space exploration is a waste of money essay

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Space exploration pros and cons: Are space programs a waste of money?

Source: Image : ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

Space exploration is a hugely expensive affair. Should we spend money on space exploration when we have so many problems on planet Earth? We debate the pros and cons of space exploration and the reasons for investing in space agencies and programs.

Should we spend money on space exploration?

The launch of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket into has brought back media attention to space exploration . Elton Musk's private aerospace company is in the process of becoming a major player and a partner for many space programs. However, most of the efforts to discover whats out still depend mostly on public funding.

Space exploration is costly, and many argue that in times of belt-tightening, we should focus on solving problems here on Earth, especially since the knowledge gained from space exploration has few immediate benefits. On the other hand, pronponents of space exploration argue that the knowledge to be gained is invaluable, and that it is in the very nature of humankind to explore. In addition, proponents of these programs argue that they have had significant benefits and resulted in the discovery or popularisation of many useful new technologies . Furthermore, space exploration could be the only way to escape human extinction in case living conditions become unsustainable on Earth.

Today there are six big government space agencies with the capacity to create, launch and recover satellites: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ), Russian Federal Space Agency ( Roscosmos or RFSA),the China National Space Administration ( CNSA ), the Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO ), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ( JAXA ) and the European Space Agency ( ESA ) which integrates several European space agencies. Among them only NASA, ROSCOSMOS and CNSA have full capacity for human spaceflights and lunar soft-landing. In addtition to these there are many other government space agencies with variable capabilities, most of them have only the capacity to operate satellites, a few of them also have launch capabilities and can operate extraterrestrial probes. Some of these space agencies are competing to be the first to send humans to Mars and investigating if there is intelligent life on other planets .

These space programs and agencies are very costly. It is estimated that the total annual budget of space agencies is $41.8 billion. Among them the highest budgets correspond to:

NASA (USA, $19.3 billion)
Roscosmos (Russia, $5.6 billion)
ESA (Europe, $5.5 billion)
CNES (France, $2.5 billion)
JAXA (Japan, $2.5 billion)
DLR (Germany, $2 billion)
ASI (Italy, $1.8 billion)
CNSA (China, $1.8 billion)
ISRO (India, $1.2 billion)

Are all these costs justfified? Are there better ways to spend public funding? Should we mainly rely on private investors such as Elton Musk to promote space expliration? Will capitalistic incentives lead the way towards space exploration? In order to help make up your mind we outline next the most important benefits and problems of space exploration.

Space exploration pros and cons

Knowledge generation. Thanks to space exploration programs we are discovering many things that help us understand the universe. For instance, learning about planets, comets, stars, etc. can help us find solutions for some of the problems our civilization will face, such as overopulation and the need to colonize other planets.
Exploration and discovery are beneficial. Humans have always engaged in exploration to satisfy their sense of curiosity and look for opportunities. During the Age of Discoveries in the 15th and 16th centuries, countries such as Spain and Portugal heavily invested in expeditions, but thanks to them they became super-powers and gained many riches. Later, during the second age of explorations in the 18th and 19th century, the discoveries of pioneers such as Captain Cook or Livingstone heavily contributed to scientific discovery.
Artificial satellites are crucial tools in modern society. For instance they are used for defence purposes and to fight against terrorism. Satellites help us also monitor the effects of global warming and detect wildfires. Space agencies are necessary to operate satellites.
Scientific advancement and by-products. Space exploration programs help introduce and test new technologies. Much of the research carried out to find solutions for space travel have applications elsewhere. For instance NASA research has contributed to develop velcro, fire-resistant materials, medical devices to relieve muscle and joint pain, new precise thermometers, artificial limbs, new air conditioning systems, land mine removal systems, improved radial tires, etc.
Space race may save humanity. Life on Earth may be threatened by climate change, pollution, depletion of resources, infectious diseases or nuclear war. Further, space exploration is necessary to find another planet on which humans could pursue their lives. Space programs help also find solutions to adapt human lives to the space or other planets.
Space industry jobs. The space industry employs directly about 120,000 people in the OECD countries and 250,000 in Russia.
Few direct benefits to space exploration . True, space technology has helped us launch satellites and introduce many useful products, but do we need to keep pushing forward? The direct intellectual gains from learning about far away planets or satellites such as the moon can hardly compensate the costs. Historical exploration on Earth allowed collect and trade resources. Bringing resources to Earth is not possible with the current technology.
Space travel is hazardous. Many lives have been lost in space expeditions. Space missions are very dangerous and can often cost lives and stress to the families of the astronauts or cosmonauts. Should highly qualified professionals and scientists risk their lives traveling outside Earth?
Failure is common. Many of the space exploration fail. Probes and satellites crash, exploration robots are lost, rockets blow up in the air, etc. It is frustrating to see how so much money and time are wasted in unsuccessful missions.
Danger of establishing contact with alien life. One of the main goals of space exploration is to find out if there is life outside Earth. However, establishing contact with other civilizations can be extremely dangerous and could jeopardize human life. If we flag our existence to technologically advanced extraterrestrial civilizations, we may be somehow exposing ourselves to their attacks and invasion. The wanna-be colonizers could be colonized. Primitive life-forms such as virus and bacteria could also provoke epidemic diseases.
New source of international tensions. The space race is not over. There is a growing international competition to be the first in fulfilling some challenges in space exploration. Sovereignty over other planets and satellites, and over their resources, will become a controversial issue. With the advancement of technology domination of the outer space may tip the balance of power on a bipolar or multipolar Earth.
Priorities and opportunity costs. Even if there are benefits to space exploration, spending so much money and effort in reaching other planets is highly questionable. That money and brain power could be used to solve other more important problems for us. For instance governments could invest much more to prevent global warming, reduce crime rates and find a cure for cancer or Alzheimer's Disease.

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The UNESCO Courier

Is the space effort a waste of money?

space exploration is a waste of money essay

Colossal strides in civilization in the past have followed each major advance in man's observation of the skies. Astronomical discoveries, time after time, have influenced and, in some cases, shifted the very course of history.

By Gene Gregory

As the Apollo 11 and 12 spacecraft raced toward their rendezvous with the moon last July and last November, these most ambitious of man's ventures were the focus of a sharp and lively debate back on earth about the real meaning and value of space exploration.

Twelve years had passed since the Soviet Union launched the space age by firing Sputnik I into earth orbit on October 4, 1957. The United States had spent some $44 thousand million on space programmes, $24 thousand million on the Apollo project alone. Hundreds of thousands of top scientists and technicians had been striving together in by far the largest team of specialists ever mobilized in a single undertaking.

Yet the basic question was still being asked: "Is this trip really necessary?"

Was the moon landing a pointless "stunt", however adroitly executed, or a breath-taking demonstration of man's unlimited capabilities? Would the billions allocated for space be better spent on solving pressing problems here on earth? What, in short, is there in all this running around in space for those of us who remain earthbound mortals?

Arnold J. Toynbee, the esteemed British historian, expressed the concern of many serious-minded sceptics for whom the moon landing symbolized a yawning gap between technology and morals.

"In a sense," Toynbee remonstrated, "going to the moon is like building the pyramids or Louis XIV's palace at Versailles. It's rather scandalous, when human beings are going short of necessities, to do this. If we're clever enough to reach the moon, don't we feel rather foolish in our mismanagement of human affairs?"

But others contend that there is money enough for the moon and tasks on earth, too. And some go further to point out that the conquest of space has done much, through the development of new ideas, new attitudes, new techniques and new structures for the management of large-scale undertakings, to prepare man for a major offensive against the unsolved social and material problems at home.

"If you look at the thousands of years of civilization," Sir Bernard Lovell, director of Britain's Jodrell Bank Observatory reminds us, "you will find that only those communities that have been prepared to struggle with the nearly insoluble problems at the limits of their technical capacities those are the only communities, the only times, that civilization has advanced. The Roman Empire decayed when ¡t ceased to be progressive in this sense, and there are other examples. To a certain extent, you see the beginnings of it in the United Kingdom today, but fortunately not in the United States and certainly not in the Soviet Union."

Queen Isabella of Spain was confronted with something of the same sort of question nearly five centuries ago when she sold her jewels to assemble the resources necessary to finance the trip to the Indies of Christopher Columbus and his crew.

Her prime motives may well have been the glory and riches she expected to accrue to Spain. But the great results of this historical venture were not the spice and gold it brought to Spanish coffers, nor the vast territorial acquisitions which gave Spain dominion over the first global empire in history.

Far more important, the Columbian explorations marked the beginning of a major new cycle in the development of the world, enhancing man's mastery of the seas and bringing together in one great community, however unhappily, the entire human race.

It is not too much to contemplate that similar experiences may be awaiting us as we embark on the contemporary venture into unknown space. This is not simply because outer space provides a new dimension to potentially new resources, nor because the possibility of finding life on other planets has suddenly become much more real. Of even greater importance is the vast accumulation of new technology and new techniques resulting from the first decade of space exploration. Not unnaturally, the sheer spectacular quality of the moon landing tended to focus the world's attention on the heroic aspects of the achievement.

Somehow, the casting of the Apollo 11 and 12 voyages on millions of television sets around the world gave it the character of a sports event. Focus was on the astronauts, champions of a new interplanetary Olympiad, and on the faultless performance of the spacecraft. In the process, the real significance of space exploration became obscure.

If the experience of the past three or four thousand years has any value, it tells us that in freeing himself from the millennial confinement of the earth's gravitation and its atmosphere, man has added a vast new dimension to his environment and to his character. In broadening his horizons, he has in a qualitative sense altered his very being and completely changed his relationship to the rest of nature, and this in turn presages sweeping changes in every field of human activity.

Now, the impact of space exploration the most momentous of all human adventures promises to usher in a new stage of civilization the broad outlines of which remain undefinable, if for no other reason than that the exploration has only begun. The potential of the universe for mankind is as completely unknown today as was that of the New World after the return of Columbus to Spain.

As Margaret Mead, the American anthropologist, has put it: "Once you raise the question that other land than this earth is possible to live on, that other places are possible places to found colonies, or that there may be other living creatures somewhere, you have changed the whole place of man in the universe. You've altered everything. This involves a considerable reduction of human arrogance and a tremendous magnification of human possibilities."

Just as the age of earth exploration completely transformed the political matrix around the globe, the space age will radically. Alter the present global political constellation and institutions. The nation state, already ill-suited to human needs in the last half of the twentieth century, can hardly be expected to effectively serve man's goals in space.

