of things that make others want to do them with us.

What do you have to do, how do you have to behave, to do space projects? You have to value hard work. You have to live by excellence, or die from the lack of it. You have to understand and practice both leadership and followership. You have to build partnerships; leaders need partners and allies, as well as followers.

You have to accept the challenge of the unknown, knowing that you might fail, and to do so not without fear but with mastery of fear and a determination to go anyway. You have to defer gratification because we work on things that not all of us will live to see—and we know it.

We now believe that 95 percent of the universe consists of dark energy or dark matter, terms for things that we as yet know nothing about. Is it even conceivable that one day we won’t learn to harness them? As cavemen learned to harness fire, as people two centuries ago learned to harness electricity, we will learn to harness these new things. It was just a few years ago that we confirmed the existence of dark matter, and we would not have done so without the space program. What is the value of knowledge like that? I cannot begin to guess. A thousand years from now there will be human beings who don’t have to guess; they will know, and they will know we gave this to them.

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10 Reasons Why Space Exploration Matters to You

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At the time of the moon landing in 1969, many people envisioned that by the beginning of the 21st century, space travel would become routine, and we would be visiting other planets in our solar system and perhaps even daring to venture into interstellar space.

That future didn't arrive as planned. In fact, humans haven't made it any deeper into space than when we landed the moon in the late 1960s and early 1970s, though we have operated a manned orbital outpost, the International Space Station, which has been continuously occupied for more than two decades [source: Howell ]. NASA currently is planning to resume human missions to the moon in the mid-to-late 2020s, as a prelude to astronauts eventually traveling to Mars [source: Dvorsky ].

We've also seen the rise of private space entrepreneurs such as Elon Musk, who has described his dream of building a rocket capable of reaching Mars and supporting a permanent human settlement there [source: Torchinsky ]. And other countries are looking to reach Mars as well. China, for example, aims to send its astronauts to the Red Planet by 2033 [source: Kharpal ].

But those who've long dreamed of humans becoming a truly spacefaring race argue that exploring space provides down-to-earth benefits in areas such as health, mining and security. And more inspirational benefits, too. Here are some of the most compelling arguments for continuing the exploration of space.

• Protection From a Catastrophic Asteroid
• It Will Lead to More Great Inventions
• It Will Be Good for Your Health
• Space Exploration Is Inspirational
• It's Important for National Security
• We Need Raw Materials From Space
• Nations Can Work Together Peacefully
• It Could Help Answer a Really Big Question
• Humans Need to Fulfill Their Urge to Explore
• We May Need to Colonize Space to Survive

10: Protection From a Catastrophic Asteroid

If we don't want to go the way of the dinosaurs someday, we need to protect ourselves against the threat of being hit by a big asteroid. According to NASA , typically about once every 10,000 years, a rocky or iron asteroid the size of a football field could smash into our planet's surface and possibly cause tidal waves big enough to inundate coastal areas.

But it's the real monsters — asteroids about 328 feet (100 meters) across or bigger — that we really have to fear. Such a collision would unleash a firestorm of heated debris and fill the atmosphere with sun-blocking dust, which would wipe out forests and farm fields and starve the human and animal life that it didn't immediately kill [sources: NASA , NSS ].

That's why it's vital to develop a way to neutralize such a threat to Earth. NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test , set for launch in late September 2022, will be the first mission to demonstrate a technology called asteroid deflection by kinetic impactor. A robotic spacecraft will be crashed into the binary asteroid system Didymos, in an effort to show that it's possible to slightly alter the path of an asteroid. That would enable NASA to redirect potential threats to miss Earth [sources: DART , Mann ].

9: It Will Lead to More Great Inventions

A very long list of gadgets, materials and processes originally were developed for the U.S. space program but found other applications back on Earth — so many that NASA has an office that looks for ways to repurpose space technology as products. We all know about freeze-dried food, but there are plenty of others. In the 1960s, for example, NASA scientists developed a plastic coated with a metallic reflecting agent. When used in a blanket, it reflects about 80 percent of a user's body heat back to him or her — an ability that helps accident victims and post-marathon runners to stay warm.

Another more obscure but valuable innovation is nitinol , a flexible but resilient alloy that was developed to enable satellites to spring open after being folded into a rocket. Today, orthodontists equip patients with braces made from the material [source: Independent ].

According to NASA, other inventions spawned by the space program include CAT scans, LED lights, memory foam, freeze-dried food, shock absorbing materials used in artificial limbs, the computer mouse and portable computers, and a key nutritional ingredient in baby formula [source: JPL ].

8: It Will Be Good for Your Health

The International Space Station alone has generated scores of medical innovations with uses on Earth, such as a method for delivering cancer-fighting medication directly to tumors; gadgetry that a nurse can hold to perform ultrasounds and transmit the results to a doctor thousands of miles away; and a robotic arm that can perform delicate surgery inside an MRI machine.

NASA scientists, in an effort to protect astronauts from losing bone and muscle in the microgravity environment of space, also helped a pharmaceutical company to test Prolia, a drug that today helps protect elderly people from osteoporosis. Although mice and humans don't have identical physiology or biology, it made sense to test this drug on mice in space, since astronauts lose around 1.5 percent of their bone mineral density each month in microgravity, which correlates to the 1.5 percent yearly bone density loss of an elderly woman on Earth to osteoporosis [source: Kiger ].

7: Space Exploration Is Inspirational

If we want a world in which our kids aspire to being great scientists and engineers instead of reality show hosts, rappers or Wall Street financial tycoons, having a great enterprise to attract and inspire them is crucial.

As astrophysicist, author and lecturer Neil deGrasse Tyson told National Public Radio in 2012, "I could stand in front of eighth graders and say, 'Who wants to be an aerospace engineer so you can design an airplane 20 percent more fuel-efficient than the one your parents flew?' That doesn't usually work. But if I say, 'Who wants to be an aerospace engineer to design the airplane that will navigate the rarefied atmosphere of Mars?' ... I'm getting the best students in the class." This still holds true today and inspiring kids will always be the key to future space exploration.

6: It's Important for National Security

The U.S. needs to detect and prevent a hostile nation or terrorist group from deploying space-based weapons or attacking its navigational, communications and surveillance satellites. And while it and other major powers such as Russia and China are signatories of a 1967 treaty that forbids nations from claiming territory in space, it's not hard to think of examples of past treaties that were tossed aside when someone saw a benefit in doing so.

Even if the U.S. privatizes much of space exploration, it still wants to ensure that companies can mine the moon or asteroids without worrying that interlopers will usurp their claims or steal their production [source Minter ]. That's why it's crucial to back up diplomacy with a NASA spacefaring capacity that could be converted to military use, if needed. In 2019, a law passed by Congress with bipartisan support created the U.S. Space Force, a new branch of the U.S. armed forces devoted to protecting U.S. interests in space [source: Space Force ].

5: We Need Raw Materials From Space

There's gold out there in the cosmos, and silver , platinum and other valuable substances, too [source: Letzter ]. A lot of attention has been given to a private-sector venture that envisions mining operations on asteroids, but space miners wouldn't have to go that far to find riches.

The moon, for example, is a potentially lucrative source of helium-3 , which is used for certain MRIs and a possible fuel for nuclear power plants. The moon also is believed to be a potential source of rare earth elements such as europium and tantalum, which are in high demand for use in electronics, solar panels and other advanced gadgetry [source: Ouellette ].

