"Governments are spending a lot of money on our new space ships, and we can feel the underlying pressure from the other nations," says one of the engineers from the department of designing outer space air-crafts for China. According to John McHale, there was 3.5 billion dollars in NASA's budget in 2010 (McHale, 2009, p.11). Indeed, developing the new technology on outer space is important for a country; however, here is the voice from the citizens and critics, " Governments should spend more money meeting people's basic needs, which concern individuals more compared to the high-end technology in outer space." Governments are facing serious problems when coming to the issue of meeting people's basic needs. (Ontario Office, 2003). It is said that governments should spend money on individuals' basic needs rather than exploring outer space, for promotion of a low crime rate, sense of happiness and satisfaction for individuals, and the stability of the society as a whole. Cost of Exploring Space Around the world, a few countries have started competing in the exploration of space. Consequently, it leads to the high expenditure of exploring outer space. There is a huge amount of cost every year for the exploration of outer space. For NASA (American Space Agency), there will be a cost of $5.54 billion in 2012.(McHale, 2009, para.4). According to the Economist (2011), one project that will exceed too much from the budget has raised the awareness of the governors and astronomers at NASA. As some advocates argue, the development of the new industry can definitely promote the economy, regardless of the expenses. However, critics are considering whether the governments should continue to plan a huge budget on their space projects. What sho... ... middle of paper ... ... ultimately promoted. Works Cited Economist. (2011, November). Throwing money into space, 400, 94-95. McHale, J. (2009) Human space flight gets increase in 2010 NASA budget request. Military & Aerospace Electronics, 20(8), 11. General OneFile. Web. Retrieved 17 Nov. 2011, from http://go.galegroup.com.rap.ocls.ca/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA206395056&v=2.1&u=conestoga&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w Ontario Office. (2003). Tory cuts ensure "basic needs" hard to meet for Ontario's most vulnerable. Retrieved 17 Nov. 2011, from http://www.policyalternatives.ca/newsroom/news-releases/tory-cuts-ensure-basic-needs-hard-meet-ontarios-most-vulnerable Pass, J. (2008). Astrosociology and Space Exploration: Taking Advantage of the Other Branch of Science. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OTHER BRANCH OF SCIENCE. Retrieved 17 Nov. 2011, from http://astrosociology.com/Library/PDF/STAIF2008_OtherBranch.pdf
There are many people who see space as the last and greatest frontier for humankind. There are many groups who are leading the way and NASA is one of them. But should our tax dollars be invested in such an idea? No, according to British history professor Jerry DeGroot. His thesis, in the article “is that United States should, a sensually, defund NASA. From what I can tell, he uses mainly pathos to try to sway his argument, leaving very little appeals to ethos and practically none to logos. I’m going to explore these three appeals, as well as many of the fallacies he uses within the piece.
NASA is being underfunded and its funding should be substantially increased to make ends meet. This trend needs to be changed and re-evaluated. About $2.9 trillion is spent on health care alone (Millman). The U.S. government spends a mere $17.7 billion on NASA and spends more than 36 times that on defense $647 billion, with nearly $20 billion alone in 2011 spent on air conditioning tents. Since NASA’s Cold War glory days, the budget has gone from 4.41% of the total budget in 1966, to less than 0.45% today, its lowest ever.
Bill Nye, the “Science Guy,” asserts, “NASA is an engine of innovation and inspiration as well as the world's premier space exploration agency, and we are well served by politicians working to keep it that way, instead of turning it into a mere jobs program, or worse, cutting its budget.” The United States of America’s government is currently in an economic debt encompassing billions of US dollars. Unfortunately, the government has attempted to balance finances by cutting the funding for most programs, including NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA, in over half a century, has brought the most economic, technological, and social benefits than any other program held here in the USA, as well as any other extraterrestrial program in the world. The last thing this nation needs is the cutting of NASA finances. NASA should be receiving more funding because the Earth will not last forever and humans will need a place to live, there’s a curiosity within humans about the vast universe they live in, there is evidence to suggest life on other planets, the USA’s superpower status will be improved, and the economical income NASA brings is more efficient than any other governmental or educational program.
