Why is space worthwhile

According to this theory, known as the Giant Impact Hypothesis , the Earth-Moon system is the result of a collision that took place some 4. This occurred just a few million years after the Earth formed from the protoplanetary disk that surrounded our Sun.

The deployment of space-based telescopes has also had a major impact on astronomy and cosmology. By operating in orbit, these telescopes are not subject to atmospheric distortion and can capture images of distant galaxies and cosmic phenomena that would not be possible using ground-based telescopes. The Hubble Space Telescope HST , for example, has contributed more than a million observations in its 30 years of service. These have allowed astronomers and astrophysicists to learn more about the Universe by measuring the rate at which it is expanding which led to the theory of Dark Energy , testing General Relativity, and discovering extrasolar planets.

This last area of research, which has since been taken up by the likes of the Kepler Space Telescope KST , the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite , the Gaia space observatory , and soon the James Webb Space Telescope has allowed scientists to search for life beyond our world like never before! In fact, the Kepler mission alone has been responsible for the discovery of nearly candidate extrasolar planets.

Of these, 49 planets have been earmarked for follow-up studies because they are considered good candidates for habitability. Once again, looking for life out there is causing scientists to take a good like at how life emerged here. And then there is the way that space travel has brought the world together and facilitated international cooperation.

When Yuri Gagarin became the first man to go to space, he instantly became a hero, and not just in the Soviet Union. During the frequent tours he did after his historic flight, Gagarin's warm manner and bright smile were said to have " lit up the darkness of the Cold War. The same is true of Neil Armstrong when he became the first man to set foot on the Moon. His famous words, "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind," are considered iconic well beyond the United States.

After returning to Earth, he toured the Soviet Union as an honored guest and delivered an address at the 13th annual conference of the International Committee on Space Research. During Apollo 11 , Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left a package of memorial items on the Moon to honor astronauts and cosmonauts who had died in training accidents. In addition to Grissom, White and Chaffee who died in the fire that consumed the Apollo 1 Command Module they also honored Vladimir Komarov and Yuri Gagarin - who died in and , respectively.

Laika the dog, the first canine to go into space, is regarded as a hero as well by space enthusiasts all over the world. Despite the fact that these events all took place during the Cold War, the way these achievements united the world in celebration allowed for a bit of a thaw. You also have collaborative efforts like the International Space Station ISS , which 18 national space agencies participated in creating.

These same countries have regularly contributed both personnel and experiments to ISS expeditions. As of , astronauts have visited the station many of them multiple times , with of them being from the US, 47 from Russia, 18 from the EU, 9 from Japan, 8 from Canada, and individual astronauts from a wide range of countries. But of course, the benefits of 70 years of space travel go beyond advancements made in science and international cooperation.

There are also the innumerable technological and commercial benefits that have resulted from space-related government-funded research and development.

Within the United States, these benefits are cataloged by NASA Spinoff , which was founded in by the NASA Technology Transfer Program to report on how technologies developed for space missions have been made available to the corporate sector and general public. For instance, did you know that NASA-funded research led to the development of Light-Emitting Diodes LEDs , portable cordless vacuums, microwaves, freeze-drying technology, temper foam, video enhancing and analysis systems, computer-assisted design CAD , Embedded Web Technology EWT , and weather visualization and forecasting software?

How about health and medical advances like ventricular assist devices VADs , artificial limbs, food safety systems, water, and air filtration systems, and magnetic resonance imaging MRI?

It has also advanced our understanding of genetic disorders, osteoporosis, and degenerative diseases. That's a pretty significant return on investment, especially when you consider the other ways in which it has paid off. Asking whether or not space exploration is worth the investment is both sensible and necessary. But an equally valid question to ask in the midst of considering all that we've derived from it so far is, "would that have been possible otherwise?

Would we have seen the same revolutions in terms of communications, computing, transportation, medicine, astronomy, astrophysics, and planetary sciences?

Would we have come to learn as much about our origins on this planet? Would we understand just how interconnected life and ecosystems are today? Pondering these two questions are vital as we embark on an era of renewed space exploration, which will require a similar commitment in term of time, energy, resources and vision. It's also worth considering whether or not we will even be able to address our problems here on Earth without investing in space exploration. Looking to the next decade and after, NASA, Roscomos, China, India, the EU, and many other space agencies hope to explore the lunar surface, create a permanent outpost there, send astronauts to Mars, explore the outer planets of the Solar System, and search for life both near and far.

All of this will require a lot of money, and it is uncertain what the future budget environment will be like. And while countless innovation promise to make going to space more cost-effective and accessible like reusable rockets and space planes , we may run into some problems in the future and need to make some sacrifices.

But for the time being, it seems that we are intent on making the next generation of exploration happen. Another way in which we stand to benefit from continued exploration is the expansion of our resource base.

And of course, there are the words of the late and great Carl Sagan, who had plenty to say on the benefits of exploration:. Given what stands to be gained, and what we will miss out on if we stop, the costs of space exploration seem infinitely bearable! By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You may unsubscribe at any time. By Matthew S. Human presence in science is almost the definition of science. It was controversial at the time, but by the end of that decade, the USA was the most powerful nation on Earth. The benefits of continuing to conduct off-world scientific exploration in the short term are Earthly.

They have to do with forging new and unprecedented diplomatic relationships between countries, while getting engineers with different backgrounds and traditions to work together.

It also ensures the development of a good technology base, not only among companies, but among young people who need something to inspire them through the educational system. These people are more likely to be interested in building a space ship than something less glamorous. Space science also keeps coming up with new challenges in terms of materials, communications and so on. Solving these challenges feeds back into the terrestrial economy.

People are under the illusion that investing in rockets involves little more than sticking money into the pipe and then setting fire to it. The money gets circulated here on the ground. What the current team of scientists is doing at the moment is developing a framework to teach us how to maintain a long-term presence in space. It has taken some time for the science to feed back to us, but this is because constructing the Space Station itself has been complicated.

In terms of science, Toggle navigation Menu. Debate: For and against space exploration - is space research a waste of time?

Image credit: NASA. For: Investing in further scientific exploration of space is a waste of resources By Robin Hanbury-Tenison The amount of money being spent on space research is in the billions and it has achieved extraordinarily little except for a bit of improved technology which would probably have come about anyway by other means.

ISS shunted into wider orbit to avoid space junk from Chinese satellite. Mars colony isolation trial saw Earth communications wane over time. Improving our day-to-day lives Space technologies improve products we use every day, weather forecasts, and communications worldwide. Enhancing safety on Earth Satellites data can be used to predict natural disasters and to support emergency relief efforts.

Making scientific discoveries Scientific breakthroughs are challenging our assumptions and pushing our boundaries by exploring the unknown. Sparking youth's interest in science Astronauts encourage young people to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics.