My Thoughts on Space Exploration

Space exploration has brought upon us a plethora of inventions in our everyday life. From Google Maps to that comfortable memory foam pillow that you love so much, these inventions were made possible only because of humans who were curious enough to explore above and beyond our planet Earth. The intangible desire to challenge the boundaries of what we know has brought about a multiplicity of benefits for our society for centuries. The common argument from the other side is that while the human syndrome of unending curiosity is idiopathic, we have to be wary of the cost of exploring space, as an externality could be the neglect of Earth’s problems.

They think that instead of spending billions of dollars exploring space, we should be focusing on the ostensible problems that plague the human race such as poverty and our insatiable desire for natural resources. Although these are valid concerns that beg for our utmost attention, we most certainly cannot deny the massive impact of space exploration in our lives. I choose to believe that as technology improves, so will the lives of many across the globe.

The scientific knowledge acquired from space is bound to expand humankind's understanding of nature and thus frequently unlocks Earth‐based applications for society. NASA has made an impeccable amount of discoveries while preparing for space missions and we can see its impact in the field of medicine. LEDs for example were used in space to grow plants. This technology has led to the development of medical devices such as WARP 10 that is used in the treatment of chronic pain.

It is imperative that we continue to fund the efforts of space exploration because to not do so would only deprive society of better standards of living. The inconveniences such as the need for massive funding is only a small price to pay for all the inventions that were made possible and inventions that are just waiting to be discovered with time. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky a Russian rocket scientist once said, “The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever.”

The concerns from the other side are both sensible and necessary but an equally valid question is, “Would that have been possible otherwise?” The remarkable revolutions that mankind has achieved in the field of computing, communications, and transportation all share one thing in common, the discoveries from space exploration have catalyzed and contributed to these advances. In conclusion, the investments directed towards space exploration will be returned to us many times over and we should support that.