4: Nations Can Work Together Peacefully

Earlier, we mentioned the ominous notion of international conflict in space. But it doesn't have to be that way, as evidenced by the cooperation of multiple nations on the International Space Station . And a U.S. space program could allow other countries, large and small, to join in their exploration efforts.

A 2018 paper from NASA points out the benefits of international cooperation . For one, the hefty costs could be spread around. For another, it could forge stronger diplomatic ties between nations such as the U.S. and India, and help create new jobs in both countries, for example.

In 2020, NASA awarded the first contracts to four companies to collect small amounts of lunar regolith, the loose rock and dust that sits atop the surface, when missions to the moon eventually resume in the 2020s. It could be the first step toward mining of raw materials from the moon. "Space resources are the fuel that will propel America and all of humanity to the stars," Mike Gold, NASA's then-acting administrator for international and interagency relations, explained at the time [source: NASA ].

3: It Could Help Answer a Really Big Question

Nearly two-thirds of Americans (close to 65 percent) believe that intelligent life exists on other planets, according to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey. In general, the public does not view UFOs as a major threat to the country. When asked to think about U.S. national security, 51 percent of Americans say that UFOs are not a threat at all, and 36 percent believe they are a minor threat.

But so far, sweeps of the sky with Earth-based telescopes for signals that might be beacons from distant civilizations have proven fruitless, possibly because the Earth's atmosphere interferes with such messages reaching us. That's why searchers for extraterrestrial civilizations are eager for the deployment of more orbital observatories such as the James Webb Space Telescope. That satellite, which was launched on Christmas Day 2021, has the ability to search for the chemical signs of life in the atmospheres of distant planets outside our solar system [sources: Kramer , Howell ]. That's a start, but an even more aggressive space-based effort to look for clues of extraterrestrials might finally help us to answer the question of whether we have company out there.

2: Humans Need to Fulfill Their Urge to Explore

Our primitive ancestors spread from east Africa to all over the planet, and since then, we've never stopped moving. We're running out of fresh territory on Earth , so the only way to meet this ancient urge is to find somewhere new to go — whether it's making brief jaunts to the moon as a tourist, or signing up for an interstellar voyage that will take multiple generations.

In a speech , to the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, former NASA administrator Michael Griffin differentiated between "acceptable reasons" and "real reasons" for space exploration. Acceptable reasons would be issues like economic benefit and national security. But real reasons include concepts like curiosity, competitiveness and monument-building.

"Who among us does not know the wonder and mystery and awe and magic of seeing something, even on television, never seen before, an experience brought back to us by a robotic space mission?" Griffin added that "when we do things for real reasons as opposed to acceptable reasons, we produce our highest achievements."

1: We May Need to Colonize Space to Survive

Already, our ability to put satellites in space is helping us to monitor and combat pressing problems on Earth, from forest fires and oil spills to the depletion of aquifers that people depend upon for drinking water [source: Fowler ].

But our burgeoning population, rampant greed and thoughtlessness about environmental consequences have already done pretty severe damage to our planet. According to a 2012 survey of research, most scientists estimate that Earth has a carrying capacity of between 8 and 16 billion — and we already have a population of nearly 8 billion [source: UNEP ]. That's led some futurists to argue that we should be preparing to colonize another planet, and soon. Your life — or those of your descendants — might depend upon it.

Why Space Exploration Matters FAQs

Why is space exploration important, what are the cons of space exploration, how has space exploration benefited health and medicine, how is space exploration important for national security, what resources can we get from space, lots more information, author's note: 10 reasons why space exploration matters to you.

I was a child in the 1960s, a time when many of us believed that someday we would be flying off into the cosmos in search of adventure. I can't say precisely when that dream ended for me, but I remember that back in the mid-1990s, the British folk singer Billy Bragg recorded a song that seemed to capture some of what I felt. In "The Space Race is Over," Bragg sang of staring at the moon as a child, and dreaming that night of walking on the Sea of Tranquility.

But decades later, he stood staring at the same sky with his young son, who asked him, "Why did they ever go?" As Bragg lamented, "The space race is over, and I can't help but feel that we're all just going nowhere." Despite the beauty of his lyrics, I must differ with him respectfully on that last point. I continue to believe that humanity still has a chance to become a truly spacefaring race, and that we must find a way to do so.

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• Kennedy, Courtney and Lau, Arnold. "Most Americans believe in intelligent life beyond Earth; few see UFOs as a major national security threat." June 30, 2021 (July 4, 2022) https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/06/30/most-americans-believe-in-intelligent-life-beyond-earth-few-see-ufos-as-a-major-national-security-threat/
• Letzter, Rafi. "There’s too much gold in the universe. No one knows where it came from." Live Science. Oct 1, 2020. (July 4, 2022) https://www.livescience.com/where-did-gold-come-from.html
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• UNEP. "One Planet, How Many People? A Review of Earth's Carrying Capacity." Unep.net. June 2012. (July 4, 2022) http://na.unep.net/geas/archive/pdfs/GEAS_Jun_12_Carrying_Capacity.pdf
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• Wall, Mike. "December Test Flight Huge for NASA's Next Manned Spacecraft." Space.com. June 19, 2014. (July 4, 2022) http://www.space.com/26291-nasa-orion-capsule-test-flight.html

Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article:

Why explore space?

Why should we explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent researching something with apparently so few benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth?

Perhaps the best answer lies in our history. What made our ancestors move from the trees onto the plains? Did a wider distribution of our species offer a better chance of survival?

Nearly all successful civilisations have been willing to explore. In exploring, the dangers of surrounding areas may be identified and prepared for. Without knowledge, these dangers have the ability to harm us. With knowledge, their effects or consequences may be lessened.

While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows new resources to be created. Resources translate into success at survival. Resources may be more than physical assets.

Knowledge or techniques acquired in exploring or preparing to explore always filter from the developers to the general population.

Techniques may be medical applications, such as new drugs or ways of living to increase the quantity or the quality of time lived. Techniques may be social, allowing the people in a society to better understand those within or outside that culture.

ESA’s space programme is a strategic asset. ESA does what individual European nations cannot do on their own.

Scientists from European nations can function at world-class level in their specialist fields, in co-operation rather than competition.

By studying alien worlds, such as Venus, Mars or Saturn’s moon Titan, we can place our own world in context. ESA’s exploration of the Solar System is focused on understanding the Earth’s relationship with the other planets, essential stepping stones for exploring the wider Universe.

While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers. The chance of a large asteroid or comet hitting the Earth is small. But given time, it will happen.

Some explanations for extinctions and evolution include strikes by asteroids or comets. Our technology is reaching the point where we can detect such a threat and might be able to do something about it.

The dangers exist and knowledge can allow us as a species to survive. Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist.

Earth is the only planet known to sustain life, but our ability to adapt could eventually allow us to inhabit other planets and moons.

Our lifestyles would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future. Space allows us to expand and succeed.

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Home — Essay Samples — History — Space Race — Exploring Space: History, Importance, and Future

Exploring Space: History, Importance, and Future

• Categories: Space Exploration Space Race

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Words: 667 |

Published: Jan 29, 2024

Words: 667 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Background information on space exploration, importance of space exploration, criticisms and challenges of space exploration, future prospects of space exploration.

