Expanding our Horizons: The Case for Space Exploration

Humans have studied the stars for millennia. Virtually every culture formulated theories about the universe and celestial objects. The Greeks associated planets with gods; Helios and Apollo moved the sun across the sky in a chariot. The Hindus posited  Earth was carried by four elephants standing on a turtle, while the Aztecs believed their sun god required human sacrifice. Our fascination with the cosmos persists today, now pursued by evolving theories and the latest technological advancements. However, despite potentially reshaping major industries like technology or agriculture, a select group of politicians argue that space exploration is nonessential and advocate for reduced funding.

Many critics question the practical value of knowledge gained from space: After all, knowing the chemical makeup of the sun does not put food on the table. However, the pursuit of knowledge is a deep-seated human instinct. Questioning our origins and place in the universe has driven centuries of speculation and discovery from the Ancient Greeks to the research of tomorrow. Uncovering the mysteries of the universe is an ongoing mission, and perhaps there is no good, easily comprehensible reason why we are so drawn to these questions. That being said, there is no rational “reason” for anticipating a sports match, or wanting multimillion-dollar mansions. Yet, we do care about the mysteries of the universe. Even you, the reader, have undoubtedly asked these questions yourself—it is human nature to do so. 

Past space missions yielded critical insights regarding our solar system and beyond. For example, Voyager 2 was able to perform flybys of all four gas giants, collecting a plethora of information previously unknown, such as the existence of Jupiter’s rings, and the chemical makeup of these planets and their moons. The Mars Curiosity and Perseverance rovers have famously found an ancient lakebed on Mars’ surface, hinting at past microbial life and a planet with similar conditions to Earth. Other unmanned spacecrafts, such as the Cassini-Huygens, have explored planets and their moons, with many future such missions on the line. Space telescopes have majorly advanced astronomy as well—The JWST has already debunked certain scientific myths in the mere year or so it has been active, as it has discovered the existence of galaxies that formed far earlier since the Big Bang than previously thought to be possible. This provides us with invaluable clues about the origins of the universe, progressing toward answering the questions of where we came from and whether we are alone. If humanity decides that uncovering the mysteries of the universe is something we care about, funding research projects for space agencies like NASA gets the job done.

Critics often cite urgent worldly issues like poverty and climate change as more deserving of government funding. However, essential government programs should not be mutually exclusive with funding space programs. For example, the Department of Defense budget exceeds NASA's budget 35-fold. Why should groups like NASA that already receive so little money—yet have so many accomplishments to show for it—be first to suffer budget cuts? Defunding NASA would have minimal financial impacts, comparable to a small 4 percent defense budget cut. 

Furthermore, as space permeates daily life, enhancing everything from GPS navigation to satellite data, investing in interstellar infrastructure is necessary. Data is the foundation of building anything, including future policies and research, and space is an incredibly useful vantage point. The data from NASA missions prove vital for predicting and mitigating natural disasters or weather patterns, protecting civilian populations, and improving crop yield, demonstrating that an investment in space is an investment in Earth. These are only a few examples of how data from satellites are used, and it shows that space technology is not just confined to the boundaries of space; it also shapes many things on Earth. 

However, we cannot ignore that space is also a unique environment for research, too. Microgravity in space creates an optimal space for disease research, furthering innovations in the field of medicine. There are so many opportunities for breakthroughs; we have not even begun to touch the surface of what is possible. With so much possibility, and the resources to achieve them, the only thing preventing us from pushing humanity further is merely the lack of interest. 

Not only does space exploration push the limits of what humanity can achieve, but it also is an incredibly worthwhile investment. In the 21st century, we humans, for the first time in history, can beget our downfall. With challenges like nuclear proliferation and climate change threatening our future, exploring space could become crucial for human survival. Living on the moon or Mars might seem like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, but it is a serious possibility. Therefore, we should be taking space exploration much more seriously and intensively. It might even become our only choice one day.