What's Space Exploration? When did it start?
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One of the most craziest mystery of the world has been space exploration. Anything before the 20th century was not really space exploration as it was done mainly through telescopes and the observer was inside the Earth. The modern era of space exploration started with the inception of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. The Sputnik wasn't something that came out of nowhere it took more than 5 decades to actually finalize the rocket propelled system and the whole concept on how to send something made by man into space. Sputnik 2 sent a dog to space the first mammal in space. It's not possible to mention every single space exploration mission but some of the most notable ones are the Apollo , Voyager, Artemis, James Webb Telescope, Pioneer etc. Neil Armstrong is no stranger to us the first man to stand on the moon.
Is Space Exploration is a Necessary Evil?
The Good
Voyagers
The knowledge we have about the space in recent years has made significant improvements in our observation about space altogether. The Voyagers probes originally planned to study only our solar system have done remarkably well in discovering deep space. It was estimated to die out way earlier than it did but to everyone's suprise they're still going to interstellar space.
Apollo Missions
The Apollo program was a series of space missions conducted by NASA, the United States' space agency, from 1961 to 1972. Its primary goal was to land humans on the Moon and bring them back safely to Earth. 2 Apollo missions failed the first and the 13th one.
The Understanding of the Universe
Space exploration has proved the theory of black holes, exoplanets, stars and the existence of the multiple galaxies which would be otherwise unbeknownst to us. As Neil Armstrong states "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
Technological Marbles
Space exploration has created the internet, TVs, media, weather reports and so many things. Satellites aren't appreciated for what they are they are the means to globalization of human beings. The technology is so good we have taken it for granted. Hubble and JWST are the most powerful telescopes right now. These 2 marbles helped study the light rays not conceivable by our eyes and observe planets and supernova explosions millions of years away from us. They helped us study the basics of the universe.
The BAD
Is cost a problem?
As fun it might be to know about space there's no doubt that there's a lot of hurdles along with it. One of the most important things is that space exploration has improved but no really reduced in expenses. It is one of the most expensive investment in the world. In 2023 space exploration program to 117 billions USD was spent on space exploration alone.73.2 billion USD by the US alone. Even with all that money it is still considered that NASA is
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underfunded. Although sending probes into space gives us knowledge about the creation of the universe there's still so much unknown to us that it's impossible to say whether the laws of physics we use as reference are even applicable in all cases or not. The existence of dark matter is entirely something beyond human understanding as it cannot be confirmed for it cannot be seen with eyes only theorized. There's an entire religious debate on the origin of the universe where scientist come up with random theories that space just came to being without any God or Creator. But yet it remains a mystery that why would everything be so perfect that life will just exist on Earth and not on other planets known to mankind. Although many theories on space's expanding nature try to justify it started from a big bang. But it doesn't justify the existence of mankind and animals on earth. I will let you decide what you want to believe.
Harsh nature of space towards us humans
The Apollo missions are the biggest examples of the how the space is hostile to our fragile human bodies as men cannot take more than he is capable of. Due to planets and starts being years away in some cases we simply won't be able to easily travel to space as we want. The limited supplies and also the limited time we get to live is simply not sufficient enough for us to explore. Radiations from space is harmful to our organs. Lack of oxygen is no exception and also space being a vacuum where there's no gravity that can keep us attached. Even communication is a challenge. The darkness and vastness of space is not secret too.
There will be no second Earth.
Our planet Earth is a mystery itself as there's so much to discover. Although many people believe that the alternative to earth is the way to go, I personally feel there won't be a second place we can call home. The Earth is basically optimized for us to live in. There won't be no second one and it's a fact.
The mystery of how Earth is the only planet that can inherit life is the mystery of the world. The lovely environment that nurtures us is a mystery itself. The Magnetic field of the Earth is unique and a big shield. Space exploration is no doubt harmful to our Earth as it requires significant amount of fossil and carbon emission. Our atmosphere has become clouded with space probes that have stopped working creating a risk for the people living inside the planet.
The Balance is necessary
The debate over space exploration often boils down to a balance between immediate needs and long-term benefits. While it’s essential to address Earth’s urgent challenges, it’s also crucial to recognize that space exploration can contribute to solving some of these problems. Technologies developed for space missions can lead to advancements that benefit life on Earth. Moreover, the pursuit of knowledge and the drive to explore are fundamental aspects of human nature and can lead to unforeseen opportunities and solutions. Turns out even with all that problems space exploration remains totally worth it to some people. The knowledge on galaxies, universe, exoplanets, supernovas is a niche for some people. There are people willing to lose money and life for solving the unsolvable mystery of space. Which side are you on?
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