And here we go! Nasa has some very ambitious plans for the future: completion of the International Space Station, a return to the Moon and a manned mission to Mars. These amazing technological achievements are accompanied by some mind-boggling price tags. Is it worth it, or should scientists focus their time, effort and your taxpayer dollars on resolving problems here on Earth? Post your response here in no less than 350 words by 11am, Friday, January 4th.
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I think that NASA should take several things into consideration before proceeding with asking for grant money in order to complete the space station and the missions to mars and the moon. First, they should remember that although new advancements in space travel are extremely important for other technological advancements that occur, they shouldn’t necessarily be top- priority. Other scientific fields of study such as medical research, more specifically cancer research, also require money in order for new advancements to be made and are often overlooked because some have not been affected by it and do not see any importance in furthering cancer research. Another reason that NASA should perhaps hold back on their plans is that space travel isn’t safe, for example the crashing of Apollo 13 and the more recent crash that happened when the shuttle attempted to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere. Another reason that the money should not be put towards space travel is that some scientists are currently researching the reasons for global warming and other problems such as acid rain and pollution. Cleanup project funded by independent governments around the world are extremely costly and the money that would be going to space travel could be used to clean the environment.
Scientists and government leaders must work together to solve some of the more pressing issues here on Earth before we can even think about expanding our frontier into space. NASA requested a $16.8 billion budget for the fiscal year of 2007. This money makes up about 0.7% of the overall government budget. This may not seem like a large percentage, but the money could certainly be used for other things such as educating younger generations so that when the time comes they will be able to venture into space. Also, there are worldwide issues that currently require scientific and government support. First of all, scientists need to band together from countries worldwide regardless of nationality, religion, ethnicity, etc. If they all work together, the problems such as the lack of basic necessities for all people can be solved. With creative inventions that will better the stander of living, scientists and ordinary people around the globe can help. Other problems include rampant diseases such as AIDS and HIV that are becoming an increasing threat to the entire world. Scientists should be aided by the government in their research to find cures for epidemics that can be afforded by all who need it. Cancer and antibiotic resistant bacteria are also issues we face in the medical field, and more money and support needs to be provided by the government. The potential for success is there, but the resources are lacking. The entire world population also faces the consequences of heightened global warming due to human activity. While this problem is indeed the largest environmental factor we face today, there is an opportunity to reduce and somewhat reverse the negative affects we have made thus far. Once again, the one thing we need to further our advancements in this area is monetary support from all parties. The leaders of developed countries need to work together and help developing countries to begin their industries in an environmentally friendly way. When large nations set the example for the rest of the world, the problems facing Earth can begin to be eliminated. Obviously we will never achieve a utopia, but the chance to repair the damage we have done is now. While space is a good goal for the near future, progress needs to be made on our planet first. With the technological advancements of this day and age, change is closer than we think and after that, venturing into space will be an even easier task. Humans first landed on the moon on July 20, 1969 so we will certainly be able to achieve even greater feats in space sooner rather than later. We have the potential, but problems need to be tackled first on the home front.
In short, yes. It is worth it. Of course it is very important to resolve the problems on Earth, but it is also important to explore outer space and there is no reason why the two can not be done simultaneously. If NASA waits for problems on Earth to be resolved, chances are they will never make any progress in space technology because at the moment, there is so much hatred between groups of people and between countries that an attempt to change something globally, such as reduce global warming would be in vain. Most people are resistant to change and many people do not even care enough about the environment to change anything about the way they live to do anything about it. Medically speaking, there is already much money being put into research, so at the moment the medical field can make due without the money that would be given to them. I believe that exploration in space can help improve life at home and even solve some medical and technological problems on Earth. To this day, there have been many benefits of space exploration and there will be even more benefits as space exploration continues. The benefits to this day of space exploration include increased technology, advances in medicine, and many other things.
One of the technological benefits of space travel is its improvements on air travel within Earth’s atmosphere. The architecture and engineering of the Boeing 777 airplane, the most commonly flown airplane today, was based largely on NASA’s space technology. The use of lightweight aerospace structures was able to increase fuel efficiency, allowing the Boeing 777 to fly farther distances while burning less fuel. NASA also assisted the Boeing Company by adding knowledge of how to reduce engine noise so that passengers can have a more enjoyable flight. Even though NASA primarily works in space, the technology can help Earth. In order for the global problems on Earth to be resolved it will take increased technology so that ideas and solutions can be communicated more easily from country to country.