• https://www.nasa.gov/feature/astronaut-trains-underwater-for-microgravity"NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• https://www.spacex.com/ "SpaceX
• https://www.blueorigin.com/"Blue Origin

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Why Space Education Is So Important

“Back in October, I had the pleasure of contributing to the SingularityU Nordic Summit in Stockholm. For me, one of the highlights was having lunch with a group of university students who were in attendance. Our fascinating conversation ranged from innovation to education to what their futures are going to be like—and how they can empower themselves to be leaders toward a positive future. To my delight, one of those students, Vardnan Sivarajah, reached out to me for more discussion. Over the past few months, we’ve had interactions that strengthen my belief in the power of SU’s global community. I’m very pleased to host this essay from Vardnan, in which he shares his vision for the future—as well as a compelling call to action for all generations.”  –Tiffany Vora, Faculty Director and Vice Chair, Medicine and Digital Biology, Singularity University

26th of November, 20:50 CET, Norway: A young man is sitting glued to his computer screen, full of excitement. That’s me, not watching the final episode of Game of Thrones that evening, but something completely different: the landing of NASA’s spacecraft, InSight, on Mars. At that transcendent moment, in my 19-year-old mind, alone in my bedroom, I was transfixed by the sensation of knowing that those last minutes before touchdown were shared with others from all over the globe. Imagine a high schooler from China, a lawyer from the USA, a dancer from Spain, and a young boy from Norway, all in awe at the same moment over this extraordinary achievement accomplished by humans, by us. We had taken a huge step forward in understanding life, how we came to be, and the other wonders of our universe. I find it truly breathtaking.

27th of November, 14:58 CET, New York Times: “Russia-Ukraine Fight Over Narrow Sea Passage Risks Wider War” ... “Money and Muscle Pave China’s Way to Global Power” ... “Mexico’s New Leader Faces Clash With Trump Over Migrant Caravan” .... and so on. I just wish that humanity could manage to be united for a bit longer. Imagine what we could achieve if we weren’t obsessed over competing in this everlasting marathon of conquering the world. What if we instead obsessed over forming strong partnerships, erasing hunger and poverty, or reducing inequality? I envision a place we all are proud to call home. However, in this race we’re in now, I cannot fathom what good is actually waiting for us at the finish line.

Where has this race left us till now? A wealth gap through which the richest continue to become richer while others stay poor, a worsening of the consequences of global climate change, and a rising political tension threatening collaboration between countries. An imposing polarization of our world, threatening to leave us with nothing.

The root of our situation, I believe, can be found in our current education paradigm. If we imagine ourselves back in the classroom, we’re still seated in a room with students of the same age, some more excited than others, while the teacher stands in front, lecturing with the hope that we’re learning something. During tests, we are still not allowed to talk, we cannot share our answers, we’re absolutely forbidden to collaborate with anyone, and we’re rewarded for doing better than those around us.

This individualistic and competitive mindset is reinforced throughout our entire educational journey. And as students, we have no choice but to bring this mentality along into the workplace, where we find ourselves in positions in politics, the military, the banks, and in big corporate firms. Hence, there is no surprise that there is a striking resemblance between our individualistic education system and our current geopolitical landscape. We compete endlessly—because we are explicitly told to do so or because by now, competition is simply habit. Our efforts at collaboration always face numerous roadblocks. And they always will. Unless something changes.

As I see it, that change will arise from new values that are central to how we nurture our students. Instead of ingraining a mentality of competition in students, we should teach them the importance of virtues such as empathy, collaboration, and taking responsibility for each other. This ambition requires a substantial reformation of our education system, as well as our entire way of thinking about teaching and learning. Where should we start?

I believe we would come a long way by educating students to experience the beauty and delight of space exploration. Not just at the college level, where I am now, but from the very first moment a child steps into a place of learning.

A fuller understanding of our universe yields a much humbler perspective on life—its rareness, its wonder—and our role in it. The realizations that Earth is just one among a hundred billion planets in our galaxy alone, that humans have only walked the surface of the Earth for about 0.00004% of our planet’s history , and that in some billions of years our universe may be dead forever . A truly universal perspective could prompt learners of all ages to look beyond the contests of power among our self-created tribes and to devote their time to collaborate toward the leaps we need make to solve challenges such as climate change, hunger, and inequality.

Today, space exploration is nearly unparalleled in sparking outstanding human collaboration. The construction and operation of the International Space Station remain among the most politically complex processes ever undertaken. Long-lasting partnerships among 15 countries are responsible for assembling and operating a craft 400,000 meters above the surface of the Earth.

For me, that unification of humans into a collective intelligence working toward an extraordinary goal is perhaps the most beautiful aspect of exploring space. By acknowledging this power and beauty, we position ourselves to enrich our learning spaces with the empathy, collaboration, and sheer joy that have led us beyond the boundaries of Earth. And by bringing these capabilities into our classrooms, I believe that we will begin to witness our geopolitical landscape changing for the better.

I imagine tomorrow’s political leaders thinking twice about prioritizing military investments over improving the country’s infrastructure. I imagine future business leaders grasping the importance of implementing climate-friendly technology. I imagine citizens beginning to fathom the all-too-imaginable consequences of everyday decisions that ruin our planet. And I believe that looking to the skies is the way to start this transformation.

In fact, we can start this destiny-changing journey now. It’s not enough for every politician, general, teacher, and parent to drag to the forefront of every mind the conquests of power, the historical empires, the big industries, and the fast paths to wealth that have obsessed our species for millennia. Every person has the potential to embrace and communicate another perspective, a bigger one. A view that showcases the importance of preserving and cherishing our very own pale blue dot, which is the only home we’ve ever known.

‍ Vardnan Sivarajah participated in the SingularityU Nordic Summit in Stockholm on a student scholarship sponsored by Telia Company.

Vardnan Sivarajah

Vardnan is a product designer from Norway, who can code and build for the web, mobile, and mixed reality. He has worked in public companies, scale-ups, to startups in a wide range of industries and roles, and is currently exploring the future of interfaces for emerging tech.

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Essay on Space Exploration

• Updated on  
• Jun 11, 2022

For scientists, space is first and foremost a magnificent “playground” — an inexhaustible source of knowledge and learning that is assisting in the solution of some of the most fundamental existential issues concerning Earth’s origins and our place in the Universe. Curiosity has contributed significantly to the evolution of the human species. Curiosity along with the desire for a brighter future has driven humans to explore and develop from the discovery of fire by ancient ancestors to present space explorations.  Here is all the information you need and the best tips to write an essay on space exploration.

What is Space Exploration?  

Space Exploration is the use of astronomy and space technology to explore outer space. While astronomers use telescopes to explore space, both uncrewed robotic space missions and human spaceflight are used to explore it physically. One of the primary sources for space science is space exploration, which is similar to astronomy in its classical form. We can use space exploration to validate or disprove scientific theories that have been created on Earth. Insights into gravity, the magnetosphere, the atmosphere, fluid dynamics, and the geological evolution of other planets have all come from studying the solar system.

Advantages of Space Exploration 

It is vital to understand and point out the advantages of space exploration while writing an essay on the topic.

New inventions have helped the worldwide society. NASA’s additional research was beneficial to society in a variety of ways. Transportation, medical, computer management, agriculture technology, and consumer products all profit from the discoveries. GPS technology, breast cancer treatment, lightweight breathing systems, Teflon fibreglass, and other areas benefited from the space programme.

It is impossible to dispute that space exploration creates a large number of employment opportunities around the world. A better way to approach space exploration is to spend less and make it more cost-effective. In the current job market, space research initiatives provide far too much to science, technology, and communication. As a result, a large number of jobs are created.

Understanding

NASA’s time-travelling space exploration programmes and satellite missions aid in the discovery of previously unknown facts about our universe. Scientists have gained a greater understanding of Earth’s nature and atmosphere, as well as those of other space entities. These are the research initiatives that alert us to impending natural disasters and other related forecasts. It also paves the way for our all-powerful universe to be saved from time to time.

