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The Planetary Society • Aug 30, 2021
Why space exploration is always worthwhile
Your guide to advocating for space in a complicated world.
Most people who love space and believe in exploration have probably heard this once or twice: “We shouldn’t waste money on space exploration when there are problems to deal with here on Earth.”
While public health concerns, social injustices, climate change, and other urgent issues are important to address, solving these problems doesn’t depend on defunding space programs.
This can be a difficult conversation to navigate, so we’ve outlined a few ideas here that you can share when advocating for space.
Space research isn’t as expensive as people think
Many countries around the world invest in space science and exploration as a balanced part of their total federal budget. Public opinion research has shown that people estimate NASA to take up as much as a quarter of the U.S. federal budget, but in fact, NASA’s budget only represents about 0.5% of the total federal budget and the proportion is even smaller for other spacefaring nations . The correct information may go a long way to reassuring critics that space spending isn’t eating up as many public resources as they think.
The United States government spent approximately $6.6 trillion in fiscal year 2020, of which just 0.3% ($22.6 billion) was provided to NASA. In this chart, shades of blue represent mandatory spending programs; shades of orange are discretionary programs that require annual appropriations by Congress. "Defense and related" includes both the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Source: Office of Management and Budget Historical Tables 8.5 and 8.7.
Space spending pays off
If someone is arguing that public funds should be spent on solving the world’s problems, they should know that money spent on NASA positively impacts the U.S. economy . We get the same kind of payoff for space spending in other countries. Spending on space supports highly skilled jobs, fuels technology advancements with practical applications, and creates business opportunities that feed back into the economy. This in turn grows the pool of public money that can be spent on solving the world’s most pressing problems.
Space research directly impacts Earthly problems
When people apply themselves to the challenges of exploring space, they make discoveries that can help the world in other ways too. Studying how we might grow food in orbit or on Mars yields insights into growing food in extreme conditions on Earth , generating knowledge that can help mitigate the impacts of climate change. Medical research conducted on the International Space Station helps us understand the human body in new ways, helping save lives and improve quality of life .
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Studying space helps us understand our own world
Studying the cosmos gives us an important perspective shift. When we learn about what lies beyond Earth, it gives us context for understanding our own planet. Studying the other worlds of our solar system and beyond makes it clear that Earth is a precious oasis for life. When we sent spacecraft to Venus we saw how a runaway greenhouse effect turned the world from a habitable planet to an absolute hellscape. When astronauts travel into space they see just how thin and tenuous Earth’s atmosphere is, appreciating the fragile balance in which we live . A cosmic perspective underscores the importance of protecting our planet’s habitability and encourages investment in that effort.
Studying space may one day save us all
All the social and environmental progress in the world won't help us if an asteroid impacts the Earth. We have to explore space to find and study the asteroids and comets in our cosmic neighborhood if we want to make sure we can defend our planet if an object ever heads our way.
Space is inspiring
Not every child who dreams of becoming an astronaut will get that opportunity. This is a sad truth that many of us know from experience. But to be inspired to aim for something so grand gives kids the motivation to study hard and gain skills in science, engineering, medicine, or other fields that benefit humanity and directly help overcome problems that we face as a species.
And inspiration isn’t just for kids. When we marvel at the beauty of Jupiter’s clouds or the mystery of Enceladus’ oceans , we get an opportunity to appreciate the wonder and majesty of this cosmos that we inhabit. The idea that life might exist elsewhere in the universe reminds us that we might not be the only planet struggling to achieve balance, justice, and sustainability. And even in the bleakest of times, there’s something beautiful about still striving to achieve something great and discover something that could change how we see ourselves and our cosmos forever.
There’s plenty of room at the table
There’s no denying that there are many important issues facing humanity that need fixing. But to deal with those problems doesn’t mean we have to stop looking up, stop exploring, and stop making discoveries.
Human civilization has astonishing capacity, and we can do more than one important thing at a time. If someone thinks that a particular issue should get more attention and investment, they can and should advocate for that. The problems we face don’t persist because we’re spending money on space science and exploration. And there’s no reason to pit our aspirations against one another.
Take action for space exploration!
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Student Opinion
Should We Still Be Sending Astronauts to Space?
NASA’s Artemis program plans to send astronauts back to the moon for the first time since 1972. Is this kind of human space exploration still necessary?
By Natalie Proulx
Have you ever dreamed of becoming an astronaut or working for NASA?
In September, Eleanor Lutz wrote about NASA’s next human mission :
Since the final Apollo mission in 1972, the moon has been undisturbed by human footsteps. But that may soon change. NASA plans to send astronauts back to the moon this decade in a series of spaceflights called the Artemis program. The first planned launch is a test flight with no crew members aboard. NASA has postponed the flight twice so far, including on Saturday [Sept. 3], because of technical issues during the launch countdown, and will reschedule a third try soon. Eventually, though no earlier than 2025, NASA will send astronauts for a weeklong stay near the moon’s south pole. The crew will include the first woman and the first person of color to walk on the moon, NASA said.