Medicine is another field which was greatly improved by NASA’s technologies. For example, heart pace makers work through the use of the same electronic monitoring that is used to operate satellites orbiting Earth. NASA also helped contribute to the creation of a VAD. The heart pump in it is based on technology used in Space Shuttle fuel pumps.
NASA is a great place for tax money to go. If it is spent doing something as vague as “trying to resolve problems on Earth,” it is very possible that that will be misinterpreted by power- hungry rulers and the money will end up funding something that has absolutely no benefit to humans such as the War in Iraq. In space however, the money will go completely to science and that money will be not only used to help explore our universe, but also to improve technology, medicine, and many other things on Earth.
It is worth it. NASA should defiantly use the money for exploring space. The exploration of space is the most important thing that their money could ever be used for. By exploring outer space, humans gain a better understanding of what is out there, beyond Earth and it’s moon. Earth is eventually going to be destroyed. We are destroying it ourselves, with the high levels of pollutions. Humans cannot prevent that from happening because permanent damage has already been done. We cannot reverse the affects that global warming has done to planet earth. We may be able to slow down the process of pollution if the money was use for it, but in real life, not everyone is going to partake in ‘cleaning up’ the planet. People will still use cars, and other machinery that will produce harmful wastes that will rise up into the atmosphere and continue destroying it. So it is pretty much pointless to attempt to save our planet. Therefore if we explore outer space, and discover what else is out there, then we might be able to invent ways to ensure our survival in the universe. Eventually humans are going to have to leave earth, it is better that we have the knowledge that will aid us in the future. With this money, NASA can create better technology that makes exploring other planets possible. Who knows, maybe we will be able to figure out a way for humans to live on another planet. I understand that other medical problems humans face today are just as important as future exploration, and that things like finding a cure for cancer or other medical problems should be funned by the government as well. But since NASA is focused around the universe and all it contains, then NASA should use the money that the government gives them for studying the universe. I believe that researching the universe is beneficial to all humans, because in the future, humans will have to find another place to live.
Although in this time of age, it is imperative that pressing issues such as global warming and poverty in third world countries are addressed, the money required to invest in finding solutions to these problems should not come from cutting NASA government funding.
First of all, many people do not realize such the advancements NASA has introduced to society. Much of the technology developed by NASA has been spun off to benefit life on earth. NASA originally formulated technology designed to create the household smoke detector. Today, smoke detectors save many American lives everyday. Even athletic running sneakers are made out of a material that was designed to improve shock absorption and provide stability in the moon boots that astronauts wear. Developments made by NASA have been incorporated into all areas of everyday life from public safety to transportation and even baby food. All of these progressions have improved the lifestyles of the American people.
Another advantage to NASA exploration and research is that everyday NASA is getting closer to being able to build permanent settlements on the moon. Someday in the distant future, the human race might even be able to live on other planets such as Mars. This is beneficial to the human population because being able to send people to live somewhere besides Earth might be a necessary action in the future. It seems like more damage is being done to the Earth everyday. Unless people take drastic measures in the near future, it can’t be certain that the damage all ready done can be fixed.
The question whether the government’s budget for NASA should be decreased often comes up. People usually bring up NASA’s recent troubles with its space shuttles and unsuccessful missions. Although it is argued that the money could be used in other places, the perception of NASA’s actual budget has been misconstrued to people by the media. In 2007, the nation’s budget was $2.784 trillion while NASA’s budget $16.143. Therefore, NASA makes up about 0.58% of the nation’s budget. For every dollar the government spends on NASA, it spends 98 dollars on social programs for Americans. The amount of money the government spends on NASA is insignificant compared the huge amounts it has decided to spend on other government programs.
Politically, the United States can’t afford to cut back on space exploration. In order for the United States to remain dominant and a world power, it must have the top of the line space program. Since so much important technology is developed from NASA research, if the government was to cut space program funding, it would put the United States behind other countries.
NASA has contributed many developments to American society and everyday NASA is compiling more information about the universe. Even though there are many issues that are plaguing the world today, it would not be beneficial to cut NASA money in attempt to resolve these problems. Instead, the government should look towards other ways to raise money to address issues on Earth such as cutting the amount of money being poured into the Middle East.
