World Issues
We would do well to remember that we do not have a very good track record in protecting our planet home. We have expanded human presence into pristine forests resulting in the disruption of migratory routes, soil erosion, and species extinction.There is also a strong argument against space exploration which argues about the economic aspect. Surely they should be spending the millions/ billions of dollars on sorting out an protecting our own planet and people rather than searching for other life forms and planets? Shouldn't we prevent destruction of our natural resources that so many people rely on and need ? Surely the needs of people on earth and their welfare is more important than what we can discover in the far reaches of space ?
Poverty
Rather than exploring space we need to start helping starving and homeless people. We need to ensure people have a decent lifestyle and standard of living. Whilst millions die from starvation is it morally right to deny them help now ?
India is an example of a large democracy where many of the inhabitants are poverty stricken It has successfully launched satellites and rockets into space. It's recent launch of MOM to Mars was hailed a success but there were many critics who debated the money was ill spent and should have been used to lift the nation out of poverty.
Why is India not focused on eradicating poverty and instead spends money on space research and defence expansion?
India's spend on space research is only 0.09% of it's annual budget, much less than NASA's. This is therefore insignificant and will not prevent or make a huge long term impact on levels of poverty.
TECHNOLOGICAL BENEFITS
Space exploration is not a drain on the economy; it generates infinitely more than wealth than it spends.:
India's spend on space research is only 0.09% of it's annual budget, much less than NASA's. This is therefore insignificant and will not prevent or make a huge long term impact on levels of poverty.
- Spending by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) does help solve poverty :
- Predicting storms and cyclones thanks to the weather satellites such as the INSAT 3D, helps the poor from being made homeless and having their lives and possessions destroyed. It is the normally the poor that are hit the hardest. Apart from disaster warnings, the satellites also helps with environmental research to proactively avoid disasters in the future.
- The satellite data (e.g. from satellites such as SARAL ) is also used to help farmers with planting the appropriate crops and for fishermen to locate the right areas for fishing. As millions of the poor are dependent on fishing & farming, this directly helps solve poverty.
- Many of the poor live in remote areas and die without access to the right medical resources. When you are sick, you cannot climb out of poverty. ISRO's telemedicine research helps the sick, many of whom are poor.
- Just like telemedicine, ISRO works on teleeducation. 10 years ago it lauched the EDUSAT primarily built for education of the rural poor.
- Although there is a moral obligation to use our resources wisely, humans have exploited them with not much thought of the future impact. Remote sensing data helps tap into natural resources such as water, minerals and energy more efficiently.
TECHNOLOGICAL BENEFITS
- Economic, scientific and technological returns of space exploration have far exceeded the investment.
- Globally, 43 countries now have their own observing or communication satellites in Earth orbit. Observing Earth has provided G.P.S., meteorological forecasts, predictions and management of hurricanes and other natural disasters, and global monitoring of the environment, as well as surveillance and intelligence.
- Satellite communications have changed life and business practices with computer operations, cell phones, global banking, and TV.
- Studying humans living in the microgravity of space has expanded our understanding of osteoporosis and balance disorders, and has led to new treatments. Wealth-generating medical devices and instrumentation such as digital mammography and outpatient breast biopsy procedures and the application of telemedicine to emergency care are but a few of the social and economic benefits of manned exploration that we take for granted.
Space exploration is not a drain on the economy; it generates infinitely more than wealth than it spends.:
- Royalties on NASA patents and licenses currently go directly to the U.S. Treasury, not back to NASA. The Life Sciences Research Program would be self-supporting if permitted to receive the return on its investment.
- NASA has done so much with so little that it has generally been assumed to have had a huge budget. In fact, the 2007 NASA budget of $16.3 billion is a minute fraction of the $13 trillion total G.D.P.
There are numerous benefits to space exploration but there are other aspects that need to be considered.
Although pumping billions of dollars into space exploration can have long term benefits, there is a greater need in society to fix current problems. Social welfare and creation of better living standards today are also a primary focus of most governments. If the space budget was allocated to creating better hospitals, schools and social housing, then perhaps this would create a more balance society where everyone is equal and everyone benefits - a utilitarian approach. We could be on our way to eradicating poverty - at least in some areas of the world.