Why should our space progam be a priority?

Question

There is increasing sentiment that we should not continue to fund the space program.

Answer 1

This sentiment has always seemed ridiculous to me. All conspiracy theory nut stuff about spy satelites and WMDs aside, there are a couple of valid points in favor, and not really much that can be argued against (at least not validly) working on getting a handle on space.

First, space in the past has been a priority for political and military reasons. However, as it becomes evident that there are processes that can be done in microgravity that are difficult in earth's gravity we become more aware of the commercial applications that being in space will allow. These applications include not only earth based uses for the technology that got us there, but for things like medicines from crystals that only grow over time in microgravity. What kinds of things might we come up with given a microgravity lab and a few years to play with it? We don't know. We have a very limited capacity to do research in this manner; there have been only a relative handful of expirements done in that environment, as opposed to the R&D that goes on here on earth.

Second, the space program doesn't get as much funding as people seem to think it does, and it is constantly getting cut. When people advocating cutting the funding for the space program talk, they use the numbers from the budget but forget to point out that this is but a SMALL fraction of the US budget. They make it sound like there is nothing being spent on say, social security, when in fact, the social security budget for 2007 is a little over $586 billion, while NASA gets a paltry $15 billion-- social security gets almost 40 times what NASA does! In fact, NASA is somewhere in the bottom of the budget, barely getting table scraps!

Third, There is, on Earth, a finite amount of resources and space. Our population cannot continue to grow and still be expected to have a place to live and food to eat. There are only a few alternatives. 1) stop reproducing so much. 2) kill billions to keep the resources under control. 3) find somewhere else to expand to.

People seem to think that reproduction is a right, but there are people who do it just to get on welfare, or to get tax credits, or whatever, people who aren't ready, and such. It taxes our systems immensly. But it won't stop. In free society one can't require a birthing license, though it would possibly stop many people who shouldn't be having children from having fifteen. So population control this way seems remote. (Sorry if this seems harsh, I grew up in a big family that could barely eat, though most of the kids in it were adopted from families that were much worse)

Killing billions is not a teneble population control unless you believe that genocide is prefereable. If this is your belief, please stop reading this and go seek help.

So that leaves getting our butts into space.

Other reasons to colonize that direction--

1) It would be cool to look down on Earth and say, Ha! I'm really free now!
2) The science for getting there would be inmmensely useful on earth
3) people would have to be better educated to get there, and thus education could become a priority, possibly reducing ignorance and poverty overall (though unlikely that it could ever eliminate it)
4) Bringing people together through science and learning, understanding and sharing. Think about slowing wars by getting together to make spaceships!
5) Jobs. It would create a lot of jobs if space became a big industry.
6) Danger to the earth--asteroids and comets, and other things.

I'm sure there is more. As you can see, sure it is expensive, but the US barely spends anything. Sure the possible outcomes may be overly idealistic, but what ever happened to the basic doctrines of morals? We should all try to help each other, to learn and grow and discover new ways to help and whatnot.

Otherwise, on an earth where it's everyone for themselves, I hope the asteroid comes soon.

To infinty,and beyond!!!

Answer 2

That is a dumb,short sighted and ultimately fatal sentiment to have. I will refer you to the movies Armageddon and Deep Impact, both of which postulate a large mass impacting the earth. While the movies are fictional, the ideas behind them are not. Earth is riddled with craters from large impacts, the moon even more so because it has no atmosphere to burn up the smaller ones. In 2029, just 22 years from now, asteroid 2004 MN4 will pass within 18,000 miles of earth. That is WITHIN the orbits of our geo-synchronous satellites! This asteroid is 320 meters across, large enough to destroy an area the size of Texas if it were to hit earth, or cause massive tsunami's if it hit in the ocean. Now we are pretty certain it wont hit us then, however the close pass to earth could change its orbit just enough so that it does smack earth the next time around. And this is not the only asteroid out there, there are tens of thousands, many of them are unmapped. That is the best reason of all to have a space program. However space programs also develop technologies with civilian applications, such as fuel cells, solar power and water filtration.

Answer 3

I somewhat agree. Space programs help increase technology and might save us some day from a catastrophy. But with all the funding they get, it could be used for law enforcement and education. What's the use of having a colony on the moon when things are so messed up down here?

Answer 4

Money spent on space science is small compared to the money spent on all science. Science in general is a good idea since all our modern technology that makes our lives so easy is based on science that 100 years ago seemed to have no economic value.

Funding the international space station is a way to keep otherwise out of work rocket engineers from Russia from using their talents to make nuclear missiles for countries like North Korea.

Funding military space activities is just part of protecting the country. The military depend more than ever on space, like GPS, weather satellites, communication satellites and spy satellites. The military space spending is larger than the NASA space spending, but it is not reported as space spending, it is just mixed in with the rest of the defense budget, often in secret projects like spy satellites.

Answer 5

Because eventually we'll improve our life using space.

Solar power satellites, mining other planets, new places to live.

People must have made the same arguments about paying for expeditions to the New World in the 1500s.

Answer 6

One benefit of space programs is that they help advance technology on Earth around the general public.
Some items originally made for astronauts, shuttles, rockets, etc... eventually make it as everyday conveniences.

Answer 7

First help all the poor people on this earth and make it a happy and peaceful place , then only go to space and other planets and stars. Its my personal opinion and may be of some of others too.

Answer 8

Who says it's a priority now? NASA has always been behind many other items in the budget process.

Answer 9

Its been spoken of, no longer particular the position even though it makes perfect sense. shall we sparkling up some issues about area commute and why it sucks: Getting everywhere thrilling calls for finished devotion. vacationing on the speed of light, it ought to take 8 minutes to attain the sunlight. quite cool precise? except for the entire lack of life through publicity to raditation component. besides, that distance is like accomplishing for a beer on earth! in case you wanna get someplace thrilling like our nearest galaxy Alpha Centauri it ought to take 4 years on the speed of light. no longer too undesirable precise? properly, it wouldnt be too undesirable if the speed of light became attainable for an merchandise. Einstein's equation tells us that fairly of mass equals various of capacity. which ability including capacity, like in case you had to propel the article ahead, will improve its mass. you do not observe it frequently, yet you should in case you went quick sufficient. So the swifter you bypass, the more desirable capacity the article good points, and the more desirable tremendous it turns into. As your merchandise (it is, your deliver) procedures the speed of light--yet in the previous it ought to attain it--it turns into infinitely tremendous, and the only way make some thing infinitely tremendous bypass swifter is to apply an unlimited quantity of capacity. And theres no longer sufficient capacity interior the universe to get you transferring that quick. 'properly', I listen you saying, 'What if we went at 0.5 that speed, shall we nonetheless make quite good time, precise?' particular! only make a gadget that would commute 0.5 the speed of light and we are going to be cookin with gas! What ought to bypass incorrect? First theres 0 gravity, which in truth turns you right into a baggy mass of meat and brittle bones very immediately in 0 G. And the priority of vacationing at that speed ought to in all likelihood weigh down you and the deliver into small products - and any merchandise that hits the deliver at that speed, a small pebble to illustrate, will kill you all. So no, the possibilities are 0 that you will be coming domicile in case you depart on the subsequent project to mars!

Answer 10

More funding would help promote higher education and higher paying technical jobs.
Understanding the universe would help understand the earth.