The on-again off-again trip to Mars, originally scheduled for the 1970s, will very likely be too expensive for either the United States or the Soviet Union to undertake alone. By combining in this and other projects in the conquest of space, it is possible to co-operate where prejudices and conflicting interests are least involved. In this age of global problems, the necessity of co-operation in space as human beings with predominantly common interests cannot but have a feedback on earth. If and when space exploration becomes more than a marginal activity, its higher priority is bound to give new stimulus to international joint ventures in space.

Already COMSAT (Communications Satellite Corporation) and INTELSAT (the international space communications organization of 70 member countries) have established a pattern for international public utilities in space communications. American and Soviet rockets are launching European, Australian and Japanese satellites into space. And some 40 tracking stations around the globe, involving varying degrees of international co-operation, participated in the Apollo project.

But if no one knows where this new adventure in space will eventually take us, what new worlds will be discovered what new horizons will open as man colonizes the moon or other planets, or what advantages may be found in manufacturing instruments and equipment in the vacuum of outer space, the first decade of the Space Age has given us a foretaste of what is in store for the future.

Since 1967 hardly a person on earth has not been directly or indirectly effected in one way or another by the results of the space exploration. Liberated from the forces that have kept us earthbound throughout recorded history, we now have capabilities (intellectual and material) that are immeasurably greater than ever before. These new capabilities open unlimited opportunities for the development of human faculties and the satisfaction of human needs.

A whole galaxy of earth satellites is now providing global services which have already brought vast improvements to communications, weather prediction, geology and geodetics, navigation and oceanography. These and other vital tools for the enhancement of man's control over his environment are available not only to the advanced industrial countries that have developed them, but have had immediate benefits for all countries around the globe providing developing countries with tremendous new capabilities for more rapid economic and social advance.

New technologies products, materials, processes, manufacturing techniques, operating procedures, and new standards born of space requirements are being transferred from their original space application to industry, commerce, education and public health, replacing products or practices currently in use to provide those which will better fill the vast variety of human needs.

But, most important, effective techniques and structures have been developed for the "forcing" of technology transfer, and private industry, universities and governments now have at their disposal vast computerized data banks of knowledge and data on virtually every field of the physical and social sciences, technology and the humanities.

But an even more important aspect of the Space Revolution is the last one: techniques for directing massive projects undertaken by thousands of minds in a close-knit, synergistic combination of government, universities and industry. Taken together these techniques are potentially the most powerful management tool in man's history, changing the way civil servants, scientists and managers approach virtually every task they undertake.

About the authors

U.S. engineer Gene Gregory is also a writer specializing in economic and technological questions.

More on this subject

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The Illogical Case for Space

Over the past few months, I’ve written a half-dozen columns examining the ethics and rationale behind a variety of space initiatives. But there’s one central question that I have yet to tackle: Why should we care about space exploration in the first place?

Some space enthusiasts choose to ignore this question altogether. If you ask them why you ought to care about space, they might look at you like you’re crazy — “Well, why wouldn’t you? Are you, like, against science or something?” But when billions of taxpayer dollars are going into space-related research every year, and the benefit to the public is not always evident, the “why” question needs to be addressed.

Unfortunately, the common arguments in favor of space exploration have glaring holes in their logic.

Take a hypothetical space enthusiast. He might begin his defense of space spending by citing all the useful technologies that have been created as a result of space exploration. This point is indisputable — the list of technologies that NASA has produced or refined is extensive , ranging from portable laptops to baby formula. But if our primary desire is the production of useful consumer technologies, a space agency doesn’t seem like the most intuitive place to invest. Plenty of other industries could produce similar technologies if given NASA’s multi-billion dollar budget, and they likely could do so more efficiently, given that the development of these technologies is only one small part of NASA’s overall mission.

The space geek might then point out that going after NASA for financial reasons is misguided. After all, NASA’s funding only makes up 0.5 percent of the total U.S. budget; if you really wanted to save money, you’d best look elsewhere. But this is where we wade into politically divisive waters — what exactly can we scale back instead of NASA? If you said (as I’m inclined to) that the military is the most deserving of a budget cut, you’d immediately lose the attention of many conservative listeners. A call to slash social spending would be dismissed by the progressive bloc. It would be nigh-impossible to find any element of the U.S. budget that could be slashed with bipartisan support — that is, perhaps, besides NASA itself.

At this point, the space fanatic might pull out one last desperate card: Space research is necessary in order to protect the human race. If we never branch out to other planets, then we’re all sitting ducks waiting to be wiped out by the next extinction event. And, indeed, this might be true in the long term. But in the short term, we don’t have the capability to transport humans to another planet en masse, and making a distant planet fully habitable is certainly out of reach. So, for now, it’s more important to keep Earth safe than to start colonizing another planet; fighting existential threats like climate change is actually feasible, and climate research could certainly benefit from an annual budget of $22.6 billion.

So, it seems, our space enthusiast has failed to provide a convincing defense of space spending.

Now for the dramatic twist — that hypothetical space advocate was actually me, about two days ago, when I sat down to write this final column. At first, I wanted to write a traditional defense of space spending, but I quickly realized that every argument I constructed or encountered online had major holes in its logic. As a result, I was forced to ask myself: Does my deeply-held passion for space exploration actually have no logical basis?

And, I realized, the answer is yes. The very act of exploring space — launching humans on giant hunks of metal to go wander around distant space rocks — is a deeply illogical undertaking. Still, millions of humans across the globe are inspired by daring space missions, even if those missions offer no tangible benefit to their own lives.

To me, this is because space research — from the search for extraterrestrial life to figuring out how to get humans to Mars — is more of a spiritual pursuit than a pragmatic one. It excites and fascinates us; it satisfies our collective desire to learn more about the unknown — to go where we’ve never been before. Space allows us to explore our deepest questions about the nature of our role in the universe.

Asking why we should fund space exploration is like asking why we should fund art. Arguments rooted in pragmatism miss the point — that space exploration is for the heart and soul.

That said, not everyone will get the same fulfillment from space, like not everyone finds value in the same work of art. So, it’s important that we space advocates be flexible in order to keep our dream alive.

When pragmatists point out that the money currently going towards space seems excessive, we should say, “You know, you might be right,” and look for alternatives — like an emphasis on less-expensive unmanned space exploration or partnerships between NASA and private companies. When they tell us that some space initiatives — like terraforming — are unrealistic, we should abandon those goals. And when they ask what tangible benefits can be reaped from outer space, we should point out the potential opportunities to turn a profit — like asteroid mining .

These are all ideas that I’ve explored in this column. I’m obviously one of the people who finds great spiritual fulfillment through our exploration of space, but I completely understand that not everyone feels the same way. I urge my fellow space enthusiasts to recognize that our passion is not shared by everyone; in response, we should always be looking for cheaper and more efficient ways to carry out the big goals that we would love to see accomplished.

If we want to take the next giant leaps, we mustn’t step on too many toes.

Daniel L. Leonard ’21, a Crimson Editorial editor, is a joint History of Science and Philosophy concentrator in Winthrop House.

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“Exploration is in our nature.” - Carl Sagan

The Planetary Society • Aug 30, 2021

Why space exploration is always worthwhile

Your guide to advocating for space in a complicated world.

Most people who love space and believe in exploration have probably heard this once or twice: “We shouldn’t waste money on space exploration when there are problems to deal with here on Earth.”

While public health concerns, social injustices, climate change, and other urgent issues are important to address, solving these problems doesn’t depend on defunding space programs.

This can be a difficult conversation to navigate, so we’ve outlined a few ideas here that you can share when advocating for space.

Space research isn’t as expensive as people think

Many countries around the world invest in space science and exploration as a balanced part of their total federal budget. Public opinion research has shown that people estimate NASA to take up as much as a quarter of the U.S. federal budget, but in fact, NASA’s budget only represents about 0.5% of the total federal budget and the proportion is even smaller for other spacefaring nations . The correct information may go a long way to reassuring critics that space spending isn’t eating up as many public resources as they think.

The United States government spent approximately $6.6 trillion in fiscal year 2020, of which just 0.3% ($22.6 billion) was provided to NASA. In this chart, shades of blue represent mandatory spending programs; shades of orange are discretionary programs that require annual appropriations by Congress. "Defense and related" includes both the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Source: Office of Management and Budget Historical Tables 8.5 and 8.7.

Space spending pays off

If someone is arguing that public funds should be spent on solving the world’s problems, they should know that money spent on NASA positively impacts the U.S. economy . We get the same kind of payoff for space spending in other countries. Spending on space supports highly skilled jobs, fuels technology advancements with practical applications, and creates business opportunities that feed back into the economy. This in turn grows the pool of public money that can be spent on solving the world’s most pressing problems.

Space research directly impacts Earthly problems

When people apply themselves to the challenges of exploring space, they make discoveries that can help the world in other ways too. Studying how we might grow food in orbit or on Mars yields insights into growing food in extreme conditions on Earth , generating knowledge that can help mitigate the impacts of climate change. Medical research conducted on the International Space Station helps us understand the human body in new ways, helping save lives and improve quality of life .

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Studying space helps us understand our own world

Studying the cosmos gives us an important perspective shift. When we learn about what lies beyond Earth, it gives us context for understanding our own planet. Studying the other worlds of our solar system and beyond makes it clear that Earth is a precious oasis for life. When we sent spacecraft to Venus we saw how a runaway greenhouse effect turned the world from a habitable planet to an absolute hellscape. When astronauts travel into space they see just how thin and tenuous Earth’s atmosphere is, appreciating the fragile balance in which we live . A cosmic perspective underscores the importance of protecting our planet’s habitability and encourages investment in that effort.

Studying space may one day save us all

All the social and environmental progress in the world won't help us if an asteroid impacts the Earth. We have to explore space to find and study the asteroids and comets in our cosmic neighborhood if we want to make sure we can defend our planet if an object ever heads our way.

Space is inspiring

Not every child who dreams of becoming an astronaut will get that opportunity. This is a sad truth that many of us know from experience. But to be inspired to aim for something so grand gives kids the motivation to study hard and gain skills in science, engineering, medicine, or other fields that benefit humanity and directly help overcome problems that we face as a species.

And inspiration isn’t just for kids. When we marvel at the beauty of Jupiter’s clouds or the mystery of Enceladus’ oceans , we get an opportunity to appreciate the wonder and majesty of this cosmos that we inhabit. The idea that life might exist elsewhere in the universe reminds us that we might not be the only planet struggling to achieve balance, justice, and sustainability. And even in the bleakest of times, there’s something beautiful about still striving to achieve something great and discover something that could change how we see ourselves and our cosmos forever.