That third try is slated to happen on Wednesday. What is your first impression of this mission? Are you excited by the thought of Americans returning to the moon? Are you skeptical or indifferent? Why?
In “ NASA Is Returning to the Moon This Week. Why Do We Feel Conflicted? ” Shannon Stirone, a space journalist, hosted a written online conversation with Leroy Chiao, a retired NASA astronaut; Lori Garver, a former deputy administrator of NASA; and David Grinspoon, an astrobiologist, about the big questions surrounding the Artemis launch. Here are some excerpts from their discussion:
Shannon Stirone: How’s everyone feeling about NASA returning to the moon after almost 50 years? Leroy, let’s start with you as the one who has been to space. Leroy Chiao: I’m glad we’re finally going to launch this rocket (hopefully). It has been a long time, and a lot of money. Since I was inspired to become an astronaut by the Apollo moon missions, I would have loved a chance to go to the moon myself. But I have mixed feelings, though I hope that we have a successful mission. It is always exciting to see a new vehicle fly.
Ms. Garver adds:
Lori Garver: Like Leroy and David, I have very mixed feelings. I agree that sending humans to the moon again could offer meaningful benefits to the United States and society as a whole, but I don’t believe the way we are going about it is sustainable because we are using outdated and expensive single-use technologies. Apollo was a race, so doing it in that fashion was the right thing to do. We’ve now spent tens of billions of dollars and over a dozen years doing it again — just saying it is sustainable doesn’t make it so. Stirone: True. We often tout human exploration as a marker of technological progress, but the truth is we don’t need to go back to the moon other than to demonstrate, as we did in the 1960s, that we can. Is human landing on the moon a mark of progress, or does scientific discovery matter more? What do we gain from humans on the moon? Chiao: We have not sent people to the moon since 1972, so we don’t have the capability to do so immediately now. It is a bit of a “do-over,” but we have to relearn these things before we can go on to Mars, another NASA goal . Grinspoon: There’s also a huge wealth of scientific knowledge to be gained by a return to the moon. There are really important, fundamental questions about the history of Earth, the history of life. There are wonderful investigations we can do there.
Mr. Grinspoon points out that, compared with human spaceflight, robotic missions “have always been much more science-driven and more efficient.” Ms. Stirone asks:
Stirone: To your point, the science potential on the moon is incredibly valuable. But shouldn’t we have spent all of the funds for the human mission on robotic science missions instead? Grinspoon: Well, realistically we were never going to get equivalent funds to just do science with robots. Can you imagine if we did? Stirone: I do! All the time. Grinspoon: We could have orbiters around every planet in the solar system for a fraction of the cost of Artemis. But nobody gave us that option. In reality, the main reasons to send humans are other intangibles, some mentioned already, but also for inspiration and the human drive to explore, and reasons that I would even call spiritual. And as a scientist, I have to say, if we are going to go for these other reasons, then let’s be sure and set it up in such a way that we can do some great and important science while we’re there. Garver: Going to and from space is expensive. Lowering the cost of space activities would allow us — whether it’s governments, consortiums, companies, etc. — to do more meaningful things in the domain.
Ms. Stirone continues:
Stirone: Leroy, NASA says : “We’re going back to the moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers: the Artemis Generation.” As someone who has been to space, do you think a crewed mission is required to inspire people to be interested in space exploration? Chiao: It’s a balance. I’m a big supporter of robotic space missions as well as human ones. Humans relate to other humans doing the exploration. We have sent probes into the upper atmosphere, and down to the deepest depths of the oceans, and have made many discoveries. But, when the first humans climbed Everest, and when the first human — fairly recently — went down to the floor of the Mariana Trench, that’s when the public got interested. So, yes, the science is exciting to many, but the human experience is usually exciting to all.
Students, read the entire article, then tell us:
After learning more about the Artemis program and the panelists’ views on it, how do you feel about the mission? Do you think it is critical for “scientific discovery, economic benefits and inspiration for a new generation of explorers” as NASA has said? Or does it seem like a waste of time, money and resources?
The panelists offer several reasons human spaceflight is valuable — among them that it is inspirational to future explorers, that it’s a marker of geopolitical leadership, that it can give us information for a future Mars landing, that it is even a spiritual need. Which of the reasons mentioned in the article are most compelling to you? What else do you think can be gained from sending humans to space?
Several panelists noted that robotic missions were often more science-driven and efficient and less expensive than human missions. Do you think taxpayer money would be better spent on robotic missions, such as, for example, the recent James Webb telescope launch? Or do you think there is value in spending tens of billions of dollars to send humans to space, even if the mission is less science-driven and more expensive?
How valuable do you think space exploration is in general? For example, one panelist brings up climate change. Should the government prioritize solving problems here on Earth? Or is space exploration and scientific discovery just as important? Why?
The Artemis mission plans to include the first woman and first person of color to land on the moon. How important do you think these kinds of firsts are? What would these achievements mean to you?
Ms. Stirone asks the panelists: “What are your biggest space science questions right now?” How would you answer that? What do you want to know about the universe and beyond?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
Natalie Proulx joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2017 after working as an English language arts teacher and curriculum writer. More about Natalie Proulx