Dubner, Stephen. "Is Space Exploration Worth the Cost?." Freakonomics: The Hidden Side of Everything. New York Times, 11/1/2010. Web. 18 Jul 2010. .
A. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Space Technology. New York: Salamander, 1989. Launius, Roger D. Frontiers of Space Exploration. Westport, CN: Greenwood, 1998.
These are the reasons why I believe there should be more investment in space research and technology. It would be a time consuming and financially draining quest, but the pay off in new technology, applications, resources, and expansion opportunities make it a goal to strive for. As our rate of consumption of Earth’s natural resources continues to increase, it is imperative that we invest in the research of outer space as a possible solution to sustaining the human race.
HALVORSON, TODD. "As uncertainty grows over future of U.S. human spaceflight, NASA workers grow anxious". Gannett News Service. 29 Jan 2010 eLibrary. Web. 18 Feb 2010.
When talking about the current space program, Neil Degrasse Tyson once said, “I got angry with America, because advancing is not just something you do incrementally. You need innovation as well, so that your advances are revolutionary, not merely evolutionary” (Tyson 3). America used to have the top space program in the world. Being first to the moon excited the country and gave everyone a sense of pride and fulfillment. Lately, though, we have been falling behind in space exploration. A successful space program is needed in America, and here’s why: we are losing our grip on the title as the world superpower and a new age of economics and politics is coming faster than we are prepared for. To be prepared for this new age we need the funds,
Humans have dreamed of leaving the earth and traveling space for many years, and up to this day they have taken many steps in the right direction. Yet, with every new frontier they approach, new problems loom over the horizon. All problems involved with space exploration may not directly involve space itself. Many of those problems surface right here on Earth. Some of the easier issues have been resolved, such as escaping the forces of gravity to reach outer space. More of these problems are far more arduous and the solutions need more time to be worked out properly. In “The Coming Schism” by James E. and Alcestis R. Oberg, humans have already begun colonizing space, yet there are still new problems arising. Major problems such as financing, communication and culture conflicts are important in the journey to space, because they all have the potential to disrupt progress.
NASA’s research and innovation looked promising, but it came at a cost. Money, resources, and spacecraft accidents, most famously Apollo 13 all hindered NASA’s research. In the 21st century, the debate over funding for NASA is at its peak since the birth of the organization in 1958, especially when there are numerous problems throughout the world. Is the money spent on space exploration worth the advantages and advances it contributes to society? When considering this topic, one might ask themselves, why explore space?
Thesis statement: The space program has been suffering budget cuts ever since 1993, so much so that with the latest sequester passed in 2011, the budget cuts are now threatening the very existence of NASA and the future of space exploration.
(Source K) Flowers, Sarah. “Understanding: Space Travel.” Rev. of Understanding: Space Travel. PoQuest. N.p., Aug. 2000. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. .
Since the beginning of time, mankind has sought after learning about and exploring the universe. This yearning drove us to achieve such great things as the journey to the moon and the discovery of water on mars. Nowadays, several people argue as to whether or not space exploration is worth the effort. I believe that it is humanity’s instinctual nature to pursue a better understanding of ourselves, and our universe. Further understanding of our universe will lead to the discovery of new technologies and ways to secure humanity’s survivability. As such, this essay will argue that space exploration is a necessity to our kind and that NASA should be progressively more financed.
Most people think that the costly downside to funding space exploration is a reason to avoid spending money on sciences and instead spend it on problems here on earth, but such funding for space exploration actually promotes economical as well as scientific benefits. Space exploration is an important expenditure for the high cost because of the potential for numerous benefits such as the possibility to find useful resources to cultivate, space exploration and satellites produce many thousands of jobs in our economy, and it creates and discovers newer and better technologies through research and development.