Does the average person still care about exploring space? Millions of people around the world pay little attention to rocket launches or planetary exploration which occurs on a daily basis, which is understandable because what is the impact on any individual if a new probe is sent to land on the moon or some distant planet? For over 70 years NASA and other space institutions have helped to dramatically improve life on earth from technology to medicine to increasingly expanding our knowledge of the universe around us. Perhaps there is little appreciation for the thousands of items which we use every day that have come from the engineering and design of space craft and ultimately space exploration. Despite the clear advantages of space discoveries,
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There are over 2,000 satellites currently orbiting the earth, each serves a different purpose. Many are there in order to help us monitor the climate of the earth. Satellites can predict natural disasters from hurricanes to tsunamis and therefore give us prior warning and help us to prepare for when disasters do strike. These satellites can cost up to $290 million, which is a small price to pay when you could potentially be saving thousands of lives, with an early warning. Satellite technology has also helped us to track the progression of global warming, which is becoming a more alarming issue. It has helped monitor the rate at which ice caps are melting, and has assisted in developing models of the earth’s climate to give temperature predictions which see the earth warming up over the coming decades. Space exploration has also improved our knowledge of the basic fundamentals of our world and place in the solar system. It has helped us gather vital information on our atmosphere, gravitational pull, and the orbit of our planet; all of which give us an overall picture of the world we live in. NASA spends more than $1.8 billion annually on earth sciences, which is actually more than it spends on studying other planets (planetary science). Therefore the perception that the work of NASA is not helping our own planet is incorrect and not statistically true. The effort of …show more content…
In the UK alone it is expected that there will be up to 2.56 million job openings in engineering companies leading up to 2022. With young children aspiring to be astronauts or finding aliens, it’s no surprise NASA employs such high earning, high achieving engineers and rocket scientists. The prospect of working with space craft and possibly other life forms captures the imagination of a 10 year old and entices them into the endless possibilities within our universe. Space travel is portrayed as dangerous and enthralling in many children’s films (E.T, Star Wars, WALL.E) which is probably what sparks an interest in space at such a young age. However even as children mature the mystery of space still remains an intriguing concept to many. With high quality films such as Interstellar and Gravity initiating debates on the topic of space discovery and our own planets possible future, it’s no surprise teenagers and older generations are mystified by the idea of space and the possibly of our own planets destruction. This interest in monitoring own our planet and discovering new worlds are a key reason why space exploration must continue, to ensure the adventure and mystery of space does not die out for future generations.
There are over 2,000 satellites currently orbiting the earth, each serves a different purpose. Many are there in order to help us monitor the climate of the earth. Satellites can predict natural disasters from hurricanes to tsunamis and therefore give us prior warning and help us to prepare for when disasters do strike. These satellites can cost up to $290 million, which is a small price to pay when you could potentially be saving thousands of lives, with an early warning. Satellite technology has also helped us to track the progression of global warming, which is becoming a more alarming issue. It has helped monitor the rate at which ice caps are melting, and has assisted in developing models of the earth’s climate to give temperature predictions which see the earth warming up over the coming decades. Space exploration has also improved our knowledge of the basic fundamentals of our world and place in the solar system. It has helped us gather vital information on our atmosphere, gravitational pull, and the orbit of our planet; all of which give us an overall picture of the world we live in. NASA spends more than $1.8 billion annually on earth sciences, which is actually more than it spends on studying other planets (planetary science). Therefore the perception that the work of NASA is not helping our own planet is incorrect and not statistically true. The effort of …show more content…
In the UK alone it is expected that there will be up to 2.56 million job openings in engineering companies leading up to 2022. With young children aspiring to be astronauts or finding aliens, it’s no surprise NASA employs such high earning, high achieving engineers and rocket scientists. The prospect of working with space craft and possibly other life forms captures the imagination of a 10 year old and entices them into the endless possibilities within our universe. Space travel is portrayed as dangerous and enthralling in many children’s films (E.T, Star Wars, WALL.E) which is probably what sparks an interest in space at such a young age. However even as children mature the mystery of space still remains an intriguing concept to many. With high quality films such as Interstellar and Gravity initiating debates on the topic of space discovery and our own planets possible future, it’s no surprise teenagers and older generations are mystified by the idea of space and the possibly of our own planets destruction. This interest in monitoring own our planet and discovering new worlds are a key reason why space exploration must continue, to ensure the adventure and mystery of space does not die out for future generations.