Disadvantages of Space Exploration

Highlighting disadvantages will give another depth to your essay on space exploration. Here are some important points to keep in mind.

Pollution is one of the most concerning issues in space travel. Many satellites are launched into space each year, but not all of them return. The remnants of such incidents degrade over time, becoming debris that floats in the air. Old satellites, various types of equipment, launch pads, and rocket fragments all contribute to pollution. Space debris pollutes the atmosphere in a variety of ways. Not only is space exploration harmful to the environment, but it is also harmful to space.

A government space exploration programme is expensive. Many people believe that space mission initiatives are economical. It should be mentioned that NASA just celebrated its 30th anniversary with $196.5 billion spent.

Space exploration isn’t a walk in the park. Many historical occurrences demonstrate the dangers that come with sad situations. The Challenger space shuttle accident on January 28, 1986, must be remembered. The spacecraft exploded in under 73 seconds, resulting in a tremendous loss of life and property.

Conclusion 

There are two sides to every coin. To survive on Earth, one must confront and overcome obstacles. Space exploration is an essential activity that cannot be overlooked, but it can be enhanced by technological advancements.

Space Exploration Courses

Well, if your dream is to explore space and you want to make a career in it, then maybe space exploration courses are the right choice for you to turn your dreams into reality.

Various universities offering space exploration courses are :

• Arizona State University, USA
• Bachelor of Science in Earth and Space Exploration
• Earth and Space Exploration (Astrobiology and Biogeosciences)
• Earth and Space Exploration (Astrophysics)
• University of Leicester, UK
• Space Exploration Systems MSc
• York University
• Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Space Engineering

Tips to write an IELTS Essay  on Space Exploration

• The essay’s word count should be at least 250 words. There is no maximum word count. If you write less than 250 words, you risk submitting an incomplete essay. The goal should be to write a minimum of 250-words essay.
• There will be more than one question on the essay topic. The questions must be answered in their entirety. For example, for the topic ‘crime is unavoidable,’ you might see questions like 1. Speak in favour of and against this topic, 2. Give your opinion, and 3. Suggest some measures to avoid crime. This topic now has three parts, and all of them must be answered; only then will the essay be complete.
• Maintain a smooth writing flow. You can’t get off track and create an essay that has nothing to do with the issue. The essay must be completely consistent with the question. The essay’s thoughts should be tied to the question directly. Make use of instances, experiences, and concepts that you can relate to.
• Use a restricted number of linking phrases and words to organise your writing. Adverbial phrases should be used instead of standard linking words.
• The essay should be broken up into little paragraphs of at least two sentences each. Your essay should be divided into three sections: introduction, body, and conclusion. ( cheapest pharmacy to fill prescriptions without insurance )
• Don’t overuse complicated and long words in your essay. Make appropriate use of collocations and idioms. You must be able to use words and circumstances effectively.
• The essay must be written correctly in terms of grammar. In terms of spelling, grammar, and tenses, there should be no mistakes. Avoid using long, difficult sentences to avoid grammatical problems. Make your sentences succinct and to-the-point.
• Agree/disagree, discuss two points of view, pros and disadvantages, causes and solutions, causes and effects, and problem-solution are all examples of essay questions to practise.
• Make a strong beginning. The opening should provide the reader a good indication of what to expect from the rest of the article. Making a good first impression and piquing your attention starts with a good introduction.
• If required, cite facts, figures, and data. It’s best to stay away from factual material if you’re not sure about the statistics or stats. If you’re unsure about something, don’t write it down.
• The essay’s body should be descriptive, with all of the points, facts, and information listed in great detail.
• The conclusion is the most noticeable part. Your IELTS band is influenced by how you end your essay.
• Make sure there are no spelling errors. If you’re not sure how to spell something, don’t use it. It is preferable to utilize simple, everyday terms.
• Do not include any personal or casual remarks. It is strictly forbidden.
• Once you’ve finished drafting your essay, proofread it. It enables you to scan for minor and large grammar and spelling problems.

This was the Essay on Space Exploration. We hope it was helpful to you. Experts at Leverage Edu will help you out in writing your essays for IELTS, SOPs and more!

Sonal is a creative, enthusiastic writer and editor who has worked extensively for the Study Abroad domain. She splits her time between shooting fun insta reels and learning new tools for content marketing. If she is missing from her desk, you can find her with a group of people cracking silly jokes or petting neighbourhood dogs.

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Essay on Space Exploration

Students are often asked to write an essay on Space Exploration in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Space Exploration

Space exploration – a journey beyond earth.

Humans have always been curious about what lies beyond our planet. Space exploration is the process of exploring the universe and learning about it. It involves sending spaceships, satellites, and other spacecraft into space to collect information and conduct experiments.

Benefits of Space Exploration

There are many benefits to space exploration. It helps us learn more about the universe, our place in it, and the origins of life. Space exploration also has practical benefits, such as developing new technologies that can be used on Earth. For example, satellites help us with weather forecasting, communication, and navigation.

Challenges and Risks of Space Exploration

Space exploration is a challenging and risky endeavor. Space is a vast and hostile environment, and there are many hazards that can threaten spacecraft and astronauts. These hazards include radiation, extreme temperatures, and microgravity.

Future of Space Exploration

Despite the challenges, space exploration continues to progress. In recent years, there have been several major milestones in space exploration, including the landing of the first humans on the Moon, the discovery of water on Mars, and the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. These milestones have opened up new possibilities for space exploration and given us a glimpse of the incredible potential that lies beyond our planet.

250 Words Essay on Space Exploration

Space exploration: a journey beyond our planet, why do we explore space.

There are many reasons why we explore space. One reason is to learn more about the universe. We want to know how it began, how it works, and what else is out there. Another reason is to search for life beyond Earth. We want to know if there are other planets that can support life, and if so, what kind of life might exist there.

Space exploration has many benefits. It has helped us to develop new technologies that have improved our lives on Earth. For example, satellites are used for communication, navigation, and weather forecasting. Space exploration has also inspired us and made us think about our place in the universe.

Challenges of Space Exploration

Space exploration is challenging. It is expensive, dangerous, and requires a lot of time and effort. But despite the challenges, we continue to explore space because it is important for our future. We need to learn more about the universe so that we can better understand our place in it.

Space exploration is a fascinating and important field of study. It has the potential to teach us so much about the universe and our place in it. We can only imagine what discoveries we will make in the years to come.

500 Words Essay on Space Exploration

Space exploration: a journey beyond earth, the enthralling cosmos.

From the dawn of human history, we have gazed up at the night sky and wondered what lies beyond our Earth, wondering if we are alone in the universe. Space exploration is the answer to our insatiable curiosity, a quest to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos that surround us.

Exploring the Solar System

Venturing into the unknown.

Beyond our solar system lies the vast expanse of the Milky Way galaxy and beyond. Space exploration missions have ventured out to study distant stars, galaxies, and other cosmic phenomena. The Hubble Space Telescope, among other powerful observatories, has revolutionized our understanding of the universe’s immense size and complexity, unveiling breathtaking images and insights into the universe’s origins.

Searching for Life Beyond Earth

A fundamental question in space exploration is whether life exists beyond Earth. Scientists are diligently searching for signs of life on other planets, moons, and celestial bodies. Missions like Mars rovers and the search for water on icy moons like Europa and Enceladus aim to identify environments capable of supporting life.

