The Pros And Cons Of Deep Space Exploration

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The exploration and exploitation of space is one of the hottest field in science and technology. Kenneth L. Atkins states that “Space, the solar system, and its relationship and usefulness captured human curiosity from the very day we stood on two legs and thought about more than our next meal.” (Jones, Steven M 351-357)While some others claims that deep space exploration do more harm than good to humans. This essay will discuss the opportunities and challenges on the issue of deep space exploration, which will provide some reasons to argue for outer space exploration.
It Is Not Worth Exploring Space? Some people claim that it is not worth spending such a big amount of money on deep space exploration. According to a report on …show more content…

Ernst Stuhlinger, the then-associate director of science at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, questioning the reasonability of the large investment in space exploration. In Stuhlinger’s letter in reply, he told a thought-provoking story:400 years ago, a benign count gave a large part of his income to the poor in his town. One day he began to support a strange man, who mounted polished small pieces of glass in a tube to look at very small objects. The angry townspeople blamed him for wasting money, but the count insisted on supporting the “strange” man. Finally, the count’s kindness led to the birth of microscope, the most powerful tool to study bacteria and help to cure diseases. (Ernst Stuhlinger) When analogizing the story to space exploration, we can firmly believe that something great will come out and pay back the investment, benefiting the entire …show more content…

Jill Tarter, former director of the Center for SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), expressed opinions about alien civilizations that are in stark contrast to Hawking's. She said: "If aliens were to come here, it would be simply to explore. Considering the age of the universe, we probably wouldn't be their first extraterrestrial encounter, either.” If aliens were able to visit Earth, that would mean they would have technological capabilities sophisticated enough not to need slaves, food or other planets." She added. (SETI Institution,

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