Costs of Space Exploration

                Space, the final frontier. We have searched land and water, and now space. Space exploration is however very dangerous. We know so much but in reality we know so little about space. Space exploration is also a very expensive thing to do. The question is, “ is space worth the huge hole in our wallet or is there anything else we could be using the money on for the greater good of our society”?

           

             Everything about space exploration is expensive. The rockets, the gear for space, the gear for training the astronauts, the astronauts' salary, the workers, the gas, and anything else you could think they would use. However, there are some benefits such as the following; quenching the thirst for adventure, learning how things grow differently, somehow creating new species of plants, and bringing people from so many different countries together as they build the International Space Station (ISS).  But, are those three things worth the cost?

            I believe that space is an amazing place that I enjoy learning about, however I think we could be using that expense for curing cancer or helping the children in Africa. I don’t really understand how exploring space will help us as much as donating to orphanages or animal shelters. My idea is they should hold off going up to space for a while, maybe focus on what information they already have. Another idea is that if they do go to space, try to collect things like space rocks to sell to raise money for charity. Finally my last idea is that scientists could sell parts of old rockets also for charity because collectors would love to hold something and say, “This went to space and landed on the moon.” I believe this would do a great deal for this world.  The drawbacks of these ideas would be not being ready for some things like; space storms or meteorites headed to us. However, I think my ideas would benefit the world more than harming us. I am not saying that we should never go back to space I just think that we shouldn’t for a few years just to earn money for charity.

            If I was in Congress and I was voting on a new budget there are five things that I always think are more important than exploring space. I think that the top thing to spend money on is health. So many people die daily of diseases, starvation, and dehydration and I believe that is an issue that must be dealt with before we send one more shuttle out to space. My second priority would be to support education so one day you could ask any person in the world if they go to school and the answer would be yes. My third, fourth, and fifth areas that I believe should have a higher budget is spreading fresh water and food throughout the entire world, stopping pollution, and just donating to charity. I think if these five causes got more money than the money that the scientists get to send people to space then this world would be a better place.