I believe that NASA should keep a good balance between resolving problems here on Earth and planning future space missions. Right now, our planet is more important because of global issues such as Global Warming and the melting of glaciers which are associated with Global Warming. Most of NASA’s scientists should focus on our planet and finding ways to resolve these issues whereas the rest of the scientists should focus on the future space missions. In order to understand our planet better, it is vital to understand the cosmos and how other planets, both inside and outside of our Solar System, function. We need to explore these planets and the cosmos and research them with space missions to be able to find solutions on how to better our home planet. Finding a place outside of our Solar System that is like Earth with a similar diameter, distance from its star, and atmospheric composition will help a lot because we can explore and observe that planet and understand Earth much better.
NASA is spending too much money attempting to further scientific research when most of that money could be used for other purposes such as to better public education and other public services. I think that instead of creating plans for future moon and space missions, NASA scientists should brainstorm a plan for cheap space missions that would cut down on the spending. The International Space Station, however, should be continuously funded to improve it and to maintain it. Right now, a mission to Mars should be thought about but not planned yet. Once NASA returns to the ISS, it should start planning for cheaper future space missions that will not consume too much money. Instead of continuously sending probes everywhere, NASA should just continue to save its money for the final mission to Mars in about a decade or two. Although it should cut major spendings, the president should not cut the budget anymore. As of last year, NASA received $17 billion and should continue to receive the same amount of money. The Democratic congress is now trying to raise the budget $1 billion, which I do not agree on because $17 billion is enough.
The space program has always been under much scrutiny because of the amount of money that goes into the program. Billions of dollars per year are put in to NASA because it costs money to do things like launching rockets or maintaining the space station. Many people complain that the space program does not return enough results to justify the amount of spending. I disagree, I believe that science is the most important thing on the planet and that we must find out as much as possible about our existance, and about the universe we inhabit in the limited amount of time we have to live. As long as the propositions from NASA are realistic, I beleive the government should grant as much money as possible towards the space program to gain information. Without this program, we would never have discovered some of the things about the solar system let alone the universe that we have today. Set-backs like the crashes of some of our shuttles are to be expected, there are failures in science. These events should not affect the reasons for holding back on spending. The space program yields many rewards on top of knowledge advancement, for example, we can determine wether there are any planets with suitable conditions for any kind of life, even forms of bacteria, this would be indicated maybe by the presence of water or certain elements in the atmosphere.
My personal beliefs aside, there are some other issues that need to be addressed on our planet before we go stomping off into the galaxy. I am not saying we should put a complete hold on the space prgram, just that we should put as much money as possible into it, but also save some for more immediate problems. For example, the AIDS crisis in Africa requires immediate attention and funding for better hospitals etc. Also the major issue of global warming exists, and much money will be needed to help prevent more melting of the polar ice caps. For example, money will be needed to switch a fuel source from gasoline to say something like ethanol or even a more stable form of hydrogen.
All these things need to be taken into account to balance the spending of the taxpayers money, but one thing is for sure. There is no reason for our country to be spending over 400 billion dollars on the war in Iraq when that money could be sent to fund projects like the ones mentioned prior. Even if a quarter of that was spent on NASA and the space program, or even the AIDS problem, many advancements could have been made already.
Although NASA is a significant organization that has allowed scientists to explore and discover the characteristics of planets in outer space, I believe that the problems on Earth need to be resolved before NASA is granted government funds to conduct any future explorations in space. With issues such as illegal immigration and the war in Iraq, the United States and government needs money to supply troops with advanced technology and to secure our borders, and this money could also be used to help citizens suffering from poverty. Global warming is also an important problem that is destroying our planet's natural resources, and while some argue that it is a natural occurrence, environmental scientists need to be provided with funds in order to have the ability to experiment with alternative energy sources that are safe for the environment. Some scientists have predicted that within 20 or 30 years, Global Warming will deplete all the resources on Earth, therefore requiring humans to inhabit a different planet. If this event occurs in the future, space travel will be necessary to transport people to a new solar system or planet, and an ample amount of money would be required to accomplish this. However, if organizations that study global warming are given sufficient funds, scientists may be able to resolve the issues within 10 years, and will not have to worry about having to find an alternative location for all the people of the world. As other classmates have mentioned, space travel has not yet been perfected, and rather than using over $17 billion of government funds to construct a space shuttle with malfunctions, NASA should first attempt to fix these defections in space shuttles that have contributed to previous space shuttle crashes. Not only are issues such as Global Warming and the war on terror important reasons to postpone plans for space travel, worldwide epidemics, including AIDS, are also issues that need to be resolved prior to future space research. With an estimated 32.5 million people worldwide infected with AIDS, the disease has now been declared a pandemic, and each more people obtain the disease. In order to prevent this from spreading, the funds used to promote NASA’s space research need to go towards the AIDS crisis, and this money could be used to educate the citizens in Africa (where AIDS is most prevalent) on how to prevent the disease. While NASA hopes to discover extraterrestrial life on other planets, it is more important that we first help save lives on planet Earth.