There’s plenty of room at the table

There’s no denying that there are many important issues facing humanity that need fixing. But to deal with those problems doesn’t mean we have to stop looking up, stop exploring, and stop making discoveries.

Human civilization has astonishing capacity, and we can do more than one important thing at a time. If someone thinks that a particular issue should get more attention and investment, they can and should advocate for that. The problems we face don’t persist because we’re spending money on space science and exploration. And there’s no reason to pit our aspirations against one another.

Let’s Go Beyond The Horizon

Every success in space exploration is the result of the community of space enthusiasts, like you, who believe it is important. You can help usher in the next great era of space exploration with your gift today.

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Is It Worth It? The Costs and Benefits of Space Exploration

Given the cost associated with space exploration, one naturally has to ask what the benefits are and whether or not they are worth it..

Matthew S. Williams

Is It Worth It? The Costs and Benefits of Space Exploration

Ever since the Sunset of the Apollo era and the Soviet Union collapsed (thus ending the Cold War), there has been an unavoidable question regarding space exploration.

It has become even more relevant in recent years in response to new proposals to send astronauts to the Moon and Mars.

“Given the sheer cost, is space exploration really worth it?”

Let’s face it; space exploration isn’t exactly cheap! It takes millions of dollars to send even a single robotic mission to space and billions of dollars to send astronauts to orbit.

If you’re looking to send explorers to even the nearest celestial bodies, chances are the costs will run into the hundreds of billions.

To be fair, exploring space, the other celestial bodies of the Solar System, and the Universe at large also comes with innumerable benefits. The problem is the most obvious benefits are largely intangible. How do you put a dollar value on scientific knowledge, inspiration, or expanding our frontiers?

NASA on The Commons / Flickr

What About Earth?

For those debating the worth of space exploration, things often turn toward the issue of how many problems we have here on Earth. As the argument goes, we’ve got enough challenges here at home – climate change, hunger, overpopulation, and underdevelopment. These should take priority over exploring and/or establishing a human presence in other worlds.

RELATED: 10 WAYS HUMANS IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT

For example, in a recent op-ed piece , Amitai Etzioni – an adviser to the Carter administration – countered some of the arguments for colonizing Mars and other planets in the Solar System (as put forth by luminaries such as Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk ). Addressing the argument that humanity needed to do so to survive long-term, Etzioni wrote:

“[W]hat the droughts, the fires, the hot summers, and the melting glaciers call for is not an escape from Earth, but a redoubling of the efforts to save it… What is needed are major technological breakthroughs that will allow for protecting earth while sustaining a healthy level of economic activity… To make such breakthroughs we need major concentrations of research and development resources, talent, and leadership, all of which are in short supply. Hence, any serious Mars endeavor will inevitably cut into the drive to save Mother Earth.”

While these arguments have a certain logic, they are subject to three major assumptions/fallacies. First , they seem to be built around the idea that space exploration and addressing our many problems here on Earth are mutually exclusive rather than complementary.

One of the greatest benefits of human spaceflight and space exploration has been the ability to study Earth from orbit. This has allowed us to learn an unprecedented amount about our planet’s climate and weather systems, not to mention giving us the ability to measure these systems and the impact that human agency continues to have on them.

It also gave rise to the understanding that our planet is a single, synergistic, and self-regulating complex system — the Gaia Hypothesis . Originally proposed by famed scientists James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis in the 1970s, this scientific theory is one of the cornerstones of the modern environmentalist movement.

Second , there is the assumption that directing funds into space exploration and space-related ventures will deprive other efforts (such as addressing climate change, alleviating poverty, feeding the hungry, etc.) of vital resources.

Once again, the same type of “either/or” reasoning is at play, with no apparent room for “and.” When you get right down to it, there is no basis (other than facile logic) for thinking that money spent on scientific endeavors in space means there will be less money from addressing problems at home.

United States Department of Energy/ Wikimedia Commons

What’s more, there is no guarantee that money not spent on space exploration would be automatically diverted to dealing with social, economic, and environmental issues. While the argument appeals to a certain concern for humanity and social justice, it is not born out by reason.

Third , if the argument comes down to the question of resources being better spent elsewhere, why single out space exploration? Why not something that’s even more expensive and has less demonstrable benefits? Why not something like military spending?

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute , in 2014, roughly $1.8 trillion US was committed to military expenditures worldwide. Could this money not have been better spent on humanitarian aid, addressing extreme poverty, or assisting the transition to renewable energy worldwide?

To be more specific, let’s look at the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft, which began development in 1992. According to estimates compiled in 2016 , it has cost over 1.5 trillion dollars to get this fighter from the drawing board to procurement by the US and other nations’ armed forces.

Master Sgt. John R. Nimmo, Sr. | US Air Force / DVIDS.net

Spread over twenty-four years (1992-2016), which works out to an average of over $125 billion annually. These cost overruns have been largely due to design flaws and technical failures resulting in multiple aircraft losses during testing.

But some critics think the program has endured because it has become “ too big to kill .” Had the program been terminated years ago, could the billions of taxpayer dollars saved not have been put towards addressing social problems? Just saying…

Consider the amount spent annually to subsidize the fossil fuel industry as a second example. According to the International Energy Agency , the value of global fossil-fuel subsidies was over $300 billion in 2017 alone.

However, according to a 2017 study by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the University of California, the price tag is much higher. Once you consider all of the indirect ways in which fossil fuels are subsidized – not to mention the costs of dealing with the impact of fossil fuel burning – the total cost comes to a whopping $5 trillion.

Not only is all that money not being used to address the urgent problem of climate change, but it is also actively financing it. If some of those trillions were to be diverted to financing solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources, would we not see a more rapid decline in carbon emissions?

To be fair, those counter-arguments are also a bit over-simplistic and deflect from the question. But then again, the question itself is very hard to answer. When all is said and done, it isn’t easy to take seven decades of space exploration, size up the accomplishments, and reduce it all to a yes/no answer.

But between the cost of resources and the measurable benefits we get from space exploration, a basic cost/benefit assessment should be possible. So let’s look at what humanity has gained by going to space over the past few decades, starting from the beginning…

First Forays Into Space

The Soviet Union was the first to make it to space, launching its Sputnik 1 satellite in 1957. Several satellites followed, as well as the first animals (such as Laika the dog ), followed by the first man and woman in 1961 and 1963. These were cosmonauts Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova , who flew to space as part of the Vostok 1 and Vostok 6 missions, respectively.

The United States followed suit, creating NASA in 1958 and launching the first American satellites with the Explorer program. Test launches (including animals) came shortly thereafter, followed by Project Mercury and the first American astronauts being sent to space (the Mercury Seven ).

On both sides, a great deal of time and resources went into developing rockets and testing the effect of spaceflight on creatures big and small. And the advancements made within each national space program were inexorably tied to developing nuclear weapons.

As such, it can be difficult to differentiate between the cost of some of these early projects and general military spending. Another issue is the difficulty in obtaining accurate information from the early Soviet programs, which were kept secret from Western sources and the Soviet Union’s people.

Nevertheless, public cost assessments were made for certain programs (mainly NASA ones). So if we were to consider the kinds of advancements made as a result of a program and then weigh that against the money it took to make it happen, we could construct a rough cost/benefit analysis.

Project Mercury and Vostok:

According to cost assessments made by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) covering 1965 to 1984, Soviet government spending on its space program was comparable to that of the United States. As stated in a report that was compiled in 1985 (and declassified in 2011):

“We estimate the annual dollar costs of the program (including research and development, procurement, operating and support costs) expressed in 1983 prices, have risen from the equivalent of over $8 billion in 1965 to over $23 billion in 1984 – averaging growth of about 6 percent per year.”

Adjusted to 2019 prices, the Soviet Union space program cost the equivalent of $25.5 billion in 1965 – by which time they had already sent six crewed missions to space as part of the Vostok program – and steadily grew over the next few decades.

By this time, the Soviet Union had also conducted multiple test launches and sent numerous satellites into orbit as part of the Sputnik program . So while it is difficult to price individual programs, it is fair to say that $25.5 billion a year was the price the Soviet Union paid to be the first country to send an artificial object and human beings into space.

For NASA, the cost of early crewed spaceflights is easier to assess. This began with Project Mercury, which officially ran from 1958–1963 and succeeded in placing the first American astronaut into space. This was astronaut Alan Shepard, sent into orbit on May 5th, 1961, as part of the Freedom 7 mission.

According to cost assessments made by 1965 (two years after the program ended), Project Mercury cost US taxpayers roughly $277 million over five years. Adjusted for inflation, that works out to a total of 2.2 billion dollars, or $440 million a year.

Project Gemini , which ran from 1961–1966, sent several more crews into space using two-stage rockets and spacecraft capable of sending two astronauts in a single flight. Based on cost assessments compiled in 1967, this program cost taxpayers $1.3 billion over five years.

Once adjusted to 2019 dollars, that works out to $9.84 billion, or $ 1.97 billion a year. So really, these two programs cost taxpayers over $12 billion over eight years (1958-1966). This brings us to a total bill of about $91 billion, or $11.375 billion annually.

The Race to the Moon

But by far, the greatest commitment in time, energy, money, and expertise went into the Apollo Program. This program called for the development of rockets, spacecraft, and related technologies that would lead to the first crewed missions in history to the Moon.

The Apollo Program began in earnest in 1960 to develop a spacecraft capable of accommodating up to three astronauts and a super-heavy launch vehicle capable of breaking from Earth’s gravity and conducting a trans-lunar injection maneuver.

These needs were met with the creation of the three-stage Saturn V rocket and the Apollo spacecraft – which consisted of the Command Module (CM), the Service Module (SM), and a lunar Landing Module (LM).

The goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by the end of the decade required the most sudden burst of creativity, technological innovation, and the largest commitment of resources ever made by a nation during peacetime. It also entailed a massive support infrastructure that employed 400,000 people and over 20,000 industrial firms and universities.

And by the time the last Apollo mission was flown ( Apollo 17 , in 1972), the program had cost a pretty penny. According to the NASA authorization Hearings held by the Ninety-third Congress in 1974, the Apollo program cost taxpayers USD 25.4 billion.

Adjusted for inflation, that equals $130.23 billion in 2019 dollars. Considering that that spending was spread over a twelve-year period (1960-1972), this works out to average annual spending of $10.85 billion a year.

