 |
 |
Purpose of Space Program
Name: Unknown
Status: Other
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: Prior to 1993
Question:
Hello, I have a friend at the school I go to. He is wondering
what is the purpose of the space program?
Replies:
Gee, what was the purpose of Christopher Columbus' voyage of
exploration? Why did and what good was Magellan's trip around the world? Who
cares if Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic? What was the point of
Sir Edmund Hillary climbing Mt. Everest?
The space program has many goals, all which are based on the
human need to reach out and grow. As the population of the earth continues to
rise exponentially, the possibility of the earth becoming overcrowded one day
is becoming more and more real. The space program seeks to develop skills,
technologies, and opportunities to build new "worlds" for humans. The most
immediate project to that effect is Space Station Discovery, which will be a
launch pad from which a moon colony can be built. There are already plans for
a moon colony, and even a Mars colony. Another tangible goal is to provide
energy for the future. Learning to harness solar radiation will provide a
clean, abundant energy source for the earth as well as future colonies and
stations. Also, many "spin-off" benefits are already being enjoyed by you and
me: satellites providing clear long distance communications, real-time
weather monitoring, topological study of the earth, etc. How astronauts react
physically to the new environment of space will help space medicine prepare
for the health and well-being of future colonists. I can go on and on. There
are countless purposes of the space program, but the greatest is just because
the human spirit must continue to soar to new heights!
Thank you for a very intelligent and well thought out
answer to this question. Being a professional in the aerospace industry, I
have little patience with people who think space exploration is a waste of
John Hawley
Click here to return to the Astronomy Archives
| |
Update: June 2012
|
|