Challenges and Future Prospects

Space exploration is a challenging endeavor, fraught with technical difficulties and risks. Extreme temperatures, radiation exposure, and the vast distances between celestial bodies pose significant hurdles for spacecraft and astronauts. However, these challenges drive innovation and technological advancements that benefit humankind in many ways. As we continue to push the boundaries of space exploration, we anticipate even greater discoveries and a deeper understanding of our place in the universe.

In conclusion, space exploration is a thrilling adventure that fulfills our innate curiosity about the cosmos, expands our knowledge, and inspires us to dream big. As we continue to explore, the possibilities are limitless, and the future of space exploration holds endless promise for generations to come.

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August 1, 2022

Exploration Is Fundamental to Human Success

Discoveries inspire us, give us hope for a better future and pay off generously

By The Editors

Schoolbooks typically present explorers as intrepid individuals who, at the behest of colonizing leaders, sail wooden ships to new lands, ride on horseback across uncharted mountains or slash their way through the jungle. But today most explorers who are making fundamental discoveries are scientists. And whether the frontiers are minuscule, like the human genome, or massive, like our deepest oceans, we still have much left to learn about planet Earth. The quests that modern scientists pursue rival anything in a history book or an adventure novel.

Exploration is science in its most basic form—asking questions of the natural world and, we hope, using the answers for the betterment of everything on Earth.

Some unknown territories are emergent: human consciousness or why trillions of bacteria floating on the ocean suddenly glow in unison across more than 100 square miles. Frontiers can be cultural, too, and we must explore with respect.

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Exploration has great value. It inspires us, widens our knowledge and gives us hope for a better future. And the practical payoffs can be plenty. Some are even lifesaving. Scientists who spent decades exploring what was in the atmosphere found that over time the concentration of carbon dioxide was rising. Without that discovery, we humans would now be living like the proverbial frog in a pot of gradually heating water, unsure why the environment around us is changing, and slowly boiling to death.

In the early 2000s Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman of the University of Pennsylvania were studying fundamental molecules called messenger RNA (mRNA) in humans and realized that a few adjustments could prevent the molecules from causing inflammation. Then, in 2017, Weissman and Norbert Pardi, also at Penn, discovered how to modify mRNA to neutralize an invading virus. When COVID struck, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna rapidly created two powerful vaccines for the virus—using mRNA. Weissman says he and his co-explorers met several unexpected hurdles, but each one made them only more determined to convert their discoveries into something helpful.

The human drive to overcome challenges is an essential aspect of the human drive to explore. As Robert Ballard, who discovered the wreck of the RMS Titanic in 1985 and was part of the team that found the first deep-sea hydrothermal vents, told us recently: “The ocean is a formidable place. I was almost killed several times. But the human spirit is indestructible.” Ballard turned 80 in June and in May spent two weeks on an expedition in the Pacific Ocean.

That drive to take on challenges often spurs innovation. Technological advances have always helped the intrepid, and the inventions keep coming. Early human submersibles that reached the bottom of the deepest ocean trenches made the trip just once, stressed by the enormous pressures there. But eventually a more stress-resistant deep-submergence vehicle, the Limiting Factor , allowed investor and undersea explorer Victor Vescovo to reach trench bottoms numerous times.

Now there are roughly 4,000 autonomous Argo floats across the world's oceans that dive down to 2,000 feet and resurface every 10 days, gathering data about basic physical traits such as water temperature, salinity and pressure. Programmable vessels greatly expand our reach and reduce the risk to the people involved in exploration, allowing for the kind of discovery that the human body might limit. The Argo consortium will also deploy dozens of sensors every year that will gather biological and chemical data, leading to new observations about marine life.

Other institutions plan to deploy swarms of autonomous underwater vehicles that will search the seas in unison, sending data to guide ships that forward the information to researchers on shore, who then can redirect the swarms. Ocean research groups have made it a priority to openly share their discoveries and data with the public, to be more inclusive of people who live along waters being explored, and to inspire the next generation of young scientists. Anyone can go along for the ride—we can all be explorers.

Many commercial ventures are involved in exploration. Maybe one day you'll put on your virtual-reality goggles, connect with an online adventure company and rent a video-equipped remote vehicle that explores the Great Barrier Reef from above for several hours at your direction. Or the desert at the height of bloom. Or a rain-forest canopy.

Captain James T. Kirk began each episode of the original Star Trek television series by saying, “Space, the final frontier.” Not necessarily. We still have plenty to discover right here on Earth, and we eagerly await surprises from the newest worlds we find.

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Why Space Exploration is Important to the United States

A version of this essay was first presented at the National Society of Black Engineer's Annual Conference luncheon in Pittsburgh, PA this past April.

One of the hardest questions that is often asked of us rocket scientists is "why is  space exploration  important?" Even JFK tried to answer this question many years ago. He said, "But why, some say, the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why...fly (across) the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?"

Well, we may never have a good answer for why Rice plays Texas.

What kind of space program should we foster and what to do next with it remains a recurring question. One could argue that this is because we in the aerospace community have yet to articulate a satisfying answer. We talk about the survival of our species, about being made of the stuff of stars, about the romance of exploration. And we talk about spin-offs.

Yet I don't think the answer revolves around Teflon, Velcro, and Tang.

It is a fact that the general public overwhelmingly supports the space program. Excitement was initially generated by daring feats of heroism undertaken by the astronauts. We have since added to that support with the awe-inspiring pictures returned by the "right-stuff robots:" the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on Mars. Everyone believes that space exploration is a good thing, even if we can't fully explain why. Americans are incredibly forward leaning when it comes to funding journeys of discovery and we are mostly happy with the results.

Historically, it has been the role of the federal government, when confronted with promising frontier territory, to take a leading role in the development of the infrastructure facilitating expansion into that territory. Whether it was the establishment of an outpost at Ft. Dodge, the construction of navaids across the country to support Air Mail service, or the interstate highway system, Uncle Sam was there to pave the way. Of course, much of that infrastructure also helped to establish the mechanisms for stimulating local economies. Without modern transportation systems, governance and economic opportunities would have expanded much more slowly across our great land.

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Clearly, some kind of infrastructure will also be required to expand into the space frontier and to accrue any benefits it may have to offer. Where exactly are the suspected profits to be had from space? Sure, we have profitable communications satellites pushing television signals to cell phones in some parts of the world. While commercial and market-driven, space tourism is more exploitation than commerce, in the general sense of the word. The answer to the profits question is that we just don't know yet. Following the development of an infrastructure to access the frontier, discoveries will be made. Commerce comes after discovery.

And then what will happen after we make those inevitable discoveries? Analogy may help us here. What has become of those early frontiers opened by Columbus and fellow explorers like Lewis and Clark? Look around! Most of our country's over-the-horizon frontiers are now covered with parking lots.

That's right, parking lots.

Shopping mall parking lots.

Filled with cars. Cars driven by real people, with real jobs, paying taxes for the parks that our kids play in, paying for our national security, and fixing the damage caused by Rita and Katrina.

So after we have the infrastructure to reliably get off the planet, we will make those inevitable discoveries on the moon. And those discoveries will be closely followed by opportunities for commerce. And more parking lots.

And maybe a pub or two.

In the old west, the hub of activity in frontier towns really was the saloon. Tomorrow, the lowly pub may once again help foster a burgeoning economy in some far away places. Imagine you're one of those future explorers or perhaps a space tourist coming into Lembeck's Pub on the moon. You put your five "lunars" on the bar and I'll pour you one of the finest Tang Mimosas this side of the Pleiades. Eventually, I'll need to clean my bar. I'll take two of those lunars down to the Sea of Tranquility Grocery to buy some paper towels. The kid stocking the shelves there will take one of those lunars and go see Jennifer Aniston's daughter in a movie at the theater next door. You get the idea. The moon becomes a place to send goods from earth. A trading post. An economy will be built. And wherever trade occurs among dissimilar cultures, security is enhanced.