But consider that these programs did not exist in a vacuum, and a lot of money went into other programs and additional support. Regarding NASA’s total budget, spending on space exploration peaked in 1965, with a total budget of about $50 billion (adjusted to 2019 dollars).

The Soviet Union was also budgeting very heavily at this time. Doing the math, at 6% growth per annum, the Soviet Union would have spent the equivalent of around $25.5 billion to $46.22 billion a year between 1965 and when the last Apollo mission flew in 1972.

While the Soviet Union never sent astronauts to the Moon in this same period, they did send many more crews to orbit and several robotic explorer missions to the Moon (the Luna and Lunokhod programs) and other bodies in the Solar System.

Pricing the “Space Race”:

Any way you slice it, $25.5 to $50 billion a year is a LOT of money! For comparison, consider the Hoover Dam, one of the largest engineering feats in history. This massive hydroelectric operation cost approximately $49 million to build between 1931 and 1936. That works out to about $815 million spread over five years, or $163 million yearly.

In short, for what they spent on the Apollo Program alone, American taxpayers could have footed the bill for 177 Hoover Dams. Think of the electricity that could have been provided! Or, to use a more robust statistic, the US government has committed $89.6 billion in 2019 to its Health and Human Services department.

In that respect, the Apollo Program costs roughly 14% of what the US government spends annually on the health and well-being of millions of its citizens. If that kind of money were injected into healthcare spending, the US would greatly expand its medical coverage.

The comparison is a bit crude, but it gives you a sense of how monumentally expensive space exploration has been for all who have dared to engage in it. One, therefore, has to ask, what benefits did all this spending bring?

Aside from the national prestige and the inspiration it provided, what tangible benefits can be cited as justification for all the money spent?

What Came Of All This?

The most obvious benefit of the Space Age was how it advanced humanity’s knowledge of space. By putting satellites and crewed spacecraft into orbit, scientists learned a great deal about Earth’s atmosphere, Earth’s ecosystems, which led to the development of Global Position Satellite (GPS) navigation.

The deployment of satellites also led to a revolution in communications technology. Since Sputnik 1 was launched to orbit in 1957, about 8,100 satellites have been deployed by forty countries for telecommunications, television, radio broadcasting, navigation, and military operations.

As of 2019, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) estimated 5,074 satellites are in orbit on Earth. And in the coming years, thousands more are expected as part of the growing telecom and satellite internet markets. In the latter case, these satellites will be essential to meeting the growing demands for wireless services in the developing world.

Between 2005 and 2017 , the number of people worldwide who had internet access went from 1 billion to over 3.5 billion – 16% to 48% of the population. Even more impressive, the number of people in developed nations with internet access went from 8% to over 41%. By the latter half of this century, internet access is expected to become universal.

The deployment of satellites, crewed missions, and space stations – culminating in the creation of the International Space Station (ISS) – also had a revolutionary impact on Earth’s sciences and our understanding of the planet.

As noted, the study of Earth from space gave rise to the theory that all living organisms interact with their environment to maintain and perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet – once again, this is known as the “Gaia Hypothesis.”

Interestingly, this theory resulted from Lovelock’s work with NASA, where he helped develop models for assessing whether or not life could exist on Mars. Thanks to these studies, scientists have understood how life emerged and evolved here on Earth.

They have also been able to create models that predict under which conditions life could exist in extra-terrestrial environments. This goes beyond locations in the Solar System (like Mars or within the moons of Europa, Ganymede, Enceladus, Titan, etc.) and includes extrasolar planets.

Aside from being a historic feat, which was never before seen (or since), the Apollo missions also resulted in many profound scientific advancements. The study of lunar rocks, which the Apollo astronauts brought back with them, led scientists to theorize that the Earth and Moon were once part of the same protoplanet.

According to this theory, known as the Giant Impact Hypothesis , the Earth-Moon system results from a collision that took place some 4.5 billion years ago between Earth and a Mars-sized object (named Theia). This occurred just a few million years after the Earth formed from the protoplanetary disk surrounding our Sun.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle (SSC)

The deployment of space-based telescopes has also had a major impact on astronomy and cosmology. By operating in orbit, these telescopes are not subject to atmospheric distortion and can capture images of distant galaxies and cosmic phenomena that would not be possible using ground-based telescopes.

For example, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has contributed over a million observations in its 30 years of service. These have allowed astronomers and astrophysicists to learn more about the Universe by measuring the rate at which it is expanding (which led to the theory of Dark Energy), testing General Relativity, and discovering extrasolar planets.

This last area of research, which has since been taken up by the likes of the Kepler Space Telescope (KST), the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite , the Gaia space observatory , and (soon) the James Webb Space Telescope has allowed scientists to search for life beyond our world like never before!

The Kepler mission alone has discovered nearly 4000 candidate extrasolar planets . Of these, 49 planets have been earmarked for follow-up studies because they are considered good candidates for habitability. Once again, looking for life out there is causing scientists to take a good like at how life emerged here.

And then there is the way space travel has brought the world together and facilitated international cooperation. When Yuri Gagarin became the first man to go to space, he instantly became a hero, not just in the Soviet Union. During the frequent tours he did after his historic flight, Gagarin’s warm manner and bright smile were said to have “ lit up the darkness of the Cold War. “

The same was true of Neil Armstrong when he became the first man to set foot on the Moon. His famous words, “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind,” are considered iconic well beyond the United States. After returning to Earth, he toured the Soviet Union as an honored guest and delivered an address at the 13th annual conference of the International Committee on Space Research.

During Apollo 11, Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left a package of memorial items on the Moon to honor astronauts and cosmonauts who had died in training accidents. In addition to Grissom, White, and Chaffee (who died in the 1967 fire that consumed the Apollo 1 Command Module ), they also honored Vladimir Komarov and Yuri Gagarin – who died in 1967 and 1968, respectively.

Laika the dog, the first canine to go into space, is regarded as a hero by space enthusiasts worldwide. Even though these events all took place during the Cold War, the way these achievements united the world in celebration allowed for a bit of a thaw.

You also have collaborative efforts like the International Space Station (ISS), which 18 national space agencies participated in creating. These included NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency (ESA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and others.

These same countries have regularly contributed both personnel and experiments to ISS expeditions. As of 2019, 236 astronauts have visited the station (many of them multiple times), with 149 being from the US, 47 from Russia, 18 from the EU, nine from Japan, eight from Canada, and individual astronauts from a wide range of countries.

But of course, the benefits of 70 years of space travel go beyond scientific advancements and international cooperation. There are also innumerable technological and commercial benefits that have resulted from space-related government-funded research and development.

Within the United States, these benefits are cataloged by NASA Spinoff , founded in 1973 by the NASA Technology Transfer Program to report on how technologies developed for space missions have been made available to the corporate sector and the general public.

For instance, did you know that NASA-funded research led to the development of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs), portable cordless vacuums, microwaves, freeze-drying technology, temper foam, video enhancing and analysis systems, computer-assisted design (CAD), Embedded Web Technology (EWT), and weather visualization and forecasting software?

RELATED: 23 GREAT NASA SPIN-OFF TECHNOLOGIES

How about health and medical advances like ventricular assist devices (VADs), artificial limbs, food safety systems, water and air filtration systems, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)? It has also advanced our understanding of genetic disorders, osteoporosis, and degenerative diseases.

The list goes on and on, but to break it down, a 2002 study conducted by George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute indicated that, on average, NASA returns $7 to $21 back to the American public through its Technology Transfer Program. That’s a pretty significant return on investment, especially when you consider the other ways it has paid off.

What Does the Future Hold?

Asking whether or not space exploration is worth the investment is both sensible and necessary. But an equally valid question to ask while considering all that we’ve derived from it so far is, “Would that have been possible otherwise?”

Would we have seen the same revolutions in communications, computing, transportation, medicine, astronomy, astrophysics, and planetary sciences? Would we have come to learn as much about our origins on this planet? Would we understand just how interconnected life and ecosystems are today?

Pondering these two questions is vital as we embark on an era of renewed space exploration, which will require a similar commitment in time, energy, resources, and vision. It’s also worth considering whether or not we will even be able to address our problems here on Earth without investing in space exploration.

Looking to the next decade and after, NASA, Roscomos, China, India, the EU, and many other space agencies hope to explore the lunar surface, create a permanent outpost there, send astronauts to Mars, explore the outer planets of the Solar System, and search for life both near and far.

All of this will require a lot of money, and it is uncertain what the future budget environment will be like. And while countless innovation promise to make going to space more cost-effective and accessible (like reusable rockets and space planes), we may run into some problems in the future and need to make some sacrifices.

But for now, it seems that we are intent on making the next generation of exploration happen. According to recent polls conducted by Pew Research , most Americans (72%) believe it is essential for the United States to be a leader in space exploration.

The same polls found that 80% of Americans surveyed believe the International Space Station (ISS) has been a good investment for the country. On the question of the role played by NASA and NewSpace, the polls found that 65% of Americans believe that NASA must continue to be involved in space exploration instead of leaving it all to private industry.

As Manasavi Lingam, a postdoctoral researcher from Harvard University’s I nstitute for Theory and Computation (ITC), told Interesting Engineering via email, the benefits of continued space exploration include:

“The ability to greatly advance our understanding of several fields ranging from geology (e.g., learning about other crusts and mantles) to astronomy (e.g., building a telescope on the moon) and perhaps even biology (e.g., extraterrestrial life).”

Another way in which we stand to benefit from continued exploration is the expansion of our resource base. “Here, it will be essential not to overexploit the likes of the asteroid belt, Mercury, etc., all of which have substantial abundances of metals,” said Lingham.

“We embarked on our journey to the stars with a question first framed in the childhood of our species and in each generation asked anew with undiminished wonder: What are the stars? Exploration is in our nature. We began as wanderers, and we are wanderers still. We have lingered long enough on the shores of the cosmic ocean. We are ready at last to set sail for the stars…

“our remote descendants, safely arrayed on many worlds throughout the solar system and beyond, will be unified by their common heritage, by their regard for their home planet, and by the knowledge that, whatever other life may be, the only humans in all the universe come from earth. they will gaze up and strain to find the blue dot in their skies. they will love it no less for its obscurity and fragility. they will marvel at how vulnerable the repository of all our potential once was, how perilous our infancy, how humble our beginnings, how many rivers we had to cross before we found our way.”.

Given what stands to be gained and what we will miss out on if we stop, the costs of space exploration seem infinitely bearable!

