CAJ #7: Is space exploration a waste of money?

Space exploration means to explore different and new planets, galaxies, comets, satellites etc. in outer space. To be able to achieve great explorations, a proper technology is need to be invented and used. This technology, however, requires a lot of money. The explorer and campaigner Robin Hanbury argues that “The amount of money being spent on space research is in the billions and it has achieved extraordinarily little except for a bit of improved technology which would probably have come about anyway by other means.” The highly controversial issue whether money should be spent on space exploration or not has been discussed extensively in the last years.

It is not expensive, actually

It is known that an enormous amount of money is being spent on the discoveries of outer space and new planets, but this should not be considered as a wasteful activity. Compared to other areas of government spending, the cost of space exploration simply is not that high. How much is seven billion dollars compared to the expenses of the U.S government on military? Each year, 22 times the amount for space exploration is spent on alcohol, and over ten million dollars is spent in Iraq by the government each month. If you ask me, war and alcohol are not  better ways of spending/ investing money.

Colonization of new planets

Learning about the universe that surrounds us is crucial to understanding more about the world we live in. According to many scientists, this is very important for the survival of mankind since the species on a single planet would very much likely to become extinct in the long run due to various reasons. Lack of natural resources, occurrence of accidents such as comets hitting the earth, nuclear war and worldwide epidemic are some of these reasons. Therefore extending the human habitat out from Earth into the solar system may lead us into the future and eventually allow us to colonize and keep us from getting extinct. When space technology has advanced far enough, we will be able to provide normal life for our future generations. It may take centuries to get to this point, but we will not get the technology without experimenting with it.

Why explore space, when the earth itself is not yet fully explored?

Many people argue that it is better to explore our own planet, the Earth, rather than the space. Even though it is true that much of Earth, including the ocean and Antarctica, are unexplored, it's not as though we're exploring space instead of our own planet. The effort being made to explore the ocean is just a great as that of Space Travel. Money is not really wasted in the process of exploration; rather, it is invested into discovering new things, for the benefit of mankind.

Another discussion point is that the money that is being invested into space exploration should be given to the poor and needy. Money is already being donated and if you wish to rather donate to the poor, well then do it. But humanitarian organizations are “throwing money at their feet”. It would be more intelligent to teach them how to plant crops that survive in their harsh conditions and educate people who are illiterate. What will happen if the money runs out? When they send people to give them prepared food and medication, what will happen when they leave? Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.

New discoveries are made through space exploration

The knowledge that space exploration provides is crucial for developing areas from medicine to scientific research in general. Many discoveries and products have been developed from the knowledge gained from space exploration. One major discovery would the forecasting of weather. (Satellites. Very important for hurricanes and dangerous storm systems, have saved lives and help us prepare for the worst. Another would be GPS (Global Positioning System) that helps man navigate through land, air, and sea. Even everyday items are discovered thanks to it. For example, non-stick pans and surfaces were also created as a result of space exploration.

There are nearly uncountable progress of exploration, and all are beneficial to us all.

Overall, space exploration has provided us with new knowledge and as a result of this, many new and intriguing inventions have been made. Considering all these arguments, is space exploration, then, really a waste of money?