why are people spending billions on space exploration?

Question

one thing that has always tripped me out is why people are spending billions on space research. one country for example that is doing this is china. there are millions of people who dont have healthcare, not only in china but also usa, and people are spending this huge money on space exploration. instead of using it to look for aliens, why not spend the money on healthcare and housing. some people in the states are living in trailor parks and all kinds of nasty environments. is money being spent the wrong way? and whats so important about space exploration?

Answer 1

Space exploration is paramount to the survival of the human race. IF we do not achieve space exploration, someday our species will simply perish, it is inevitable that something happens to this planet. One day the sun will supernova, and everything here will be gone. In order for us to procreate the species, we need to get into space colinization. Plus, if we had a global effort where all countries where participating we may quall some of the fighting while attempting a common goal for the future of humanity.

In this development process we would of course start looking to take better care of the planet we are renting.

Answer 2

The real question is should America be spending trillions of dollars on failing wars, and billions of dollars in banker bonuses? Some people think that every dollar spent on space is a dollar wasted, or a dollar burned. But all human beings live on Earth, and every contractor involved in the space program lives and employs on Earth. But the biggest reason we should go to space is because of all the MONEY sitting out there waiting for humans to come along and take it. Our planet is increasingly depleted in mineral resources. You want to blow off the tops of mountains so you can gouge out their roots? Go ahead - as long as it isn't near where you live, right? Without new sources of certain minerals, our civilization is going to face some hard decisions in the next couple of decades. Certainly we will need to find a way to develop new technologies that do not require some of these dwindling minerals. You want me to sit here and justify the last 50 years of space exploration? You don't want to know whether there are aliens on Mars waiting to invade? Before space exploration we didn't know - we *couldn't* know. We wouldn't understand our Solar System the way we do. I can't sit here and link specific technologies we currently enjoy to the space program, but without Apollo's ripple effect, we would be 20 years behind where we are now. Would we each have computers, for example? Exploration is always the precursor to colonization and conquest, and the universe is ripe for both. The financial opportunities are *astronomical*. If America doesn't want a piece of that pie then I'm sure China, Japan and India don't mind sharing it between themselves. Because just because American space exploration stumbles to an end doesn't mean the whole world does the same thing. If you don't want an American presence in space, fine. Americans can just sit on their couches and watch other countries rise to greatness. Saying "we will never" anything is preposterous. Less than 200 years ago, science fervently believed that a human body could not survive the forces involved in traveling at 30 miles per hour. They were convinced a person would be killed. We now know better, but back then people said "we will never travel as fast as 30 mph". Aeroplanes. "Human beings will never fly. If God had intended us to fly, He would have given us wings." I'm sure you have most likely seen a flying plane, at some point. We might not have been given physical wings, but we have been given imaginary ones, aspiration, ambition, hope, curiosity, imagination, ingenuity. If you choose not to fly, fine. Don't. There are 7 billion others out there who *might* want to use their wings and fly out of the nursery. Perhaps the best thing to do *is* to cut the American space program, as Americans don't seem to have the drive anymore that will be required by the nation that settles the Moon or Mars. It will happen. I wonder what the Chinese call Mars? And I'm sure no God-fearing American would ever dream of cutting the *military* budget...

Answer 3

Ohh!!-but the big what if has been settled: ((they didn't find it))c they wanted to use our money to make money- what if the planet out there had like eighty tons of diamonds on it, or mega tons of precious other gems c our @ss hole government would be telling us nothing just like today when they use the Carnegie grant programs to coherce the public to do what ever the economics and industrialist wants to keep the place in office and in history, we got screwed big time do the numbers do the theories do u really believe u can understand what it would be like to have the astronauts get off a shuttle with more valuables than the planet is worth, think about how little they would tell u and how little they tell u now but they always need more money til they hit the big one, that i believe was always the scam

Answer 4

NASA invented computers, they made sattlites possible and air travel safer. They have also come up with compounds for tires and fire fighters gear. You make it sound like they're putting dollar bills into orbit. And that's before they even put anyone into space.
They're communication and weather sattleites have made it possible for us to sit on our butts and talk on computers and watch TV. They have discovered that the moon is covered with titanium, an ingredient for steel- doesn't that make it worthwhile?
Their attempts to build a colony on the moon have already generated more ideas in robotics in the last 2 years that have been done in the previous 20.
And finally, for all the sci-fi fans, if there is a nuclear war, we just might have some people on another planet to survive the fallout.
Sorry about some of the spelling mistakes, it's getting late here.

Answer 5

I am in agreement with dolphinparty13. I might add in addition to this that countries like China (or even the U.S.) would likely not be spending this money on healthcare for their people or stopping poverty if they were not spending it on space travel. At least space travel has some implications for our future, as well as increasing our scientific knowledge and ability advance technology here on earth. Regardless, I think you are right that money is being spent the wrong way by most governments, and the best thing you can do is investigate how your own government is spending its money, write to your congressmen, and VOTE!!

Answer 6

The "military industrial complex" as well as "space exploration" has burdened the people with an opportunity cost that would have been a lot more equitable elsewhere.

Personnaly I would have rather seen the investment on earth, with making the earth a better place to live for all.

The earth is all we have, and when it is gone and used up we have nothing. The sooner we acknowledge and embrace that fact the better off we will all be.

Sorry to all the people who are drunk off the riches of military production and space exploration.

Answer 7

The idea is pure research. You seldom get to see where this spending leads, but basic science knowledge has improved our understanding of the universe and our place in it. It has also forced research into engineering fields that cross over to betterment of lives on earth.

Another question might be why do we spend billions more money trying to kill each other? (Billions of dollars/day in armaments).

Peace

Answer 8

I concur with dolphinpa, VeryQueas, and Evil Spoon. If we don't start now by the time we have used up all of Earth's resources, we are going to need some place to move to and if our sun goes supernova, it won't be able to be in this solar system. It will have to be in another.

Answer 9

Yeah over population is a huge issue and natural resources can't last forever!

Answer 10

Becouse they likes to see sun world its good experyment and their names writes in a world book.