1. Have Your Say: How important is space travel?
Some, including myself, think space exploration is a ridiculous waste of money and resources:
I don't mind sending a probe up into space every once and a while, but I'd like to see the vast supermajority of work concentrating on useful applications for humans back on Earth. If the travel is in that context, great, if not, I don't want to be funding it. "Feel good" projects like moonbases, the international space station, a visit to Mars, etc. are just big wastes of money and energy.
Perhaps nothing underscores more effectively the crass stupidity and total ignorance of the more "highly-developed" part of the world than the mis-directed spending of billions on space (not to mention other areas of budgetary absurdity) for no essential purpose, when vast numbers of mankind do not have sanitary conditions under which to live, nor sufficient food and potable water to sustain them. A mere fraction of annual spend could give real benefit to the lives of real people - our fellows.
$10,000/ lb to get into space.
how many kids could that feed? jUst that one pound?
Space travel is a waste of money. Man will never be able to colonize another planet nor will he be able to travel en masse through space. Earth is and will be our only home, and mankind will never be able to achieve the level of technology capable of leaving it. So, it's extremely important to preserve what we have because it's all we will ever have.
Is space travel necessary? I think not, but I could be wrong. But one thing I am certain of is that the massive amounts of money spent on it would be better spent in trying to solve the lack of water and food that causes people such hardship around the world. If the human has a need to explore let us go under the seas. We really do not know wholly what is down there. I doubt that under sea exploration would cost anywhere near that of exploring space. Space can wait. Our fellow men cannot.
Manned space travel is a waste of money. The Shuttle and the Space Station simply exist as justifcations of each other. Neither is really necessary.
It's most unlikely that man will ever leave earth's orbit again. No nation is likely to have taxpayers willing to support the eye-watering cost of returning to the moon, let alone going to Mars.
In a few years we'll be struggling to put fuel in our cars, so burning tons of the stuff to go into space will not be popular!
There is a place for space exploration; science and discovery are a wonderful aspect of human nature. But I do feel that in terms of time and money spent, it should never take priority over matters such as health, education and welfare. The regularity of missions should be reduced, for the sake of putting money where it's needed most and to make the missions themselves more eventful, rather than costly and routine.
Others justify it for what can learned from it and the technologies that can be discovered:
You'll never guess what space exploration has brought to you that you use to this day. Your cellphone contains space-stuff, your own PC even in your kitchen there is material that was invented because of the space programs.
Never say "we do not see anything in return" before you know where normal things you use are made from. You won't see a "Invented by NASA" sticker on it, but "look inside" and explore the web. You'll never guess what was invented in space or because of the space program.
Space travel is vital. Why shouldn't we learn about the universe and our place in it?
But manned space travel is no longer necessary. It was big news in the 60's and 70's, but now it is impractical.
Until a new propulsion source is discovered that doesn't need rocket power, it's a waste of time and money.
The human need to explore is a trait we have evolved, this has led to the survival and success of our species.
Manned exploration of space will lead us to improving and perfecting the technology that allows us to survive in space and on other planets, this will be the only way our species will continue to survive in the long term.
Yes the space program is still relevant. The medical advances alone that have and continue to come out of this program make it worthwhile. If my health permitted and I had the money I most assuredly would take a trip into space.
Still others consider it necessary for the survival of the human species, although I find that proposition ridiculous:
Manned space travel is THE most important endeavor for the human species. It is the only way to ensure longevity of humanity. It is also the only way to top up resources on this planet that get used up..ie metals, fuels etc. The reasons are many and varied. If mankind had started out on the British isles & had stayed there & not proliferated the planet, we would not be a dominant species. We would probably still not have the wheel or have discovered fire. To be all we can be we must expand.
Without manned spaceflight mankind will share the fate of dinosaurs.
It will be a VERY long time in the future but we can`t live on our planet forever: One day our sun will die and we would die with it if we haven`t left our nest by then. Space travel is risky and it is expensive but it is necessary not only for our survival but also for our growth as a species.
I think it's important to note that the amount of funding NASA receives is slightly less than 17 billion dollars. That is out of a budget of 2.8 trillion dollars. If we as the human race wish to truly reap the benefits of space exploration, spending must be increased.
While the benefits of manned space flight may seem unhelpful or unimportant, or even difficult to categorize, ultimately, humans will need to learn how to live in space for our species to survive. Unmanned space flight has been far more beneficial in information gathering and technical achievement, but doesn't mean that manned missions are a waste of time and money. Even if manned missions serve only to inspire future scientists and astronauts to explore, it's still worth doing.
Space travel is just as relevant today as it was when it first started. The era of the explorers may be written in the history books, but truly as humans we are never finished exploring. This isn't about egos, this is about the betterment of humankind.
Our president sides with the third group of remarks...
2. President Bush Announces New Vision for Space Exploration Program (2004)
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