NASA – NASA Spinoff
Wikipedia – Benefits of space exploration
CIA – USSR: Cost of the Space Program (2011)
UNOOSA – Benefits of Space for Humankind
Global Security – Launch Services Cost Study (2010)
The Space Review – Cost of US piloted programs (2010)
CIA – US and Soviet Space Programs: Comparative Size (1966)

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ABOUT THE EDITOR

Matthew S. Williams Matthew S Williams is an author, a writer for Universe Today, and the curator of their Guide to Space section. His works include sci-fi/mystery The Cronian Incident and his articles have been featured in Phys.org, HeroX, Popular Mechanics, Business Insider, Gizmodo, and IO9, ScienceAlert, Knowridge Science Report, and Real Clear Science, with topics ranging from astronomy and Earth sciences to technological innovation and environmental issues. He is also a former educator and a 5th degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do instructor. He lives on Vancouver Island with his wife and family.

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Space exploration: Colossal waste of money or one giant leap for mankind?

Following Elon Musk’s brilliant, yet also brilliantly expensive Falcon Heavy launch , there was again social media outrage decrying it as a huge waste of resources that could have been better used on Earth. It’s something I’ve heard a lot here and there from both liberals and conservatives: “Why should we invest so much in something that barely affects us?”

I’m not that surprised when this question comes from supporters of the current administration. Our supremely well-qualified EPA Chief, Scott Pruitt, just recently stated , “We know that humans have most flourished during time of warming trends. I think there’s [sic] assumptions made that because the climate is warming, that that necessarily is a bad thing.” Trump has also tried to hide and censor scientific facts that go against his platform, even cutting funding for many major science agencies .

This makes it even more strange that some liberals are against the scientific progress that space exploration brings.

The common “bleeding-heart liberal” argument is often that “since money isn’t being spent on poor people or starving children in Africa, it’s a waste.” For example, Nathan Robinson describes these launches as “indefensible wastes of money” in his article that sums up much of this childish reasoning. Robinson tries to casually equate Musk’s position about space exploration with the idea that “anyone who mentions the colossal waste the project involves, or the various social uses to which these resources could be put, [should] be dismissed as a killjoy.”

He’s exactly right. These people are indeed killjoys, and should be educated on the benefits that research can bring. In addition to being applied to Elon Musk and other rich entrepreneurs, this argument is also used for reasons that we should defund NASA.

What Robinson fails to address is the fact that the research and development that is needed to undertake such a massive project directly benefits us back on Earth. This is something I believe cannot be overstated enough: Even though we might just see something like a rocket launch as “cool” or an “oh wow” moment, in reality so much preparation and research goes into it that will inherently flow back and benefit us. Imagine a life without prosthetic limbs, heart pumps, solar power, advance firefighter gear and water purification. NASA has played a large part in the research and development of all of these items .

Innovations that are developed through NASA’s research are known as spin-offs, and often include medical and safety breakthroughs. Robinson states, “perhaps we could make it so that a child no longer dies of malaria every two minutes,” but space exploration could actually be the solution to this disease or similar ones through spin-offs. The technology that results from these large scale missions could solve many problems back on Earth.

From an economic standpoint, space exploration in general has so many benefits. Starting off, NASA doesn’t occupy a large portion of the federal budget at all, clocking in at a 0.4% of the 2018 budget . Even then, it’s not like the money that goes into NASA is being wasted. Each dollar that goes into NASA adds $7-14 to the economy. It’s a good investment to invest in space: we get great technology that we can use here on Earth as well as a boost to industry.

Viewpoints like Robinson’s disparaging Musk for using his own money on his own project instead of sending it off to another cause are reasons that wealth redistribution (which is needed in society) is often looked down upon within the U.S. The idea that rich people are both the sole problem and sole solution for society doesn’t really make sense, and especially not for scientists like Musk who are trying to develop ways to advance society. At the same time we as a society disparage wealthy people for working hard and having money, we expect them to give up that money and magically solve all of the world’s problems.

Even when Musk is involved with such a scientific breakthrough that will no doubt benefit the majority of members of society, much of it from his personal investment, he is still insulted. Even when the government is able to make an amazing return on its investment from NASA and other space programs that can be used to help civilians, people like Robinson will no doubt still bash on the agency. If anything, we need to invest in space technology: instead of ridiculing Elon Musk for shooting a car into space, we should relish the technology and R&D that went into it.

Contact Tiger Sun at [email protected]

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Space Exploration IELTS Essay Opinion Type

Space exploration ielts essay.

With all the troubles in the world today, money spent on space exploration is a complete waste. The money could be better spent on other things. What is your opinion?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. You should write at least 250 words.

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With all the troubles in the world today, money spent on space exploration is a complete waste IELTS Essay

Nations after nations, everyday, every year, celebrate their achievements in space exploration . However, it is now time to question how meaningful these blasts are. This essay aims to explain why it is questionable.

First, until all urgent and important matters in this globe have been solved, money bumped on space exploration is of no meaning. It is not a common sense at all to invest million dollars researching and producing foods for astronauts (for space exploration purpose), while everyday thousands of people are starving. Furthermore, the discovery of outer space only serves a minor group of people if the majority are even not well-educated. Those in rural areas or third-world nations do no even know how to prevent common threatening diseases like AIDS and lung cancer. ielts xpress

Then, some may argue that the purpose of space exploration are to discover new lands, new energy resources or to deter potential threat to globe. Nevertheless, is it effective to do so while other alternatives are available? Lands on earth are no yet effectively used. New energy resources (e.g. solar and nuclear energy) have not yet been widely-used. Threats of plagues have not yet been deterred. All these ? not- yets? need money. That is why costly space discovery programs are a waste of money. IELTSXpress.com

In the nutshell, people should only invest in space exploration providing that early-mentioned urgent and important matters have been solved. Also, purposes of space exploration campaign should be studied carefully and other alternatives should be considered before money is wasted.

IELTS Essay on Space Exploration

In many countries, a big proportion of expenditure is being spent on exploring the space. It is argued that this expenditure should be spent on other important things rather than on space exploration. However, in my opinion, keep other significant things in mind, space program is very crucial and important for the whole world and should be funded due to the fact that it will help to improve the communication between countries in the world and also helping to search a new alternate to live.

To begin, a reason to support funding space program is communication between all over the globe. Because business and organizations are being expanded geographically, they need a communication channel to run these businesses in an effective manner. It has become possible after launching satellites in the orbit. For instance, NASA, which is a reputed space organization has launched many satellites in the orbit, which are being used to broadcast the signals in the form of audio and video to across the globe. Moreover, the satellite television has only become possible due the space programs, and people are able to watch the global events instantly from anywhere. Thus, it can be said that by doing the space exploration, world communication has utterly been changed and for this reason it should be financially aided.

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Furthermore, As global warming has become a serious concern for the whole world, scientist have started to find the alternate planet to live. Due to this fact, there are going to be conducted more space programs and eventually more money is needed to support these programs. For instance, ISRO, which is an Indian space research organization has been funded by the Indian government. As a result, they have managed to launch own satellite without help of other countries. In addition, there is a need to resolve the problem of global warming and this could only be possible if more space programs will be aided financially. Thus, it has been important for every country to give financial support to these programs so that the next generation can live in a better place.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that space program should be supported financially as there is need to get together the whole world to improve the communication and fight against the environmental problems.

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IELTS Essay, topic: Space exploration

IELTS Essays - Band 7

With all the problems in the world today, spending money on space exploration is a complete waste. The money could be better spent on other causes.

First, until all urgent and important matters of the globe have been solved, money on space exploration is meaningless. It at all to invest millions of dollars researching and producing foods for astronauts (for space exploration purpose), while every day thousands of people are starving. Furthermore, the discovery of outer space only serves a minor group of people if the majority well-educated. do no even know how to prevent common threatening diseases such as AIDS and lung cancer.

Then, some may argue that the purpose of space exploration to discover new lands, new energy resources or to deter potential threat to . Nevertheless, is it effective to do so while other alternatives are available? yet effectively used. New energy resources (e.g. solar and nuclear energy) have not yet been widely-used. Threats of plagues have not yet been deterred. All of these tasks that haven’t been tackled yet require money. That is why costly space discovery programs are a waste of resources.

In a nutshell, people should only invest in space exploration provided that urgent and important matters mentioned earlier in this essay have been solved. Also, purposes of space exploration campaigns should be studied carefully and other alternatives should be considered before the money is wasted.

This is a very good essay, well done.

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Excellent material to get expert band 9. Thank you very much

Very good material for 9 band in IELTS for all types of students Kind thank and send me more material for Ielts Writing,Reading and Listening ,practice for IELTS EXAM

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Space Exploration Essays

by Arvind Sharma (India)

Space exploration is much too expensive and the money should be spent on more important things. What is your opinion? In many countries, a big proportion of expenditure is being spent on exploring the space. It is argued that this expenditure should be spent on other important things rather than on space exploration. However, in my opinion, keep other significant things in mind, space program is very crucial and important for the whole world and should be funded due to the fact that it will help to improve the communication between countries in the world and also helping to search a new alternate to live. To begin, a reason to support funding space program is communication between all over the globe. Because business and organizations are being expanded geographically, they need a communication channel to run these businesses in an effective manner. It has become possible after launching satellites in the orbit. For instance, NASA, which is a reputed space organization has launched many satellites in the orbit, which are being used to broadcast the signals in the form of audio and video to across the globe. Moreover, the satellite television has only become possible due the space programs, and people are able to watch the global events instantly from anywhere. Thus, it can be said that by doing the space exploration, world communication has utterly been changed and for this reason it should be financially aided. Furthermore, As global warming has become a serious concern for the whole world, scientist have started to find the alternate planet to live. Due to this fact, there are going to be conducted more space programs and eventually more money is needed to support these programs. For instance, ISRO, which is an Indian space research organization has been funded by the Indian government. As a result, they have managed to launch own satellite without help of other countries. In addition, there is a need to resolve the problem of global warming and this could only be possible if more space programs will be aided financially. Thus, it has been important for every country to give financial support to these programs so that the next generation can live in a better place. In conclusion, I firmly believe that space program should be supported financially as there is need to get together the whole world to improve the communication and fight against the environmental problems. *** Please can you check my essay on space exploration.

