My Opinion about Space Exploration

Space exploration is the use of astronomy and space technology to explore outer space. Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft.

The research that is done by space exploration agencies such as NASA and RKA is one of the reasons supporters justify government expenses. Some even claim that space exploration is a necessity to mankind and that staying in our home planet will lead us to oblivion. Some of the reasons are lack of natural resources, comets, nuclear war, worldwide epidemic etc. Stephen Hawking renowned British theoretical physicist said that "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 life on a single planet. But I'm an optimist. We will reach out to the stars."

NASA has produced a series of Public Service Announcement videos supporting the concept of space exploration.Overall, the public remains largely supportive of both manned and unmanned space exploration. According to an Associated Press Poll conducted in July 2003, 71% of U.S. citizens agreed with the statement that the space program is "a good investment", compared to 21% who did not.

This is not to say that space exploration advocates do not criticize existing programs. Some supporters of space explorations, such as Robert Zubrin, have criticized on-orbit assembly of spacecraft as unnecessary and expensive, and argue for a direct approach for human exploration, such as Mars Direct.

Many criticisms of space exploration are particularly critical of exploration carried out by means of human spaceflight. It is more expensive to perform certain tasks in space with humans rather than by robots or machines. Humans need a large spacecraft that contains provisions such as a hermetic and temperature controlled cabin, production of breathable air, food and drink storage, waste disposal, voice- and other communication systems, and safety features such as crew escape systems, medical facilities, etc. There is also the question of the security of the spacecraft as whole losing a robot is nowhere near as dramatic as human loss, so overall safety of non-human missions is not as much of an issue. All of these extra expenses have to be weighed against the value of having humans aboard. Some critics argue that those few instances where human intervention is essential do not justify the enormous extra costs of having humans aboard. However, others argue, with some reason, that many tasks can be more effectively accomplished by human beings.

Some people also have moral objections to the huge costs of space travel, and say that even a fraction of the space travel budget would make a huge difference in fighting disease and hunger in the world. However, compared to much more costly endeavors, like military actions, space exploration itself receives a very small percentage of total government spending (nearly always under 0.5%), and it is also frequently pointed out by pro-space advocates that the long term benefits could outweigh the short-term costs. In addition, the successful launches of Space Ship One, a privately constructed, reusable space plane developed for only $25 million dollars, has further diminished the impact of cost-based criticisms

According to advantages and disadvantanges, I conclude that space exploration is important because it gives us so many information about our space eventhough it is very expensive. We can search money with in a short time but we can’t search information and knowledge in a short time. Knowledge is a such an important in this life.