Space exploration has an incredible potential to change our lives as we know it. It is crucial to the earth's future that alternate forms of environment become prevalent to ensure a possible solution for overpopulation. Not only for overpopulation, but also if the earth becomes uninhabitable in any other way. But such exploration comes at a high cost, especially when there are other demanding issues on the home front. The mind-boggling amount of money that it would cost to send even more missions to space could be spent elsewhere, and more efficiently. Right now there is a bigger demand on earth for a solution to the continuing global warming crisis. As the global temperature rises, ice caps are melting. Ocean temperatures in turn rise too, and thus coral reefs are negatively affected too. Global warming is damaging to all types of habitats around the world. There is also an inherent need to find cures for diseases and cancer. Thousands each year die of cancer, and millions are diagnosed. Research needs to be done to find medicines and cures to prolong the life of those who suffer from various types of cancer. And lastly, there is a need to develop more eco-friendly forms of energy to replace the soon-to-be extinct fossil fuels. Emissions from fossil fuels contribute to global warming, and it is key that alternate forms of energy are found, perfected, and utilized to save not only our mother earth, but also to save our wallets. The price of oil per barrel is now reaching about 90 dollars per barrel, and prices at local gas stations can be seen over $3.25 a gallon. This is a drastic increase compared to the $0.99 a gallon that gas once was back in the 1980’s. The money that will be funding our space program will be a waste for right now, and our government should not be giving them this money. If they have such a strong desire to explore the unknown, and if enough people support their missions, then they should find their own private funding. American taxpayers should not be footing the bill of this expansive, extensive, and expensive research. If it will not affect the majority of those funding it, then they should not be paying for it. That is why research into cures for cancers, alternative energy, and curbing global warming will be money well spent. Not only Americans, but people worldwide will benefit from these three researches. Yes, space travel may make a grand impact on the world someday, but in the today’s turbulent times, there are many other good uses for billions and billions of dollars.
Nasa has big plans for the future. They want to complete the International Space Station, return to the Moon and establish a manned mission to Mars. But those great things come with a large price. Nasa will need a significant increase in their budget to cover these goals. For example, the trip to the moon will cost $63.8 billion dollars and each future trip will cost $2.2 billion. Are these items worth increasing the United States’ existing $10.4 trillion debt? Are there better uses for the funds? If Nasa used its technological advances, it could it solve current problems and create a better future on Earth. They could find alternate energy sources or invent better ways acquire energy that is more environmentally friendly. They could make smaller solar panels that take in the same amount of energy as the current ones and install them in homes. Each home would become green and reduce the use of fossil fuels. Even though Nasa’s project are very costly, are we being short-sided on how their current research could help the Earth?
Nasa continues to use their current technological advances to learn more about the world outside of Earth. If we understand how and why space is changing, can we use that knowledge to help us understand current and future changes on Earth? Can Nasa’s research help us better understand how the tides change and predict when devastating storms such as Hurricane Katrina will happen? We may also gain an understanding why the Universe is expanding and how it could effect us in the future. Using there ideas such as an International Space Station, we could keep track of the Earth’s changes and find ways to stop the negative changes and promote the positive ones. Nasa’s idea to have a manned mission to Mars could also be handy. We could find out if Mars could be suitable to human life or if it is still evolving into a planet like Earth. Nasa’s plans for the future can help people on Earth and change the future. So we can’t be short-sighted. Nasa will need to prioritize the goals and potentially extend the goals over a longer period of time so we can also address current issues like reducing our debt, poverty and addressing major health issues. Nasa’s studies provides beneficial knowledge for Earth’s future, but we also need to focus on current issues facing society.
What is more important the planet we live on now or finding a new one once we destroy this one? Earth in a precious planet that at this moment in time can the only planet support that can support human life. Spending money on a project that may not pay off in the future isn’t worth sacrificing Earth.
NASA is using tax payers’ money to search space, that money could be spent on the environment or on the economy. The environment is being polluted and raw materials are being wasted. The money could be used to clean up the pollution. Oceans are lakes are being dumped with waste; the money used by NASA could clean up the oceans and lakes. The money could also be used for a recycling program across the country. By reusing materials the amount of garbage being dumped would decrease and fewer materials would be wasted.
