We can't predict or see an asteroid or comet crashing into the Earth until it hits us, let alone stop it, or so I've read. And I don't see space exploration benefiting us in any ways, except for statelites and the tempur-pedic mattress. Shouldn't that time and money be spent on something closer to home?
2007-07-06 11:13:02 · 10 answers · asked by 5 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
You guys changed my mind, maybe it is worth it.
2007-07-06 11:32:12 · update #1
Skittles have you read "A Short History of Nearly Everything", by Bill Bryson? Theoretically, the closest planet in our solar system that closest resembles Earth is more than a billion light years away. So even if we had some type of ship that could go at the same speed as light (not possible) it would take us a billion years to get there. So space exploration isn't about finding a new planet for us to live in.
2007-07-06 11:41:18 · update #2
I'm seeing the pros in space exploration now.
2007-07-06 11:43:29 · update #3
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/asteroid_close_041222.html
Even with our space telescopes we can't see some asteroids until it's too late.
2007-07-06 13:28:57 · update #4
Because of the fascinating expansion of knowledge as well as the technological benefits that are sometimes seemingly unrelated to space exploration. Check this out - and it's only the top 20... There are so many more examples like these.
http://nctn.hq.nasa.gov/spinoff_top_20a.pdf
2007-07-06 11:24:42 · answer #1 · answered by Breezy 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
One answer is that at the current rate it is estimated that earth will be completly empty of fossil fuels (oil natural gas etc.) by 2025. When that happens humans have to look elsewhere for a fuel source. Solar and wind are beginning to make a dent into the energy crisis but with current technology they will not be ready to provide power for the entire world. Currently only 6-8 % of all power generated is by another source other than fossil fuels.
There are two reasons for space exploration 1) to see if there is any harvestable fuel sources close by that we could go collect and bring back and 2) we are currently over 6 billion people on earth and we are draining it's resouces now but the real problem here is one of space. We are running out of room for all the people so we are turning to space exploration to see if that is a possible alternative (think something like a Mars colony or a colony on the moon)
You are mistaken about seeing astroids befor they get to us. With the Hubble telescope we can see objects past pluto which is not the last planet in our little system. We are developing technologies to deal with that very concern.
Laser is one such technology. Think about it Comets are balls of ice and crust hurtling through space. We are developing such technologies to blow them apart long before they ever reach us.
2007-07-06 12:39:36 · answer #2 · answered by Carl H 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Asteroids are not the problem as a comet is. The asteroid is heavy and for space moves pretty slow. A comet may be traveling 250,000 mph . by the time u see it it is too late but the moon is a meteor deflector. If we hadn't done this u would not have a computer and many other things that are great but just don't make the news. It is to advance the technology.
2007-07-07 04:53:34 · answer #3 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The government is spending that amount of money because for the human race to survive we need to live on another planet. And we need to do this in less than a billion years. The sun is dying. As it dies it gets bigger and hotter. In time Earth will be engulfed by the suns mass. After that there will only be 5billion more years until the sun dies completely and turns into a white dwarf(like a mini black hole.) Scientists know all of this because of space exploration.
2007-07-06 11:34:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Reality check here.
Every dollar spent on space exploration creates $7 worth of new business opportunity. You call a 700% return on investment not a benefit?
Case in point: 100% of the money paid as wages and to purchase services for space exploration is paid to companies and people working and living on this planet, and that is pretty close to home. Without this business and those jobs, they would have to be on welfare.
2007-07-06 11:35:25 · answer #5 · answered by Vincent G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just because it doesn't make sense to you does not mean it does not make sense.
Understanding the universe better and better is more desirable than thinking the earth is flat and it was poofed into existence. And if you want to look only at how it benefits you personally, consider modern medicine, telecommunications, computers---all that was revolutionized by the technical demands of space exploration.
2007-07-06 11:18:54 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
we humans always need to learn, it's to gain more knowledge, like, to predict when will asteroids hit us, discover a new habitable planet in case earth is not habitable anymore, solve the mystery whether aliens do or don't exist, how really did the universe began, will it end or it really is forever...
space explorations are products of curiosity
2007-07-06 13:13:34 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because man has an insatiable thirst for exploration and knowledge!
Besides don't you think it would be cool if humans were able to start colonizing other worlds! It all has to start somewhere!
2007-07-06 12:59:57 · answer #8 · answered by bender_xr217 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
To understand how Earth was created, how the basis of life as we know it came to be.
2007-07-06 12:26:32 · answer #9 · answered by Cynthia G 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As with anything else its for military reasons , ever heard of star war`s ? , well this is it , saranora dnear
2007-07-06 15:03:14 · answer #10 · answered by dnear34 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