To the Moon, Mars, and Beyond 1. People love movies and television shows about outer space. Think of the huge success over the years of series like Star Wars and Star Trek. Who doesn't have a favorite Star Wars scene? Science fiction versions of space exploration often draw a devoted, fanatical audience. But actual space exploration-trips into that "final frontier," as Star Trek called it-seems to have lost its grip on the public imagination. That should not be so. Space exploration deserves our enthusiasm, our attention, and our support more than ever. 2. Humans first went into space just over half a century ago. The United States and the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R) were the world's two superpowers, and the race into space was a fierce competition. On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Union became the first human to orbit Earth. Just eight years later, American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969. The whole world watched and was thrilled. 3. In the years since, space exploration has had more than its share of critics. Their arguments against space travel have some common themes. They say that it costs far too much, and that its benefits to humanity are far too few. They say that the distances in space are so unbelievably vast that getting anywhere beyond our own moon and one of our nearest neighbors, Mars, is for all practical purposes impossible. The critics also say that the risks to human life are too great. Even breaking through the Earth's atmosphere to orbit our own planet is a serious, very dangerous undertaking. 4. There's certainly some truth to all of these objections. Space exploration is an extraordinary challenge. But I think if we look at the facts, there's no doubt that space exploration is more than worth the effort and expense. In fact, it's vital to the future of humanity. 5. The United States' space budget is small compared to its military expenses. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the agency that operates the U.S. space program. For the past 30 years, the budget for NASA has been well under 1 percent of the total U.S. budget. Less than one penny of every tax dollar goes to space exploration. Does half a penny seem like a lot of money to you? Critics say that money used on space should be used to fight disease and hunger in the world. But it's not as though our government isn't already doing what it can in those areas. 6. Space exploration has already made the world a better place in many ways. Satellites allow people around the world to communicate with each other through computers, high-speed Internet, telephones, radios, and television. Satellites have also improved weather forecasting, making it possible to predict dangerous storms and warn people in advance. How many lives has that saved? Because of satellites, we also have the Global Positioning System (GPS), which is used in cars, cell phones, and other devices. In addition to these inventions, space exploration has also greatly contributed to the development of computers and lasers. 7. That's just a few of the good things that have happened so far. What we have to do now is look at space exploration as an investment in the future. Face it: The resources on our planet are limited. Our population is growing. The day may come when the human race needs somewhere else to go. We might want to mine resources or even start colonies on other planets. If we don't start today, and give it everything we've got, how will we meet the challenge in the future? British scientist Stephen Hawking, one of the world's greatest minds, strongly supports space exploration for this reason. "I don't think the human race will survive the next thousand years, unless we spread into space. There are too many accidents that can befall a single planet. But I'm an optimist. We will reach out to the stars," Hawking told a newspaper in England. If a genius like Hawking thinks that, then really, who are you and I to argue? 8. I think it's time that "the people of Earth" renew their passion for space exploration. Russia, China, Japan, and even India currently have space programs. But is there any question that the U.S. should lead the way? That's the way it's always been. It's time we return to the moon, then head for Mars, and places beyond. There could be more at stake in the long run than we can ever imagine.