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Spending Money on Space Exploration

by sayali vilas jadhav (pune)

Money spent on space exploration is a waste and can be put to better use on earth. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Nowadays, most of the countries in the world are giving more importance to space exploration because it is a thing of pride for a country to achieve success in space exploration. According to me, money spends on space exploration is worth as this gives us a chance for us to know new things around us. space exploration gives us a chance to innovate new things for the welfare of people.As we know, we found out that there is water on the moon. Due to this scientists planning for sending people to the moon to minimize population and to provide quality life to people. But sometimes I feel that the money which we are spending on space exploration can be minimized and put into the welfare of poor people. due to this roadside children may also get an education and poor people may get jobs. The bottom line is there should be a balance between both things as both things are good for the welfare of people. space exploration is also important like minimizing the poverty from the country.

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Contacting Aliens Essay

by LennyBoyyy

Some Scientists think that there are intelligent life forms on other planets and messages should be sent to contact them. Other scientists think it is a bad idea and would be dangerous. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. The opinions of scientists go apart when it comes to the topic of other life forms. Some say there exist other life forms and that they should be contacted, while others would not do that because it could be dangerous. There are without a doubt pros and cons regarding this topic, but in my opinion it would not be a good idea to contact them, because I would find it better to gain some knowledge about the other life forms before you contact them. On the first hand would It be an unbelievable success to get to know other life forms. Scientists are searching for other life forms probably since decades, but never got any signs. Millions of Dollars were spent to reach these goal. It would change drastically people’s lives. In addition, the technology could in cooperation with the other life forms, advance massively. On the other hand, could the contact with other life forms become very dangerous, because of the lack of knowledge the humanity has regarding other life forms. Not knowing how your communicating partner looks like, functions or thinks could be very risky. Additionally, it could be also the case that there don’t exist other life forms and that huge amounts of money were spend without any sense. Summarized, I would not try to contact other life forms, because the cons in form of the uncertainty if other life forms exist and the danger in which humanity could be exposed exceeds in my opinion the pros in form of the probability that other life could be found and that a stable communication could be build.

Spending Resources to Explore Space

by Nidhi Pareek (Ahmedabad )

Some people think that space exploration is a waste of resources while others think that it is essential for human kind to continue to explore the universe in which we live. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. It is an undeniable fact that over the past few years space exploration has become one of the most discussed topics in today’s society. As a result, some people think that studying space is crucial for humanity, others argue that it is a waste of resources. In this essay, I would like to put forth my views on both the sides with a valid opinion in the conclusion. Firstly, space research has many benefits such as latest technological advancements in satellite communications which include smartphones, satellite television and radio broadcasting are all breakthrough of space research. Furthermore, space research is important for getting minute-details of weather conditions and it also provides the future predictions of climatic conditions. Moreover, space scientists are keen to find the possibility of life on other planets like Mars and if they get success then growing population problem of earth will be solved. Finally, having well developed space research organisation in any country is a matter of prestige for government and it's citizens. However, we seldom give a thought to ponder over the other side of this essay so there are some drawbacks of space research and that is why some people are against the exploration of space. Foremostly, space research requires colossal amount of budget and it is a time consuming study. Furthermore, success ratio of space research is very low. In addition, risk of life is always there with space explorations. For an example, in the year 2006 a prominent astronaut of NASA, Ms. Kalpana Chawla and her team travelled to space for research but unfortunately their space-shuttle crashed while they were returning back to earth. The seemingly inexorable description about the space research can keep on going. Nevertheless, showing a deep reverence and observing the finer nuance of the matter mentioned above I espouse the notion of supporting that space research is an essential part for an economic development but as we all know it is considered as the most expensive scientific discovery so countries should collaborate and there should be a joint efforts for space studies to make it cost effective.

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Space exploration: A luxury or a necessity?

by Daniel Fillion, The Conversation

Space exploration is not a luxury, it's a necessity

"Oh, come on Daniel, space travel is so expensive, and pointless!" These were the words of my friend Max, during a Christmas party where I was discussing my thesis project: studying places on Earth where the living conditions are so extreme, they could hold lessons for future space missions.

This disdainful attitude toward space research is actually quite common.

Space exploration is currently booming. Just think of the Artemis missions, SpaceX's ambitious plans for Mars, the deployment of the James Webb telescope or the recent "race to the moon."

A number of large-scale projects are getting the green light now, mainly from NASA, including the Artemis II mission that will carry four astronauts to the moon, which will have Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen aboard . This will be a first since 1972. Incredibly, it's been 50 years since the last human mission to Earth's natural satellite.

Although many people find space exploration inspiring, others are skeptical and even angered by what they see as an unjustifiable waste of resources and money on an activity that only spreads pollution to another place. This sums up the feelings of my friend Max.

In this article, I will try to prove him wrong.

Humans are explorers first

My great curiosity has led me to travel to extreme places so I can study them . But I am not the only one with this desire to explore.

In my Grade 9 history class, my teacher stood on top of her desk and, with a grave and serious tone, went on to act out Jacques Cartier's arrival in North America in her own, colorful style. A few years earlier, I had learned about how the first humans left their caves to climb mountains. One hundred and thirty years ago, humans sailed further and further south until they saw the glacial landscapes of Antarctica for the first time . At the same time, humans were attempting to dominate the skies and aiming for the beyond with planes and rockets—which is how we got to the moon.

What is the common denominator in our history? Exploration, of course.

Human nature is characterized by a propensity to travel, to look further and to discover. We are all curious by nature. If we stop wanting to explore, we stop being human.

The Earth has rings

So, my friend Max, let me invite you outside. It's a beautiful, starry night with no moon. It's a bit cold, but at least the atmosphere isn't too humid, which makes the sky more transparent. We can see stars flickering. Some are blue, others are red. And the more our eyes adapt, the more the sky reveals its secrets.

Suddenly, something else stands out. It's another light, but it's not flashing, and it's moving quite quickly. A shooting star? No, the atmosphere would have burned it up in a few seconds .

It's a satellite, one of thousands that orbit the Earth like rings. These satellites are a direct consequence of space exploration. We would be living in a completely different world without them.

Indeed, not an hour goes by in our lives when we don't use a satellite .

On the one hand, you would likely have gotten lost on your way here, Max, because there would have been no GPS to show you which exit to take. And secondly, I wouldn't have been able to help you find your way because there would be no wifi. We can push our thinking even further; agriculture, environmental monitoring, communications, the weather, even banks, all of these depend on satellites.

But how does this work? You have to understand that these satellites move so quickly they actually circle the Earth several times a day. Combined with a very large workforce, they provide a complete view of the globe. From the middle of the oceans to the highest mountains and the almost inaccessible poles, we have eyes everywhere. By drawing on this vast quantity of observations, we obtain data on changes to the earth's surface, the spread of forest fires, the movement of winds, the melting of ice and many other things, while enabling global communication and credit card transactions .

Space exploration was the trigger that enabled us to develop and operate these technologies. And it doesn't stop there.

Two birds, one stone

The practice of medicine in remote areas also benefits from space exploration. It's not easy for communities in remote areas to access health care, especially since hospitals don't always have the sophisticated equipment they need.

If you think about it, when astronauts explore space, they become a small population in a very, very remote region. It's true. What happens if someone has a really bad stomach ache? Or breaks an arm? They don't have time to come back home for treatment, so we have to react, and quickly.

Scientific research in telemedicine has developed to address this important issue, producing a number of innovative technologies. And if these are useful for astronauts, why not use them for rural populations, too?

A few years ago, three Québec researchers from different universities were working on a tiny probe that could rapidly analyze and diagnose a blood sample .

Although some prototypes are not yet on the market, others are already in widespread use, such as the ultrasound scanner designed by NASA . This scanner takes precise photos of organs and bones that can be transmitted to a doctor, who will then have crucial information on hand to recommend treatments.

In a way, space exploration provides us with opportunities to respond to urgent needs on Earth. So, Max, are you beginning to see the need for it?

Another perspective

Finally, I have to admit that I find it rather encouraging to see Russians, Americans, Japanese, Canadians and Europeans living together on the Space Station. Not so long ago, some of these countries were attacking each other with nuclear bombs. In space, no such borders exist.

Exploration brings people together. It opens our eyes to new perspectives. It shows us that we're all in the same boat together. That's pretty important, don't you think, Max?

Our planet is magnificent and unique, an oasis of impossible life. But it is fragile. We need to protect it. That's why exploring beyond the Earth should not be considered a luxury; it's an investment in our shared humanity.

So, Max, when Jeremy Hansen and his crew take off in 2025, will you be there to watch them?

Provided by The Conversation

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Space Exploration

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Space Exploration Is a Waste of Money Essay Argumentative Essay

The author argues that while space exploration may have given us Velcro and some interesting scientific insights, it is not a worthwhile use of resources compared to the needs of humanity. The cost of space programs is unnecessarily high, and the money could be better spent on research into cancer or feeding the millions of starving people around the globe. The author believes that the needs of humanity should always come first, and space exploration should be considered a desire rather than a necessity. They suggest that we should focus on learning more about Earth and the ocean before spending more time and money on space exploration.

Science may well give us good things. We all know Velcro came from NASA. But why bother spending all this money exploring space and finding out there was water on Mars at some point in the last few thousand years (we have water in Earth) when these same great minds could be applied to finding better ways to power humanity’s insatiable desire for energy, to feeding the starving millions around the globe, and generally making life down here better before looking up into the heavens.

It seems the authoritative powers have their heads way, way up in the clouds. For example: there was one space program that did send human beings into space ended up costing American taxpayers $150 billion, almost 8 times the initial cost estimate of $20 billion. By contrast, the things we learned from these missions, while fascinating, are hardly beneficial to humans. Most pertain to the composition and history of the moon. While this settled many scientific debates, there are more tangible uses to which such money could be put.

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Without paying upfront

For example, the National Cancer Institute spends about $5 billion a year on various cancer researches. The funding for the Apollo program could have funded 30 years’ worth of research into cancer, possibly leading to a better understanding and improved treatments for the suffering of millions of human beings. Additionally, at least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day. To justify such outrageous expenditures on space exploration for the benefit of future populations, when millions are suffering now, is inconsistent at best and callous at worst.

The needs of humanity should always come first. While there are people on Earth who need help, they should be helped, rather than seeing money spent on sending robots onto other planets. Humanity is the number one priority; keeping the human race alive is a necessity. Alternatively, space exploration is a desire. If we put our desires before our needs, then everyone loses out on a better standard of living.

Sure, it’s great that NASA can elevate technology to the next level time and time again, so why not make technology that directly benefits us? And as there are millions round the world who are starving to death, when people spend more and more money on space technology they should realize they are the killers. Also, why take so much time and money to learn about Mars or any other planet, when we know so little about our own? We should learn more about Earth and the ocean before wasting time and money on Space exploration.

