Tax dollars spent on space projects result in jobs, a large proportion of which are high paying, high tech positions. Space exploration generates infinitely more wealth than it spends and royalties on NASA patents and licenses currently go directly to the U.S. Treasury, not back to NASA [1].
All of America’s human space flight programs currently cost around $7 billion a year [1]. This is pennies per person per day, and is considerably less than some of the unnecessary materialistic things American citizens spend their money on. For example in 2006 Americans spent more than $154 billion on alcohol and in 2004 pet related sales amounted to $31 billion, double NASA’s budget for that year. $586.5 billion is also spent a year on gambling and $31 billion is spent on tobacco products [3].
Space exploration has also created international bonds and partnerships between countries. In some cases it has brought previously conflicting countries together, for example the former Soviet Union and the U.S. are now active partners. Finally space exploration can serve as a stimulus for children to enter the fields of science and engineering [1].
Satellites
A satellite is defined as any object that orbits any other object. Man-made satellites are typically launched into outer space from earth to collect data, photos and other information about Earth and all the many things that exist around it. Satellites are used in weather reports, television transmission, everyday calls, GPS and scientific research. The main function of satellites is to receive and send signals all across the globe. The key components are antennas, receivers and transmitters. Most satellites use both power from the Sun and batteries to work. They catch the Sun's energy using
They use batteries when the Sun doesn't shine on them [5] & [6].
Reasons against Space Exploration Being Worth the Cost:
Many people believe that it is ludicrous to pump money into space when we still have problems here on Earth. The money could be better spent on improving education, fighting poverty and researching a cure for cancer.
Respected figures in our society have also supported this view point. For example Martin Luther King Jr stated "If our nation can spend twenty billion dollars to put a man on the moon, it can spend billions of dollars to put God's children on their own two feet right here on earth." [3]
As America is the leading nation for space exploration, home to NASA, many citizens can not understand why money is spent on wanting to explore a lifeless, hostile environment like Mars when 37 million Americans, one in eight, live in a state of poverty, hunger and hardship. However, this is only a small proportion compared to over three billion people (over half the world) in the world living on less than $2.50 a day [7].
Another reason for space exploration not being worth the cost is that it is not worth the cost of people’s lives. Twenty four astronauts have given their lives in service of the NASA space programme and an additional eight cosmonauts have also perished during the Soviet/Russian space program [8].
Conclusion
Overall, after evaluating both reasons for and against, I think that space exploration is worth the cost. This is because the space exploration budget is actually relatively small compared to other expenses in the US and brings many benefits as it creates jobs and new technologies which improve our lives.
Although some may argue that the money would be better invested in finding a cure for cancer or ending world poverty, in reality the space exploration budget on its own would not be enough to end poverty and it can also not be guaranteed that a cure would be found for cancer. Instead new technologies developed through space exploration may also solve these world issues. This is already partly the case as space exploration has already developed breast cancer detection and biopsy systems.
From an economic perspective space exploration generates more money than it spends due to the money created from new technologies. Royalties on NASA patents and licenses also go directly to the U.S. Treasury, not back to NASA.
It is unfortunate that men have lost their lives to space exploration however, the deaths of only twenty four men in over fifty years of NASA is actually only a tiny number if, for example, you compare the number of deaths in fifty years of any industrial organisation.
Discussion of Evidence
[1] Is Space Exploration Worth the Cost? A Freakonomics Quorum, The New York Times – This is a list of responses from a group of space authorities who were asked to answer the previous question. I think that this is a very reliable source for several reasons. Firstly it is from the New York Times, the largest broadsheet metropolitan newspaper in the United States, and is therefore reliable as it has a very good reputation. Secondly it contains the full direct responses from scientists and NASA directors and founders. Thirdly it is reasonably up to date as it is from January 2008. The only criticism is that it is only one-sided.
[2] http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html
This is a list of NASA Spinoffs split into seven categories: Computer Technology, Consumer/Home/Recreation, Environmental & Resource Management, Health & Medicine, Industrial Productivity/Manufacturing Technology, Public safety and Transportation. The Ultimate Space Place includes detailed information for the function of each Spinoff and “is a world leader for space information and history”. I therefore think it is a reliable source as it also has a good reputation for selling genuine space memorabilia however; the site was last revised in 2004 meaning that the list of NASA Spinoffs may not be up to date. I do not think that this effects the accuracy of my case study though, as the technologies included are still used in the world we live in today.
[3] http://www.spacedaily.com/news/oped-04b.html
Space daily is a website which provides up to date space news and NASA proposals. This particular article was written in 2004 and includes key facts about the expenditure of the US as well as quotes from US politicians. I think it is a reliable source as important politicians have contributed to the article and the website is constantly updated with the latest space news.
[4] http://jeffreyellis.org/blog/?p=1614
This source provided the graphs for NASA’s budget history.
[5] http://www.space.com/satellite/ & [6] http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-do-satellites-work.html
These sources provide information about how satellites work, as well as current satellites in space.
[7] http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats
This source provides key facts and statistics on poverty. It is reliable as it is up to date as it has been updated during 2009.
[8] http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/history/q0114.shtml
This is source provides detailed information about the thirty two people who have lost their lives to space exploration. The only fault with this source is that it has not been updated since 2003 so there may be additional deaths that have not been included.
