The most classical debate ever, that has got geniuses confused and layman on their feet. The most fundamental question which presents two entirely different schools of thought. The decisive point that can disrupt the fundamentals of an entire sector of the professional world, if the balance tips in favour of the other.
About a few years ago, while I was working on A-16, a model rocket, my teammate, who knew a great deal about technical rocketry stuff, asked me:
“Jay, why space? Why waste billions of dollars and more behind space missions without any justifiable purpose that can directly benefit mankind? We have people dying hungry and thirsty in under-developed nations. Why not improve on that first, before burning cash for space missions?”
Being an amateur space enthusiast, I had all kinds of this answer, none of which could be justified at the layman’s level. I had blabbered something at that time to stand my position for my love of space exploration, but at that moment, a fear seeped in. The fear of not knowing the answer, or maybe, the fear of justification against my field of choice.
In the upcoming years, I extensively researched, met people, discussed their opinion about this, gathered relevant data and brainstormed upon it. On one side of the scale, a hungry child from an underdeveloped country in Africa was staring at me while on the other side, I faced the stare of an astronaut all suited up in a white bulky spacesuit.
The first thing is that this whole question is a false dilemma fallacy. Why do we have to choose between space exploration and saving the planet? Why can’t we do both? It is not even an actual debate because both the situations have their own significance and downfalls.
We need to understand that in the modern world, science and technology are driven by only two major empowering forces: military and space technology. The need for security and one’s own as well as the community’s safe-being, gave rise to weapons and various other military technology, right from the beginning of the human civilizations. We came a very long way from spears and swords to UAVs bombing multiple target location at a highly accurate and devastating scale.
Talking about space, the night sky has given birth to a curiosity of just knowing more about what’s out there in almost every single individual’s mind. We started off by observation and when our capabilities made it possible, we shifted our aim from just watching to watching, aiming and reaching out for the stars. That marked the beginning of a new era, somewhere in the mid-20th century.
Coming back to the original debate question, it is simply ridiculous on many levels. And it isn’t difficult to prove so.
We, human beings are messing up with our planet’s environment, faster than any other living species on our own planet. We are polluting everything that we have a reach on, nonchalantly. We spend about $100 billion dollars annually on cigarettes and gambling. Elon Musk just needs $10 billion to set out camp on Mars. So, with these situations, why space exploration. Does it turn out to be an ethical or moral question? No.
We need to understand the significance of space exploration. What can be the possible effects, if right at this moment, space exploration and related activities are fully suspended/abandoned?
Standstill. The development and progress of the civilisation come to a standstill. We stay where we are, we do what we keep doing and that marks the end of the civilisation. Because history has been the record that no community or civilisation can survive without a strong integration of progress and development in its core value’s fabric. Life needs to be made better, not easier. More efficient and effective.
Space Exploration contributes to all such sorts of things. Now, the funding of space missions conducted by space agencies is rooted out directly from taxpayers’ money. Some taxpayers look at it as: “See that smoke coming out of that rising rocket? That’s our taxes turned all gas.”
Now, we can’t use the money that needs to be invested in space exploration for solving socio-economic problems around the world just as you can’t cement books instead of bricks for constructing skyscrapers.
The layman views on space exploration are pretty limited. We need to understand that space technology is applicable in almost each and every other professional sector and industry. One such example is the foundation principle of ISRO. Indian Space Research Organisation was established with the core purpose of helping out the general public through advancements in technology achieved through space exploration.
Today, Indian satellites, under collaboration with various other international satellites, provide farmers in India with relevant and mostly precise weather and climate data, that helps the farming community to plan for the crops accordingly, resulting in better quality, naturally grown crops with a very high yield rate. Predictions based on observational data from satellites have helped predict tsunamis and floods and several other forms of natural catastrophe, hence saving thousands of lives and property.
Similarly, in the sectors of medicine and health care, research work done by astronauts based on theISS [International Space Station], has proved ground-breaking and developed various significant applications on Earth. The technology developed for precisely imaging and measuring the lunar surface in order to accurately determine the landing points for Apollo Moon missions and to chart out optimal trajectories for the same is now used as a medical technology for gaining enhanced images of human organs through methods like MRI and CT scans. This technology is popularly known as Digital Image Processing.
While researching on making large volumes of protein crystals for space astronaut applications, a few NASA researchers stumbled upon a technique wherein protein crystals produced in space can be used to make the atomic components of albumin. This has further proved as the main utility to develop cancer treatment drugs and skincare products.
The most important and widely known application is communications, which needs no further explanation. Have a glance at your mobile phone, your email. Ever wondered how would they all work without space technology?
Concluding, humanitarian problems are no comparison to technological advancements and scientific research in the field of space. Space development can literally prove to be a saviour of mankind when our planet turns its back on us, after all, suffering all the tortures we’re piling on it.