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Space Exploration Questions

Essay questions for the topic of space exploration in IELTS writing task 2.

Some scientists think that there are intelligent life forms on other planets and messages should be sent to contact them. Other scientists think it is a bad idea and would be dangerous. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. (2017, 2022)

The government is spending a lot of money to discover life on other planets. Some people think that government is wasting money and should spend more money addressing the problems of public. To what extent do you agree? (2017, 2020)

Some people think that space exploration is a waste of resources, while others think that it is essential for mankind to continue to explore the universe in which we live. Discuss both sides and give your opinion. (appears most years in the test)

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Ielts writing task 2 sample 1042 - spending money on space exploration is a complete waste, ielts writing task 2/ ielts essay:, with all the problems in the world today, spending money on space exploration is a complete waste. the money could be better spent on other causes..

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Science News

Nasa’s budget woes put ambitious space research at risk.

The Mars Sample Return mission and other planetary science efforts are most affected by cost cutting

Mars rock with holes drilled in it by Perseverance

Using its drill, NASA’s Perseverance rover (lower left) collected material from a rock nicknamed Rochette in September 2021 as part of a plan to bring back samples to Earth. The agency’s recent budget woes have placed the sample return project in turmoil.

JPL-Caltech/NASA

The Mars Sample Return mission faces the biggest cuts

NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission had intended to bring rock and soil samples to Earth from the Red Planet by 2033. But even before these budget cuts, questions emerged about whether the ambitious program, prioritized in 2022 as part of planetary scientists’ decadal survey , could meet its goals on deadline and at a reasonable cost ( SN: 4/20/22 ). The budget cuts now mean the mission is on hold as NASA tries to determine if it can be done at all.

The Perseverance rover, currently roaming Mars’ Jezero crater, is the first step of sample return. Since arriving on Mars in 2021 , the rover has been filling small tubes with material from specific locations, with the goal of eventually gathering 38 samples in total ( SN: 2/17/21 ). The rocks and soil could answer fundamental questions about the formation of the inner solar system and the history of water on Mars, and perhaps reveal signs of past life on the planet.

Yet bringing these samples back from such a great distance is among the most complex mission proposals ever put forward, requiring a vehicle that could launch from the Martian surface and a way to transfer the samples to a second rocket in space to prevent possible contamination of our home planet. The decadal survey estimated the mission cost at between $5 billion and $7 billion total. NASA had hoped to spend around $950 million on it this year.

But two independent review boards pegged the overall expense for sample return much higher, potentially topping $11 billion — unacceptable to NASA administrators. In response to the approved budget, 2024 funding for the program was reduced by $630 million, essentially covering the full amount of the cost cutting that NASA needed to do and allowing for some other programs to have modest budget increases.

“Mars Sample Return took it on the chin for the entire agency,” Dreier says. The amount taken from this program, part of the planetary science division, “basically saved every other science division.”

NASA proposes spending just $300 million on the sample return mission this year and $200 million next year, which is just enough to string the program along as its future is figured out. And though it’s still unclear how much money NASA will receive next year, the 2025 budget requested by the Biden administration has been pared back.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, largely responsible for designing and building the components of sample return, “lost hundreds of millions of dollars functionally overnight,” Dreier says. Uncertainty over the budget had already prompted the center to announce it would dismiss 530 employees , or 8 percent of its staff, in February. “I’m positive you will see further layoffs at JPL and probably other NASA centers that were involved in Mars Sample Return,” Dreier says.

Meanwhile, NASA has put out a solicitation asking other NASA centers and engineers in the industry to propose innovative ways to bring back at least some of the samples at a lower cost. It may mean choosing which of the originally planned cache of samples — 24 of which have been collected so far — are most valuable.

Missions to other planets are delayed

Yet that doesn’t mean other missions are in the clear. A dedicated orbiter to explore the ice giant Uranus — the 2022 decadal survey’s second priority after the Mars sample return — has seen its timeline pushed back. Because ice giants are among the most common types of exoplanets being discovered around other stars, researchers are keen to understand those in our own solar system. But the researchers tasked with planning the effort “won’t even start thinking about that mission until 2028 at the earliest,” Dreier says.

DaVinci and Veritas, two missions to explore Venus, are also being delayed, and there’s now more uncertainty about which, if any, other probes on the drawing board — those intending to bring back samples from a comet or fly through the plumes of Saturn’s moon Enceladus — will go forward.

All this will mean less near-term research on the formation and dynamics of planets and their moons. “We forget how little we’ve explored the solar system we live in,” Dreier says. Scientists are crying out to explore it, he adds, and that’s all being pushed back.

Other missions, such as Europa Clipper, which is set to launch to the frozen moon of Jupiter in November, didn’t face cuts. Future probes including Dragonfly, heading to explore Saturn’s moon Titan, and the space-based Near-Earth Object Surveyor, which will scan for potentially hazardous asteroids, are still receiving the money they need.

While not strictly a scientific mission, NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land humans on the moon again in the coming decade, saw a small funding increase for 2024. “Artemis was one of the few programs that more or less held its own,” says Marcia Smith, a space policy analyst and editor of the site SpacePolicyOnline.com.

The first Artemis test, an uncrewed swing around the moon, successfully completed its journey in 2022 ( SN: 12/12/22 ). Future missions would assess how astronauts adapt to space exploration and return new rock samples from the moon — including from the lunar south pole, where some of the satellite’s oldest rocks are found.

While Smith expects that future Artemis missions might see delays, she thinks there’s enough momentum to ensure they’ll take off at some point. There’s a broad coalition in Congress who believe it to be important for staying ahead of China, which also aims to land people on the moon in the coming years.

Other NASA divisions’ budgets are flat

NASA’s planetary science division is suffering more from the cuts than the Earth science, biological and physical sciences, and heliophysics divisions, which are facing flat funding for the most part. A smaller than requested bump for NASA’s astrophysics division is adding scrutiny to some of its projects.

The budget for this year and expectations for next year have prompted NASA to conduct a review of its existing flagship telescopes, the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope, to see if either can be wound down. Both were launched as part of the first generation of Great Observatories in the 1990s and early 2000s, and they’ve already seen their companions, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and Spitzer Space Telescope, shut off.

Few expect that the famous Hubble will be shelved. Chandra’s future is less certain. Launched 25 years ago, the X-ray observatory has been delivering unparalleled imagery of the high-energy universe for decades, providing data on gorging black holes in the centers of galaxies, neutron star collisions, and gas and dust in the intergalactic medium. Its operational costs are on the order of $70 million per year. Yet NASA needs to free up funds for future observatories such as the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, an infrared telescope scheduled to launch in 2027, and the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, or LISA, a space-based gravitational wave detector that the agency is developing in partnership with the European Space Agency. The Roman telescope will hunt for exoplanets and study the nature of dark energy, while LISA will scan for merging black holes in galactic centers.

Though many scientists say Chandra is healthy enough to continue producing wonderful research, its aging infrastructure has officials eyeing its end. NASA administrator Bill Nelson stated in a congressional hearing that “Chandra has given us so many gifts,” but “it’s time for new missions.”

Answers on the telescope’s fate are expected in the near future, though it’s unclear exactly when.

The universe may have a complex geometry — like a doughnut

A weaker magnetic field may have paved the way for marine life to go big

A false-color image of the sun in ultraviolet light showing flares and eruptions breaking from its surface

Scientists are getting closer to understanding the sun’s ‘campfire’ flares

NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft is illustrated against and blue starry background.

‘Humanity’s spacecraft’ Voyager 1 is back online and still exploring

A woman is pictured in front of three overlapping circles, representing the three stars of an alien star system, in an image from the Netflix show "3 Body Problem."

Separating science fact from fiction in Netflix’s ‘3 Body Problem’

An image of Pluto's Sputnik Planitia, a large basin likely formed from an impact billions of years ago.

Pluto’s heart-shaped basin might not hide an ocean after all

Our picture of habitability on Europa, a top contender for hosting life, is changing

An image showing the dark and light sides of Io, a moon of Jupiter

Jupiter’s moon Io may have been volcanically active ever since it was born

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Band 9 IELTS Essays

Spending Money On Space Exploration Programmes Is A Waste Of Money

by Manjusha Nambiar · Published August 2, 2019 · Updated April 18, 2024

Need help with IELTS writing module? Get your writing samples corrected by me.

Sample essay

According to some people, the government should not spend money on space exploration. I agree with this view. In my opinion, there are other areas that need public spending. Also, space exploration is not crucial for the development of a country.

Of course, there are some benefits to investing in space research. It helps us to learn more about the universe we are a part of. Also, there is a possibility that some space missions may find life on other planets. We may also be able to find other inhabitable planets. Since, population growth is leading to a resource crunch on planet earth, finding another planet that can sustain life is in the larger interest of the whole humanity.

On the other hand, there is no guarantee that we will find another planet that we can colonize. It is a mere possibility and it may take hundreds or thousands of years before we actually manage to achieve it. Hence, spending public money on such projects is unlikely to offer much in return at the moment. What’s more, there are several other pressing needs on earth that need immediate resolution. For example, millions of people still do not have access to potable water or education. Even today, thousands of people die in war and conflicts almost every day. It is foolish to spend money on space programmes before addressing these issues. Actually, making our planet more livable is much better than finding another planet to live in.

In conclusion, although outer space exploration projects help us to learn more about the universe, these projects are not crucial for the development of a country. Moreover, public money should be spent on more pressing issues like healthcare and education because they directly impact the public.

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Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I'm Manjusha. This is my blog where I give IELTS preparation tips.

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Victorian government makes biggest venture capital investment yet — in space tourism

The Victorian government has invested $37 million from its Breakthrough Victoria venture capital fund in a US satellite imagery and space tourism company.

The company, Arizona-based World View, is selling tickets for near-space tourist flights from the Great Barrier Reef but has yet to receive approval for that venture.

The investment represents the fund's biggest bet and came via an announcement made just days before Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas released the state budget.

In March, 7.30 aired calls for the $2 billion fund to be wound up due to concerns about a lack of transparency, and uncertainty taxpayers will get a return.

An advertisment for balloon flights over the Great Barrier Reef.

According to Breakthrough Victoria, its $37 million investment in World View will see the company establish its Indo-Pacific headquarters in Melbourne and set up an advanced manufacturing facility in Victoria, creating up to 200 jobs in engineering, mission control and flight operations, and data and material sciences.

Established in 2012, the Arizona-based company manufactures and operates remote sensing balloon systems called stratollites, which can launch up to 30 kilometres into the stratosphere.

