Space Exploration

"I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important in the long-range exploration of space, and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish” (Humanspaceflight) - President J.F Kennedy. This visionary statement by the late President Kennedy is perhaps most credited for the renewed zeal and interest in space travel and exploration. The minds of many Americans and the whole world were fascinated by this seemingly ambitious and audacious attempt to take humanity to space. This spurred imagination led to increase in the works of art based on science fiction in the form of movies and written books. However, on 20th July 1969, this dream became a reality when America was able to put a man on the moon, Neil Armstrong. The jubilation and the frenzy that followed this crowning moment was glorious and deserving in every manner. However, recent developments have shown that the interest of space exploration has died down, both on the public platform as well as by the government. This seemingly widespread lull in the endeavors made before should be discouraged and efforts should be made to resuscitate space travel and exploration as it holds the key to the future generations.

Man is curious by nature and history has shown that human beings thrive by learning and discovering new things are new ways of accomplishing tasks. With this in mind therefore, it is indeed prudent that to invest in the both the technology necessary and the training of the required personnel in order to achieve these goals. The possibilities that lie in space explorat...

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...en the program should be continued and funding increased.

To conclude, space exploration in the end will be more beneficial than bad for humanity. It promises to change the way things are done, and in fact, some concepts and technologies used today owe their origin to space exploration. For instance the hydrogen fuel cells, solar cells and water recycling are key concepts of space travel. Therefore funding should be increased since it is evident that space travel is here to stay.

Works Cited

Harper and Row 1954.The Young Traveller in Space. London: Phoenix House, 1954. Going Into Space. New York: The Scottie Book of Space Travel. London: Transworld Publishers, 1957

Launius, R.D et al. "Spaceflight: The Development of Science, Surveillance, and Commerce in Space". Proceedings of the IEEE (special centennial issue): 1785–1818.

Humanspaceflight. 24 Oct 2012. 15 Jan