We can begin to tie together the existence of infrastructure to discovery, to commerce, to tourism, and maybe even to national security. All with one big bow.

Look up. We recently celebrated five years of continuous presence in low earth orbit on the International Space Station. Our former enemies are now our friends and, indeed, room mates on ISS. We continue to plan a build-out of the international components of the space station in order to meet our international partner commitments. We have already dismantled some of the missiles pointed at each other. Rival has become comrade.

And a couple of tourists have already shown up.

Now look east. Have the Chinese learned from their history of looking inward, wrapping their borders with the Great Wall? Are they now looking outward to reproduce the successes we have enjoyed over the past 200 years? In the 1400's, they owned the resources to explore globally but chose to use their fleets to protect their borders, not sail past them. Are we now going to turn our backs and let them take the mantle we have carried proudly for the past 40 years?

Our first exploratory steps into the New World, the Wild West, and indeed 62 miles up were motivated by security concerns, an expression of national pride, and a desire to profit from developing markets. Exploration and discovery almost always lead the transformation of seemingly uninhabitable places into engines of enterprise, commerce, and sustainable growth. When the President gave us the Vision for Space Exploration, his stated fundamental goal was to advance U.S. scientific, security, and economic interests through a robust space exploration program. When we go to the moon, and visit Lembeck's Pub and celebrate our latest discoveries, we reduce tensions with our neighbors, and we generate new resources in the form of capital required to tackle the pressing issues back home.

So maybe space exploration is important because of Teflon, Velcro, and Tang after all. But not because they are rightly or wrongly identified as spin-offs from the space program. Tomorrow, new Teflons, Velcros, and Tangs will follow along with the other new discoveries enabled by NASA's transportation infrastructure. And they will ultimately be important because we can sell them.

And protect our country with them.

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Michael F. Lembeck is the Director for Northrop Grumman's Space Exploration Systems Houston Operations. Lembeck joined Northrop Grumman after serving as the Requirements Division Director for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters and participated in the development of the nation's Vision for Space Exploration.

NOTE: The views of this article are the author's and do not reflect the policies of the National Space Society.

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Why we explore Mars—and what decades of missions have revealed

In the 1960s, humans set out to discover what the red planet has to teach us. Now, NASA is hoping to land the first humans on Mars by the 2030s.

Mars has captivated humans since we first set eyes on it as a star-like object in the night sky. Early on, its reddish hue set the planet apart from its shimmering siblings, each compelling in its own way, but none other tracing a ruddy arc through Earth’s heavens. Then, in the late 1800s, telescopes first revealed a surface full of intriguing features—patterns and landforms that scientists at first wrongly ascribed to a bustling Martian civilization. Now, we know there are no artificial constructions on Mars. But we’ve also learned that, until 3.5 billion years ago, the dry, toxic planet we see today might have once been as habitable as Earth.

Since the 1960s, humans have set out to discover what Mars can teach us about how planets grow and evolve, and whether it has ever hosted alien life. So far, only uncrewed spacecraft have made the trip to the red planet, but that could soon change. NASA is hoping to land the first humans on Mars by the 2030s—and several new missions are launching before then to push exploration forward. Here’s a look at why these journeys are so important—and what humans have learned about Mars through decades of exploration.

Why explore Mars

Over the last century, everything we’ve learned about Mars suggests that the planet was once quite capable of hosting ecosystems—and that it might still be an incubator for microbial life today.

Mars is the fourth rock from the sun, just after Earth. It is just a smidge more than half of Earth’s size , with gravity only 38 percent that of Earth’s. It takes longer than Earth to complete a full orbit around the sun—but it rotates around its axis at roughly the same speed. That’s why one year on Mars lasts for 687 Earth days , while a day on Mars is just 40 minutes longer than on Earth.

Despite its smaller size, the planet’s land area is also roughly equivalent to the surface area of Earth’s continents —meaning that, at least in theory, Mars has the same amount of habitable real estate. Unfortunately, the planet is now wrapped in a thin carbon dioxide atmosphere and cannot support earthly life-forms. Methane gas also periodically appears in the atmosphere of this desiccated world, and the soil contains compounds that would be toxic to life as we know it. Although water does exist on Mars, it’s locked into the planet’s icy polar caps and buried, perhaps in abundance, beneath the Martian surface .

Today, when scientists scrutinize the Martian surface, they see features that are unquestionably the work of ancient, flowing liquids : branching streams, river valleys, basins, and deltas. Those observations suggest that the planet may have once had a vast ocean covering its northern hemisphere. Elsewhere, rainstorms soaked the landscape, lakes pooled, and rivers gushed, carving troughs into the terrain. It was also likely wrapped in a thick atmosphere capable of maintaining liquid water at Martian temperatures and pressures.

Somewhere during Martian evolution, the planet went through a dramatic transformation, and a world that was once rather Earthlike became the dusty, dry husk we see today. The question now is, what happened? Where did those liquids go, and what happened to the Martian atmosphere ?

Exploring Mars helps scientists learn about momentous shifts in climate that can fundamentally alter planets. It also lets us look for biosignatures, signs that might reveal whether life was abundant in the planet’s past—and if it still exists on Mars today. And, the more we learn about Mars, the better equipped we’ll be to try to make a living there, someday in the future.

Past missions, major discoveries

Since the 1960s, humans have sent dozens of spacecraft to study Mars . Early missions were flybys, with spacecraft furiously snapping photos as they zoomed past. Later, probes pulled into orbit around Mars; more recently, landers and rovers have touched down on the surface.

But sending a spacecraft to Mars is hard , and landing on the planet is even harder. The thin Martian atmosphere makes descent tricky, and more than 60 percent of landing attempts have failed. So far, four space agencies—NASA, Russia’s Roscosmos, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)—have put spacecraft in Martian orbit. With eight successful landings, the United States is the only country that has operated a craft on the planet’s surface. The United Arab Emirates and China might join that club if their recently launched Hope and Tianwen-1 missions reach the red planet safely in February 2021.

Early highlights of Mars missions include NASA's Mariner 4 spacecraft , which swung by Mars in July 1965 and captured the first close-up images of this foreign world. In 1971, the Soviet space program sent the first spacecraft into Martian orbit. Called Mars 3 , it returned roughly eight months of observations about the planet's topography, atmosphere, weather, and geology. The mission also sent a lander to the surface, but it returned data for only about 20 seconds before going quiet.

Over the subsequent decades, orbiters returned far more detailed data on the planet's atmosphere and surface, and finally dispelled the notion, widely held by scientists since the late 1800s, that Martian canals were built by an alien civilization. They also revealed some truly dramatic features: the small world boasts the largest volcanoes in the solar system, and one of the largest canyons yet discovered—a chasm as long as the continental United States. Dust storms regularly sweep over its plains, and winds whip up localized dust devils.

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In 1976, NASA’s Viking 1 and 2 became the first spacecraft to successfully operate on the planet’s surface, returning photos until 1982. They also conducted biological experiments on Martian soil that were designed to uncover signs of life in space—but their results were inconclusive , and scientists still disagree over how to interpret the data.

NASA’s Mars Pathfinder mission , launched in 1996, put the first free-moving rover—called Sojourner—on the planet. Its successors include the rovers Spirit and Opportunity , which explored the planet for far longer than expected and returned more than 100,000 images before dust storms obliterated their solar panels in the 2010s.

