Pros and Cons of Space Travel

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               For the last thousand years humans have understood that Earth is a part of a much larger system of life and matter. Scientists have dedicated their life to understanding this vast space that encompasses our world, and in the past hundred years we made immense leaps in the cause for space exploration. We send humans to the moon where they could be one of a handful to see the Earth in its full glory. They also were able to understand that space is much more vast than anyone ever thought before. The Cold War had ended and now humans understood that there was not much opportunity for humans in space. NASA lost funding and further exploration programs had come to a halt. It is only in these past couple of years that technology has allowed us to go further in space. We have rovers on Mars, and a satellite just past Pluto to get the first ever pictures of the icy dwarf. However, even with all of this achievement and the benefits space exploration can hold, NASA is still underfunded and there seems to be less and less interest in the program with some of the problems we have here on Earth. In the Asia-Pacific Economics blog, the many writers overview the numerous pros and cons of space exploration. I want to find out if space exploration is worth it and I believe these men hold the answer. 

            The pros of space exploration may prove to be less obvious than expected. In the article, the authors state,"Space exploration will also bring a dramatic change to the life of every individual on Earth." In context, the authors talk about how research for space travel has lead to numerous advancements in engineering and science that have helped create everyday products. The stove being one example. They go on to state "Space exploration is associated with adventure and most people really love adventure, accepting challenges and making impossibilities possible." Most people don't realize that humans were made for adventure and they love nothing more than to find new things. From Columbus to Lewis and Clark, exploration is in human blood and the space program satisfies that crave to always go further, in everything we do.

The cons, however, may be more obvious to the everyday consumer. This is highlighted in the article when the authors point out that " The main disadvantages that you will encounter with space exploration are the amount of money that you need to spend during the research process." NASA receives .04% of the national budget which comes out to a little under ten billion. Many people believe that this money should be going towards other things that could benefit underprivileged people in Africa or even the U.S. Whether the cost is worth the benefit of space exploration is something I will be looking for with this blog.