According to World View, its near-space imaging technology has applications in agricultural, environmental and defence industries.

The company’s website lists seven international space travel destinations around the world including the Great Barrier Reef.

In 2022, it had signed up 1,000 reservations for its balloon flights, which will take customers 30 kilometres above the Earth’s surface, and announced it was planning to start commercial passenger flights in 2024.

It had also previously announced it would commence commercial passenger flights in 2016.

The company's latest plan is to start flying people to the stratosphere from the Grand Canyon in 2026.

7.30 understands World View has not applied for regulatory approval for passenger space travel in Australia.

However, World View is still allowing people to reserve $US50,000 ($75,000) tickets for space travel from the Great Barrier Reef with a $US500 deposit.

Hollywood star power

World View has recruited actor Adrian Grenier — best known for his role in television series Entourage — as its 'chief Earth advocate'.

Grenier spoke with the US Today show in 2022 about his excitement in being appointed to the role.

In 2017, World View teamed up with KFC to launch a burger into the stratosphere with one of its high altitude balloons. The mission was scheduled to take four days but according to media reports was aborted after 17 hours due to a small leak in one of the company's innovative new altitude-control balloon systems.

World View was embroiled in a six-year legal battle after US conservative think tank Goldwater Institute, successfully sued Pima County for its investment in the company.

World View secured a $US15 million investment from Pima Country in 2016 to set up its base in Tucson Arizona, and originally promised to deliver 400 jobs.

However, Timothy Sandefur from the Goldwater Institute told 7.30 World View has only delivered a fraction of the 400 jobs it promised when securing funding from Pima County.

"We sued the county for devoting taxpayer money to what they admitted was basically being an angel investor to this business. And we ended up winning," Mr Sandefur said.

"The court declared that the arrangement was basically a handout of government money to a private company and was unconstitutional.

"The county was forced to rearrange their agreement with World View in order to make it so that they weren't subsidising the company with government funding."

In December 2017, World View also captured the attention of US media after one its balloons exploded in an unmanned test flight at its Tucson site.

'Complete waste of money'

A leading economist and a mental health advocate have both questioned the Victorian government's priorities after the state budget released earlier this month included $23 million in cuts to cancer research, delays to mental health services and revealed the state’s debt is still growing .

Venture capitalist and former chair of Mental Health Australia Matt Berriman told 7.30 Breakthrough Victoria should be shut down.

“Are we try to be the Elon Musk of Australia now? It’s a complete waste of money, and should have been shut down a long time ago,” Mr Berriman told 7.30.

Economist Saul Eslake said the latest Victorian budget has not done enough to rein in Victoria’s soaring debt, which is expected to hit $188 billion by 2028.

"What it means in practice is that it is spending money on interest," Mr Eslake said.

"That's getting close to $10 billion per annum by the end of the four-year forward estimates period. That could otherwise be spent on hospitals, schools, community protection, policing, and other things that Victorians value."

In the latest Victorian budget, while $380 million was trimmed from Breakthrough Victoria over the next four years, the life of the fund was extended from 10 to 15 years.

Mr Eslake has also called for the state government to shut down Breakthrough Victoria.

"Playing venture capitalist is not what we expect state governments to do," he said.

"And for a state government that is under so much financial pressure … it does seem like a luxury the state can ill afford.”

Director of Government Ratings at ratings company S&P Anthony Walker says while the intention of the government investment fund is to help develop businesses and grow the economy, it does come with risks.

"Private equity is not something you play with lightly," Mr Walker said.

"It can lead to problems and we saw that in Victoria 20 or 30 years ago where it did do investment in these type of projects and didn't pay out.

"We are seeing other countries, Singapore is a great example, where they've done it and it's worked out well with them."

S&P downgraded Victoria’s credit rating from triple A to double A in December 2020. It has the lowest credit rating of any Australian state.

'World View to drive innovation'

Tim Pallas appears serious as he stands outside, speaking in a suit.

Mr Pallas, Breakthrough Victoria and World View all declined 7.30's requests for interviews.

A spokesman for Mr Pallas said in a statement that the Victorian government is: "Proud of the work it is doing to drive Victoria's innovation and economic growth through investments in priority sectors like advanced manufacturing and clean energy."

A spokesman for World View said "there are many use cases and customer sets in the Indo-Pacific region that can benefit from the technology and services available from stratospheric high-altitude ballooning.”

He also said that World View had hired some staff in Victoria, while a spokesman for Breakthrough Victoria said the investment would lead to job creation in the state.

"World View are building an advanced manufacturing facility which will ultimately employ up to 200 Victorians in diverse roles across engineering, data scientists, material scientists, and non-degreed skilled labour."

Watch 7.30 , Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV

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Grasping billions of dollars of debt can be tricky — we've broken down Victoria's budget with these graphs

An excerpt of a blue line graph shows Victoria's net debt over time.

Who are the winners and losers in Victoria's 2024 state budget?

A map of Victoria with red, blue and green tabs saying winner, loser, neutral.

Business Enterprises
Crowd Sourced Funding Investment
Space Exploration
State and Territory Government

IMAGES

💋 Money spent on space exploration is a waste. IELTS Writing Task 2
⇉Space exploration is a waste of money Essay Example
Space Exploration Is A Waste of Money
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COMMENTS

Space exploration pros and cons: a waste of money?
Many of the space exploration fail. Probes and satellites crash, exploration robots are lost, rockets blow up in the air, etc. It is frustrating to see how so much money and time are wasted in unsuccessful missions. Danger of establishing contact with alien life. One of the main goals of space exploration is to find out if there is life outside ...
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The United States had spent some $44 thousand million on space programmes, $24 thousand million on the Apollo project alone. Hundreds of thousands of top scientists and technicians had been striving together in by far the largest team of specialists ever mobilized in a single undertaking. Yet the basic question was still being asked: "Is this ...
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For: Investing in further scientific exploration of space is a waste of resources. By Robin Hanbury-Tenison. The amount of money being spent on space research is in the billions and it has achieved extraordinarily little except for a bit of improved technology which would probably have come about anyway by other means.
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Asking why we should fund space exploration is like asking why we should fund art. Arguments rooted in pragmatism miss the point — that space exploration is for the heart and soul.
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When you become a member, you join our mission to increase discoveries in our solar system and beyond, elevate the search for life outside our planet, and decrease the risk of Earth being hit by an asteroid. Your role in space exploration starts now. $4 /month. $10 /month. $20 /month.
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Summary. Despite the risks and costs of space, some believe it is still worth pursuing. The reason is that space exploration has led to important scientific discoveries and technological advances that have improved our lives on Earth. Others believe space is a waste of time and money because we have not yet fully explored or understood our planet.
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The ethical value of space tourism may not be particularly high but the economics work. Missing out on a not too distant space boom would be a bad move. However, none of this gives us a clear justification for spending taxpayers' money on the more ambitious and glamorous projects such as a return to the Moon, a mission to Mars, or exploration ...
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Starting off, NASA doesn't occupy a large portion of the federal budget at all, clocking in at a 0.4% of the 2018 budget. Even then, it's not like the money that goes into NASA is being wasted ...
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Space exploration cannot be seen as a waste of resources. It is at least a means of testing and refining technology that, in fact, provides the resources we need to improve our lives and those of future generations. More importantly than this, though, is that space exploration inspires us. As the International Space Station orbits above us, we ...
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With all the troubles in the world today, money spent on space exploration is a complete waste IELTS Essay. Nations after nations, everyday, every year, celebrate their achievements in space exploration . However, it is now time to question how meaningful these blasts are. This essay aims to explain why it is questionable.
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IELTS Essays - Band 7. With all the problems in the world today, spending money on space exploration is a complete waste. The money could be better spent on other causes. , every day, every year, celebrates its achievements in space exploration. However, it is now the time to question how meaningful these blasts are.
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Space exploration is a waste of resources and its dangerous too, so many accidents and problems happen in space like shattering of space vehicles, explosions, pieces falling off, and missing the gravity of earth, which is even a waste more money to fix them. On the other hand, people think that space exploration is not a waste of time and money .
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Space exploration - Human, Debate, Consequences: By the early 2020s more than 500 people, coming from more than 40 different countries and more than 10 percent of whom were women, had flown in space. As of that same time, only Russia, China, and the United States had the capability of carrying out human spaceflights. With the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011, the United States lost its ...
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Likewise, Townsend also gives credit to NASA for the technology used in the development of CAT scanners, microscopy, and radiography (par. 6). However, many people still argue that space exploration is a waste of money because they claim that money can be spent on other priorities such as education and health care.
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Money spent on space exploration is a waste and can be put to better use on earth. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Nowadays, most of the countries in the world are giving more importance to space exploration because it is a thing of pride for a country to achieve success in space exploration.
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For example: there was one space program that did send human beings into space ended up costing American taxpayers $150 billion, almost 8 times the initial cost estimate of $20 billion. By contrast, the things we learned from these missions, while fascinating, are hardly beneficial to humans. Most pertain to the composition and history of the moon.
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a notion and elaborate my ideas by showing the economic and social benefits these programs offer both currently and in the long term. First. , proponents of space. exploration. advocate that complex. exploration. projects require intensive and extensive research in various fields, thus. promoting multiple industries.
Is Space Exploration A Waste Of Money? [1031 words]
Space exploration is a waste of resources and its dangerous to , so may accident and problems happened in the space like shattering of space vehicles , explosions, pieces falling off and missing the gravity of earth , that is even waste more money to fix them . Save your time! We can take care of your essay. Proper editing and formatting.
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Essay questions for the topic of space exploration in IELTS writing task 2. ... The government is spending a lot of money to discover life on other planets. Some people think that government is wasting money and should spend more money addressing the problems of public. ... Some people think that space exploration is a waste of resources, while ...
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Model Essay 1: Many developing and developed countries are spending huge amounts of money on space exploration. They are keenly interested in finding out the existence of life on galaxies and stars. This is a lengthy process, which required huge funds and time. People argue that space exploration is a waste of time and money.
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Spending Money On Space Exploration Programmes Is A Waste Of Money
Sample essay. According to some people, the government should not spend money on space exploration. I agree with this view. In my opinion, there are other areas that need public spending. Also, space exploration is not crucial for the development of a country. Of course, there are some benefits to investing in space research.
Victoria launches $37 million gamble on space tourism as critics lament
The Victorian government has invested $37 million from its Breakthrough Victoria venture capital fund in a US satellite imagery and space tourism company. The company, Arizona-based World View, is ...