Space programs are a necessary expense even in poor economic times

Post by Matthew Albright —

As the 40th anniversary of the first landing on the moon passes by, the world looks to the stars.

Yet because of the recent economic times, and with widespread chaos and recession on a global scale, we are gloomily aware that our feet remain firmly on the ground.

As budget cuts and financial woes assail everyone from auto workers to University officials, many people have started to wonder if space exploration shouldn’t be put on hold.

Does NASA really deserve to exist while the government deficit blossoms?

Why should we continue to search for water on Mars while we still scrounge for oil — and while millions struggle daily for survival — back here on Earth?

These are certainly valid arguments, and they seem especially valid to University students tired of hearing about budget cuts.

However, space exploration serves purposes far more practical than the average observer is aware of.

First of all, space environments allow us some of the most precise and practical research into climate change.

Observing how global temperatures and weather are changing allows us a more perfect picture of exactly what is going on — and how to combat it.

In addition, studying other planets allows us to open a history book of sorts, to see in detail the effects of climate change.

If Mars once contained water, its current barren state is a testament to the dangers of rampant climate catastrophe. And by studying how climate affected Mars, we can learn what is going on back here at home.

On a long-term scale, we are faced with a hard truth — at some point, humanity will absolutely have to leave the planet.

Explosive population growth means the Earth is simply getting too small — and it means that we’re consuming resources far too heavily to be sustainable.

In other words, some or all of humanity will eventually leave this world behind.

This process will not happen overnight — if in 40 years we have only progressed from lunar landing to unmanned explorations of the nearest planet, imagine the time it will take before we are capable of colonization.

It may sound like science fiction — especially to, say, a GM worker who has lost his life’s savings — but it’s absolutely true.

Yet above these practical reasons, we need look no further for justification than the years in which the historic lunar mission we now celebrate occurred.

When Neal Armstrong first looked at the azure Earth as it crested the gray horizon, he was looking at a world that was steeped in turmoil and conflict — and America was no exception.

America was embroiled in the struggle for civil rights, and a long and bloody war in Vietnam. Neal Armstrong’s world was far from serene — and this made his first steps and first words on the moon all the more significant.

Just as a man standing on the surface of the moon spoke of the triumph of the human spirit to a bitterly divided and highly tumultuous world, jaw-dropping photos of the dusty red sands of Mars are inspiration to a world that is tired of hearing news of riots and deaths and depressions.

This is why a space program is worth keeping even in hard economic times — not only does it provide for our future, but it provides moral inspiration for our present.

Her announcement is sending shockwaves through the political community and is causing even Republican figures to scratch their heads.