Now, two NASA spacecraft are active on the Martian surface: InSight is probing the planet’s interior and it has already revealed that “ marsquakes” routinely rattle its surface . The Curiosity rover , launched in 2012, is also still wheeling around in Gale Crater, taking otherworldly selfies, and studying the rocks and sediments deposited in the crater’s ancient lakebed.

Several spacecraft are transmitting data from orbit: NASA’s MAVEN orbiter , Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter , and Mars Odyssey ; ESA’s Mars Express and Trace Gas Orbiter ; and India’s Mars Orbiter Mission .

Together, these missions have shown scientists that Mars is an active planet that is rich in the ingredients needed for life as we know it—water, organic carbon , and an energy source. Now, the question is: Did life ever evolve on Mars , and is it still around?

Future of Mars exploration

Once every 26 months , Earth and Mars are aligned in a way that minimizes travel times and expense , enabling spacecraft to make the interplanetary journey in roughly half a year. Earth’s space agencies tend to launch probes during these conjunctions, the most recent of which happens in the summer of 2020. Three countries are sending spacecraft to Mars during this window: The United Arab Emirates, which launched its Hope spacecraft on July 20 and will orbit Mars to study its atmosphere and weather patterns; China, which launched its Tianwen-1 on July 23 , and the United States, currently targeting July 30 for the launch of its Perseverance rover .

Perseverance is a large, six-wheeled rover equipped with a suite of sophisticated instruments. Its target is Jezero Crater, site of an ancient river delta , and a likely location for ancient life-forms to have thrived. Once on the surface, Perseverance will study Martian climate and weather, test technologies that could help humans survive on Mars, and collect samples from dozens of rocks that will eventually be brought to Earth. Among its goals is helping to determine whether Mars was—or is—inhabited, making it a true life-finding Mars mission.

All of the robotic activity is, of course, laying the groundwork for sending humans to the next world over. NASA is targeting the 2030s as a reasonable timeframe for setting the first boots on Mars, and is developing a space capsule, Orion , that will be able to ferry humans to the moon and beyond.

Private spaceflight companies such as SpaceX are also getting into the Mars game. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly said that humanity must become “ a multiplanetary species ” if we are to survive, and he is working on a plan that could see a million people living on Mars before the end of this century.

Soon, in one way or another, humanity may finally know whether our neighboring planet ever hosted life—and whether there’s a future for our species on another world.

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Space Exploration History and Prospects Essay

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The early period of space exploration was majorly driven by the United States and the Soviet Union. The landmark for this period took place when the first human-made object called Sputnik 1 was launched to orbit the Earth in 1957 (Guterman, 2004). Before 1957, there was little knowledge about space although studies of the solar system had begun. However, with the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in America, global space curiosity was ignited. Despite the considerable interest in space exploration, there are significant risks associated with it; among them: unpredictable and varying temperatures and dangerous radiation which can cause such diseases as cancer (Guterman, 2004). Therefore, although there are substantial benefits associated with space exploration, it poses substantial benefits to humanity.

The environment found in space is not conducive to the habitation of human beings. Thus, human flights to space pose challenges to astronauts, such as contact to hazards like dangerous radiation, acute exposure to chronic carbon dioxide. Other imminent threats include bone fractures due to the changes induced by the spaceflight and the intolerance of the orthostatic due to immense interaction with gravity. Further risks include the changes of vision which are caused by the spacecraft. Therefore, proper space gear is required to protect the astronauts from those threats. For instance, the atmosphere on Mars is warmer and thicker than on Earth due to the significant amounts of carbon dioxide in its sky which makes it dangerous for humans (Griffin, 2007). The spacecraft should, therefore, be designed in such a way that it protects people as they strive to satisfy their inquisitiveness.

When astronauts leave the Earth’s service, they are exposed to major threats due to radiation. They are, therefore, at the highest risk of contracting cancer, damaging the central nervous system, and other degenerative diseases. Cancer is mainly caused when an astronaut is exposed to high-energy protons and nuclei which will change the human Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) and cause mutations of the cells in the body. Studies have shown that exposure to such radiation in various strengths and doses leads to the development of degenerative diseases and cancer (Haynes & McKay, 2002). The evidence, therefore, shows that space exploration is an endeavor that is associated with high risks (Haynes & McKay, 2002). Other dangers originate from the prospects of the botch of the life sustenance systems.

The unwavering interest of humanity to conquer space has been enduring and universal because it is a sign of national prestige. Nations are driven to discover new territories and extend the boundaries beyond the technical and scientific limits. The unquenchable desire to challenge, explore, and conquer the unknown has delivered benefits to human society for centuries. The exploration of space assists in addressing the central questions about humanity’s place in the history of the universe and the solar system. By addressing those challenges related to the exploration of space, technology is expanded; new industries are created as well as fostering a peaceful relationship with other countries. Exploration and curiosity are core to the humankind spirit, and they cannot, therefore, be separated from humanity (Haynes & McKay, 2002). Therefore, people are willing to forego the risks associated with the exploration to fulfill their innate desire.

The Martian environment is hostile to an extent that it makes life on its surface unbearable. Mars, or the Red Planet, has an atmosphere that hardly protects the ground from radiation that originates from space and the sun. The surface of the planet has harsh chemicals, such as hydrogen peroxide which pervade the soil (NASA, 2020). The liquid water, an important ingredient for the survival of humanity, does not exist on the planet for long, quickly evaporating or freezing to sub-zero temperatures. Therefore, it shows that the planet Mars does not support life, thus making it difficult for the astronauts to survive there. However, since it is a biocompatible planet, scientists are trying to unravel whether its unchangeable astrophysical parameters would permit the maintenance of warmer and thicker carbon dioxide (Iacomino, 2019). Although it has an average temperature of minus sixty, it might possess a significant amount of materials that can support life (Griffin, 2007). So, in case scientists successfully observe these findings and experiment on them, inventing some useful gear and other equipment, it is likely to be possible to make more prolonged and fruitful trips on Mars.

The focus of the space agency in New Zealand on commercial opportunities and the favorable coverage it receives from the media has given it an advantage. Moreover, the fact that it is domiciled within the Ministry of Employment, and Business Innovation, has provided a basis for the development of space tourism. The country will face a myriad of cultural, environmental, and geopolitical outcomes for being the launching state for space exploration (Scott, 2020). The state is the launching site will have implications on the country’s tourism branding, and sustainability. The slogan “100% Pure New Zealand’s tourism brand,” which has been in use since 1999, has been receiving stinging criticism due to the reports that it has been participating in the prevalent degradation of the environment in the nation (Scott, 2020). Lack of legislation and the effects associated with that have raised major concerns in the state.

Although there are several risks connected to space exploration, the benefits outweigh the demerits of the exercise. Scientists are working day and night to reveal ways of mitigating the space exploration risks. Therefore, space missions mustn’t be stopped so that nations can continue getting enriched scientifically. Space exploration has increased technology more, especially satellite technology, and quenched the human desire to satisfy human curiosity.

Guterman, B. (2004). An interview with NASA chief historian Steven J. Dick [PDF document]. Web.

Griffin, M. (2007). The real reasons we explore space . Air and Space . Web.

Haynes, R., & McKay, C. (2002). The implantation of life on Mars: Feasibility and motivation . Advances in Space Research, 12 (4), 133-140. Web.

Iacomino, C. (2019). Commercial space exploration: Potential contributions of private actors to space exploration programs . Springer.

