Jiansen Lu
Space Exploration: Man, Machine, or Mistake.
August 1st 2009 00:40
Space exploration is a term that almost everyone [in this country] is familiar with. Thanks to NASA, we are going to be hearing it even more in the near future. However, the context in which space exploration is going to be used in is not what you think. In fact, the topic of discussion is more likely about whether or not to send man out into space [and whether or not to even continue with NASA] rather than plans of new exploration.
Only about seventy percent of the American population believes that NASA’s space exploration [at the current level] provides tangible benefits. Another five to ten percent think that NASA should be terminated immediately. From the seventy percent who are satisfied with NASA’s space exploration attempts, some think that NASA should be sending man out into space, while others believe that machines are more than enough for space exploration. Because of this, it isn’t surprising why there is so much conflict in sending a manned flight to mars.
The Arguments
Billions of dollars have been secured for NASA to spend on the creation and research of space exploration equipment, yet only a small portion of that was actually used on necessary equipment for human use (as in equipment which puts a human into space). Currently, people who do not support the idea of sending man into space argue that machine equipment is more reasonable, less expensive, and less dangerous than sending out man. Furthermore, they claim that machines can accomplish as much as (if not more) than humans could at a fraction of the cost. However, advocates for sending humans into space think otherwise. They claim that without actual human interaction, man can never fully understand an area of exploration. In addition, they think that machines are too time consuming (about 40 minutes per command) to use, and that numerous technological gains such as miniaturization is a direct effect of manned space exploration. Yet, there is still another group of people (though much smaller than the previous two groups) that believe space exploration should be canceled altogether.
"I think that people are blinded by the glory from the 20th century space race to be able to fully comprehend the actual tangible benefits produced by space exploration," says one member of an anti-NASA organization. "People don’t realize that space exploration in an economy like this would only further the recession. I think that people should stop glorifying themselves about the past and start focusing on the future."
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Comment by Wizzy
Newer technologies spring from the current work. No reason to terminate it.