Why space exploration is good

And a U. A paper published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, points out the benefits of international cooperation. For one, the hefty costs could be spread around.

For another, it could forge stronger diplomatic ties between nations such as the U. And a quarter of them think that extraterrestrials already have visited our planet [source: Swanson ]. But so far, sweeps of the sky with Earth-based telescopes for signals that might be beacons from distant civilizations have proven fruitless, possibly because the Earth's atmosphere interferes with such messages reaching us.

That's why searchers for extraterrestrial civilizations are eager for the deployment of more orbital observatories such as the James Webb Space Telescope. That satellite, which is expected to launch in , will have the ability to search for the chemical signs of life in the atmospheres of distant planets outside our solar system [source: Kramer ]. That's a start, but an even more aggressive space-based effort to look for clues of extraterrestrials might finally help us to answer the question of whether we have company out there.

Our primitive ancestors spread from east Africa to all over the planet, and since then, we've never stopped moving. We're running out of fresh territory on Earth , so the only way to meet this ancient urge is to find somewhere new to go -- whether it's making brief jaunts to the moon as a tourist, or signing up for an interstellar voyage that will take multiple generations. In a speech , former NASA administrator Michael Griffin differentiated between "acceptable reasons" and "real reasons" for space exploration.

Acceptable reasons would be issues like economic benefit and national security. But real reasons include concepts like curiosity, competiveness and monument-building. Already, our ability to put satellites in space is helping us to monitor and combat pressing problems on Earth, from forest fires and oil spills to the depletion of aquifers that people depend upon for drinking water [source: Fowler ].

But our burgeoning population, rampant greed and thoughtlessness about environmental consequences have already done pretty severe damage to our planet. According to a survey of research, most scientists estimate that Earth has a carrying capacity of between 8 and 16 billion — and we already have a population of over 7 billion [source: UNEP ].

That's led some futurists to argue that we should be preparing to colonize another planet, and soon. Your life -- or those of your descendants -- might depend upon it. I was a child in the s, a time when many of us believed that someday we would be flying off into the cosmos in search of adventure. I can't say precisely when that dream ended for me, but I remember that back in the mids, the British folksinger Billy Bragg recorded a song that seemed to capture some of what I felt.

In "The Space Race is Over," Bragg sang of staring at the moon as a child, and dreaming that night of walking on the Sea of Tranquility. But decades later, he stood staring at the same sky with his young son, who asked him, "Why did they ever go? I continue to believe that humanity still has a chance to become a truly spacefaring race, and that we must find a way to do so.

Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Space Exploration. Humans have been to the moon and robots have been to Mars.

Why should we keep exploring? See pictures of space exploration. Once every 10, years or so an asteroid hits our planet. Shouldn't we be prepared? The space blanket, which helps people to warm up quickly, was invented by NASA scientists. The Phantom Torso, seen here on the International Space Station , measures the effects of radiation on organs inside the body, using a torso similar to those used to train radiologists on Earth.

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.

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.

We are driven in the knowledge that, all together, we will make unimaginable discoveries as we push the limits of space and of our minds. Read more. You are here : Home. Share this article Facebook Twitter LinkedIn. Like the universe itself, exploring space has no limits. Progress for humankind As well as being useful in themselves, space exploration missions have brought tangible improvements for the Earth and its inhabitants.

Kinder to the planet Space exploration also teaches us to be more sparing in our use of vital resources. New horizons for humanity The ultimate aim of space exploration is to discover whether other planets harbour the resources that we will need when our own are exhausted, and even whether any of them — Mars, Saturn satellites, the Moon, asteroids, comets — are potentially inhabitable. To mention a few examples: The Cygnus cargo spacecraft, for which Thales Alenia Space builds all the pressurised cargo modules, carried a portable 3D printer for the purpose of carrying out tests under zero-gravity conditions.

The printer could eventually enable astronauts to produce any spare parts they need directly on board; The EDEN ISS project, meanwhile, aims to develop techniques for the cultivation of food plants in extra-terrestrial environments, in order to provide food for the ISS and, in the longer term, for space exploration vehicles and planetary outposts; And, thanks to the expertise we have gained through the development of orbital infrastructures on board the ISS, we are also working on a module that will allow people to live, work and communicate in extreme environments on earth, such as in the desert, in polar stations or in humanitarian bases for example.

This is a typical example of space technology being used to serve the needs of citizens on earth. BepiColombo probe will reveal the mysteries of the smallest and least explored planet in the Solar System.