NASA Solar System Exploration (2020). Top 10 sinister solar system facts. Web.

Scott, M. (2020). A space tourism destination: environmental, geopolitical and tourism branding considerations for New Zealand as a ‘launch state’ , Journal of Sustainable Tourism. Web.

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By the early 2020s more than 500 people, coming from more than 40 different countries and more than 10 percent of whom were women, had flown in space. As of that same time, only Russia , China , and the United States had the capability of carrying out human spaceflights. With the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011, the United States lost its independent human spaceflight capability . Such capability was not regained until 2020, when a new private commercial spacecraft , SpaceX’s Crew Dragon , was ready for use.

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Human spaceflight is both risky and expensive. From the crash landing of the first crewed Soyuz spacecraft in 1967 to the breakup of the shuttle orbiter Columbia in 2003, 18 people died during spaceflights. Providing the systems to support people while in orbit adds significant additional costs to a space mission, and ensuring that the launch, flight, and reentry are carried out as safely as possible also requires highly reliable and thus costly equipment, including both spacecraft and launchers.

From the start of human spaceflight efforts, some have argued that the benefits of sending humans into space do not justify either the risks or the costs. They contend that robotic missions can produce equal or even greater scientific results with lower expenditures and that human presence in space has no other valid justification. Those who support human spaceflight cite the still unmatched ability of human intelligence , flexibility, and reliability in carrying out certain experiments in orbit, in repairing and maintaining robotic spacecraft and automated instruments in space, and in acting as explorers in initial journeys to other places in the solar system . They also argue that astronauts serve as excellent role models for younger people and act as vicarious representatives of the many who would like to fly in space themselves. In addition is the long-held view that eventually some humans will leave Earth to establish permanent outposts and larger settlements on the Moon , Mars , or other locations.

Most of the individuals who have gone into space are highly trained astronauts and cosmonauts, the two designations having originated in the United States and the Soviet Union , respectively. (Both taikonaut and yuhangyuan have sometimes been used to describe the astronauts in China’s crewed space program.) Those governments interested in sending some of their citizens into space select candidates from many applicants on the basis of their backgrounds and physical and psychological characteristics. The candidates undergo rigorous training before being chosen for an initial spaceflight and then prepare in detail for each mission assigned. Training centres with specialized facilities exist in the United States, at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas; in Russia, at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (commonly called Star City), outside Moscow; in Germany , at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne; in Japan , at JAXA’s Tsukuba Space Center, near Tokyo; and in China, at Space City, near Beijing.

Astronauts and cosmonauts who undertook multiple spaceflights traditionally fell into one of two categories. The first consisted of pilots, often with military backgrounds, who had extensive experience in flying high-performance aircraft. They were responsible for piloting space vehicles such as the space shuttle and Soyuz . The other category included scientists and engineers who are not necessarily pilots. They had primary responsibility for carrying out the scientific and engineering activities scheduled for a particular mission. They were known in the U.S. space program as mission specialists and in the Russian space program as flight engineers. With the development of long-duration space stations such as Mir and the ISS , the distinction between pilot and nonpilot astronauts and cosmonauts has become less clear, because all members of a space station crew carry out station operations and experiments.

A third category of individuals who have gone into space was called variously payload specialists or guest cosmonauts. These individuals include scientists and engineers who accompany their experiments into orbit; individuals selected to go into space for political reasons, such as members of the U.S. Congress or persons from countries allied with the Soviet Union or the United States; and a few nontechnical people—for example, the rare journalist or teacher or the private individual willing to pay substantial amounts of money for a spaceflight. These people are intensively trained for their particular flight but usually go into space only once. The first orbital spaceflight with a crew of private individuals, one of whom had chartered the spacecraft, Inspiration4, launched in 2021. At some future time, the costs and risks of human spaceflight may become low enough to accommodate a booming business of space tourism , in which many people would be able to experience spaceflight. Until then, access to orbit will be restricted to a comparatively small number of people. However, several firms have planned for paying customers brief suborbital flights that would provide a few minutes of weightlessness and dramatic views of Earth as they are launched on a trajectory carrying them just below 100 km (62 miles) in altitude, the generally recognized border between airspace and outer space.

Human beings have evolved to live in the environment of Earth’s surface. The space environment—with its very low level of gravity , lack of atmosphere, wide temperature variations, and often high levels of ionizing radiation from the Sun , from particles trapped in the Van Allen radiation belts, and from cosmic rays—is an unnatural place for humans. An understanding of the effects on the human body of spaceflight, particularly long-duration flights away from Earth to destinations such as Mars, is incomplete.

Many of those going into space experience space sickness ( see motion sickness ), which may cause vomiting, nausea, and stomach discomfort, among other symptoms . The condition is thought to arise from a contradiction experienced in the brain between external information coming from the eyes and internal information coming from the balance organs in the inner ear , which are normally stimulated continually by gravity. Space sickness usually disappears within two or three days as the brain adapts to the space environment, although symptoms may reappear temporarily when the space traveler returns to Earth’s gravity.

The virtual absence of gravity causes loss of tissue mass in the calf and thigh muscles , which are used on Earth’s surface to counter the effect of gravity. Muscles that are less involved with gravity, such as those used to bend the legs or arms, are less affected. Some loss of muscle mass in the heart has been observed in astronauts on long-duration missions. In the absence of gravity, blood that normally pools in the body’s lower extremities initially shifts to the upper regions. As a result, the face appears puffy, the person experiences sinus congestion and headaches, and blood production decreases as the body attempts to compensate . In addition, in the space environment, some weight-bearing bones in the body atrophy.

Although the changes in muscle, bone, and blood production do not pose problems for astronauts in space, they do so on their return to Earth. For example, in normal gravity, a person with decreased bone mass runs a greater risk of breaking a bone during normal strenuous activity. Countermeasures, particularly various forms of exercise while in space, have been developed to prevent these effects from causing health problems later on Earth. Even so, people recovering from long-duration flights require varying amounts of time to readjust to Earth conditions. Light-headedness usually disappears within one or two days; lack of balance and symptoms of motion sickness, in three to five days; anemia, in one to two weeks; muscle atrophy, in three to five weeks; and bone atrophy, in one to three years or more.

Except for the Apollo trips to the Moon, all human spaceflights have taken place in near-Earth orbit. In this location, Earth’s magnetic field shields humans from potentially dangerous exposure to ionizing radiation from recurrent major disturbances on the Sun and interplanetary cosmic rays. The Apollo missions, which were all less than two weeks long, were timed to avoid exposure to anticipated high levels of solar radiation . If, however, humans were sent on journeys to Mars or other destinations that would take months or even years, such measures would be inadequate. Exposure to high levels of solar radiation or cosmic rays could cause potentially fatal tumours and other health problems ( see radiation injury ). Space engineers will need to devise adequate radiation shielding for interplanetary crewed spacecraft and will require accurate predictions of radiation damage to the body to ensure that risks remain within acceptable limits. Biomedical advances are also necessary to develop methods for the early detection and mitigation of radiation damage. Nevertheless, the effects of radiation may remain a major obstacle to long human voyages in space.

In addition to the biomedical issues associated with human spaceflight are a number of psychological and sociological issues, particularly for long-duration missions aboard a space station or to distant destinations. To be in space is to be in an extreme and isolated environment. Mission planners will have to consider issues relating to crew size and composition—particularly if the crews are mixtures of men and women and come from several nations with different cultures—if interpersonal conflicts are to be avoided and effective teamwork achieved.