Awe-inspiring during the 1950s and 1960s during the space race between the us and the ussr. However, many argue that it is a blatant

Space exploration has been intriguing to mankind for decades and was particularly awe-inspiring during the 1950s and 1960s during the space race between the US and the USSR. However, many argue that it is a blatant waste of money and resources, while some say it is fundamental to feed our curiosity. I believe that while it is a fair scientific pursuit, there are far more worthy causes that the money could be redistributed to, on Earth

On the one hand, there is no question that funding space exploration comes at a hefty cost and can easily cost upwards of billions of dollars. Whether it is backed by government funding or a wealthy billionaire, it brings into question how vital the expenditure is for the good of humanity. For example, in the past 6 months there were three private rockets launched by Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the owner of Virgin Airlines which would have cost hundreds of billions of dollars for no better reason than these three men simply wanted to be the precursors of commercial space exploration. Thus, there was substantial backlash where people noted that this money could have been spent on charities, foundation or research. It could be argued that this is a utilitarian approach as it serves to help all, not just one and the most privileged. Therefore, space exploration for the sake of it could be viewed as unethical and perhaps self-serving.

On the other hand, humans inherently are curious, exploring and motivated creatures that have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and discovery, which in some ways is satiated by the thrill of exploring the universe. Moreover, previous missions have allowed us not only to advance our technological communication but also helped use satellites to observe weather patterns, which have been essential for predicting natural disasters. In addition, with the recent fatalistic prediction that in a few decades Earth may be inhabitable, many researchers have looked for possibilities on other planets. It could be said that if Earth does have the dystopian destiny that is being hypothesized for it, modern space exploration could save the future generations to come

In my opinion, I see merit on both sides but I am more inclined to side with those who believe space exploration is wasteful particularly if it is commercial. Government-funded exploration has been and continues to be useful in our day-to-day life in our understanding of chemistry and physics, however commercial spaceflight and races between countries are nothing but an ego-driven conquest to be masters of the universe. I strongly believe that government budgets should prioritize helping their citizens and helping our environment first, and the leftover funding should be used on other whims and fancies, such as pouring money into space flight development

To conclude, people are often starry-eyed about space because it seems so unattainable. Without question the space missions of the past have enlightened us astronomically but a line must be drawn to curb man’s incessant need to jump on to the next thing while ignoring current problems at hand. Lastly, I believe other causes are more deserving of government funding albeit, I do think space exploration has had its own rewards.