In the United States there are many people in, from the elderly, who can’t afford their medication, to the homeless, would need a shelter. The money spent by NASA would be able to create new shelters in cities with many homeless people. These shelters could improve the life of people in need and allow them to survive. The government would also be allowed to make a new benefit plan to allow the elderly to pay for their prescription drugs when they are unable to afford the drugs themselves.
By preserving is planet we won’t need to find another planet to live on. People should live with what we have and take care of what we have. Earth is the only place we have to live and we need to do a better job taking care of it. We won’t need another planet to live on if we just protect this one.
To be blunt, I believe that doing research in space is necessary for expanding our knowledge, but we must also come to terms with our everyday problems on Earth. One must try to understand how far our knowledge of space can take us and contrast it to everyday problems like poverty, social security, global warming, etc. In my opinion, we could be taking much better care of the environment if we spent our money on reversing global warming or cleaning up the oceans and forests, therefore removing the need of moving to a different place in the solar system. If in the future we actually plan on living outside of our planet, then these experiments may be worth their surprisingly large price tags. In the future, if an average citizen of the U.S. looks to the skies and sees communities in space or shuttles, then we will know it was worth it to spend the billions of dollars of taxes on NASA funds. Unfortunately, this time has not come yet and I am afraid wont come for a long time, so I propose that tax dollars should be spent on what it should be spent on- the welfare of the people. I believe that we, as a country, must make the citizens of the world our first priority before reaching to the stars. After all, if things aren’t in perfect order here on Earth, how do we plan to make a civilization work where there are less of the resources and manpower? I do not think that NASA should be shut down completely, but the United States is in heavy debt for various reasons and spending more money is not going to solve the problem. We could possibly cut back funds or better yet, make space exploration possible for private corporations. Competition would start, and I believe progress would occur much faster without the heavy burden of tax dollars being spent. Though our country could make other changes to benefit the world in which we live in, I believe NASA, or some other type of space program is almost needed by the science community. If it was not such a large cost to the American taxpayer, maybe it would not be such a problem for all their projects to be paid for by the government.
Space exploration has become a luxury rather than a necessity. After the Cold War and the space race concluded it was no longer necessary for the United States to flaunt their space technology to a secure a worldwide reputation.
Manned exploration of the Universe is a unrealistic goal fiscally and technologically. The money invested in space exploration should be invested in space telescopes, which can give us a view and understaning of the universe better than any manned mission.
We also have dire problems to deal with in the United States. For example proposed plans for universal health coverage, which will solve our healthcare problems at a cost of over 140 billion dollars. We must get the money from somewhere.
If we must obtain this money from somewhere, we can not affored the unrealistic luxury of manned space exploration.
Unfortunately we do not live in a perfect world, there are many problems that are unsolved and many tasks are unfinished. Solving world conflicts costs massive amounts of money; most tax payers would probably prefer to spend money on finding cures for diseases that they fear may reach them. If money was spent on a space station instead, I think it would upset many; even if it could bring new technologies and information. NASA is important and helps many understand space better than expected, although I do not think that the time to perfect the space station is now. Conflicts are increasing and many diseases still do not have cures. Many people are dieing of things like AIDS and cancer, I think tax payers would prefer to put their money towards a cure that can help the human race. If the amount of money that was going to be put towards the space station, was invested in research, then I think the world would be powerful enough to fix the space station. Another argument in favor of NASA could be that there are always going to be issues in the world no matter how much money is given to fix them. Now may be the best chance to finally create new technologies and fix the space station. NASA will be able to come up with amazing technologies if they learn more about space. Even though these new technologies will help with everyday life, I still think that we should wait for a better time because currently our economy is weak and tensions are high. I think once the war is over and the economy recovers, then we should send more astronauts to space, a lot of money is needed to always send people to space. I don’t think it will be a problem after the war, but now it seems impossible.
While I am a strong advocate for advancement in science and technology ultimately how are we ever truly to advance with a focus spread across the board? We must first focus and resolve the issues we have set before us before we should even consider using this funding for NASA. It seems unreasonable to suggest that our planet can truly prosper by using our tax dollars to further explore space. Also many haven't considered that if we're unable now to establish this so called "balance" between funding for the two what enables anyone to assume that this can later be resolved? In my opinion if the foundation in which we have is already flawed this inhibits our ability to prosper later on for our NASA endeavors. It would be best to resolve our issues now so a main funding and focus could later be set forth towards NASA leading to a greater chance of success.
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