Is Space Travel Worth The Cost?

Many believe that space travel is well worth the cost factor, while others believe that money would better serve other needs right here on Earth. Many who dislike our currently space program as it is today, feel we should spend more toward ocean exploration considering how little we know.

Below is a summarized list of advantages, and disadvantages of space travel.

Advantages of Space Travel

• Space exploration is what has inspired so many to continue advancing.

• Exploration within space has spawned many new inventions including non stick frying pans, Velcro, and a few others.

• When compared to GDP, space only accounts for a small percentage of the total world budget.

• That the cost is better spent on space related projects than other less useful projects.

• Humans could potentially benefit from natural resources of other planets.

• Spending money on space related exploration creates jobs:

• The ability to colonize another planet could save our species in the long term.

• If we colonized it would aid in reducing the over population of our planet.

• Multinational space stations are good for diplomacy.

• There is so much of the earth that has yet to be explored, that we should explore the remaining unknown regions of Earth before continuing onto another planet.

• Funding for space travel comes from tax payer dollars, and many disagree stating that they should not be required to contribute toward something they oppose.

• The scientific contribution from space exploration does not warrant the cost.

• Nearly one-third of NASA's budget is spent on maintaining the ISS, and shuttle.

• Why spend so much on space exploration, when the private sector accounts for more launches into space than the world governments combined.

• The actual risk of earth being hit by another global killer asteroid like what hit the dinosaurs are very small.

• Should not bank on colonizing another planet, better to save our existing planet than set plans to destroy another planet. If we destroy one it is reasonable to believe we would destroy another. This is why most who would disagree with our current space program feel we should work on preventing the damage currently being caused first:

• Robots save a lot of money, why send manned missions when a robot can do the same job for a reduced cost.

Ultimate it will be good to continue the research, as one day it may become necessary. However the methods used is what should be altered to reduce the cost. Some have suggested that if we built a space platform on the moon, it would cut the cost significantly due to the lower gravity, and atmosphere. The potential both discoveries of resources, once found on other planets could make the last several decades of space travel entirely worth it within a single discovery.