Unveiling the secrets of the unknown has ever been a basic instinct in human beings. Throughout the history of human civilizations, man has been eager to know the soil and the sky around which he lives in. all these eagerness resulted in great findings and finally man happens to live in an age of absolute wonders. Apart from this, knowledge about the earth and the space made profound changes in every-day human affairs.
No system is devoid of criticisms. The space missions undertaken by the United States of America had to face severe criticisms throughout the decades. Even in the midst of America’s enviable space achievements, a large number of people oppose the undertakings saying they would not satisfy the common man’s requirements.
They are worried over the billions of dollars spent for space activity. They add that it’s dangerous, expensive and uncertain. However, a deep probe into the concepts and objectives of space missions would reveal its multilayered opportunities. Such a study will underline the fact that any capital invested in space projects will no not be in vain.
Exploring the Unexplored
Since Alan Sheppard, the first American astronaut, an array of people has come forward to explore the outer regions of less familiarity. What’s there out in the space? This question has been the root cause behind all ventures.
The modern man, living in the advanced scientific world needs to resolve all enigmas concerning the Planet Earth and even beyond that. Mere hypotheses will not satisfy his analytical brain. All theories have to be supported by solid evidences. Only an objective study can stabilize the uncertain speculations.
Undeniably, space activities open a vast realm of knowledge. The present prosperity and dominance of America could not have been possible had the nation failed to design missions like these. “All of the discoveries we have made that directly benefit us on the ground are only a small part of the potential of human space flight.
The true benefits of our steps into space are probably little known as of yet. Who would have assumed, even 60 years ago, that there would be thousands of pieces of metal orbiting the earth reflecting radio waves for our communication purposes, or who then could have dreamed of the satellite pictures we take for granted now.
The technologies from our space travel that are most important to our survival and happiness we may not know until they hit us in the face years, or decades from now” (Nicholson, 2003). A number of superb discoveries that help people to lead an easy life made possible by space activities. By and large, all space missions are undertaken with great purposes.
To Sustain Domination
America has been a capitalistic and dominating country for the last few decades. However, one cannot be blind to the fact that the rigidity of the financial foundation the America is under suspicion. Even though, the country is on the move to recovery, it needs to prove it. Past glories are immaterial while considering the prominence of a country.
More than that America is not a country which rests upon the long-ago achievements. It is a country with much dynamicity and potentiality. In the recent years, it is a fashion among people to use the country’s name synonymous with scientific and technological advancements. “Space operations are emerging as the one of the distinctive attributes of the sole remaining superpower.
While a few other countries conduct military, civil or commercial space programs of some significance, no country can meaningfully contest American dominance of any of these sectors, and surely no other country could rival American dominance of the full spectrum of space operations…. The Russian space program is but a pale shadow of that of the Soviet Union, with annual flight rates having declined from 125 a each year in the late 1980s to no more than roughly two dozen annual launches recently” (Pike, 1998).
In the midst of the global financial crisis, America has to show to the world that it still is a leading power. For that, more explorations in different fields are necessary. The outer space is a significant and challenging realm to be studied. America is noted for its knowledge production. The nation pockets a huge amount by selling information unattainable to other countries. Space
To Monitor Energy Crisis
The rapid increase in the rate of population necessitates more electricity. In order to meet the power requirement of the existing generation, a great source of energy has to be discovered. The outer space can be a stock house of massive energy. Those sources of energy can be brought to the earth to produce energy in a large scale.
It is nothing but a kind of energy that makes the heavenly bodies move. More researching can open more sources of energy. But it is a proven fact that the energy in the sun is huge and immeasurable. The principles behind the production of energy in the sun can be studied deeply through space undertakings. “The solar energy that reaches the Earth is about 10,000 times total human energy production today and the energy available in near-Earth space is limitless.
Research is being done on many different ways of using solar power economically on Earth, and many of these will be successful. Terrestrial solar energy is going to become a colossal business. However, sunlight is diffuse and not available continuously at the Earth’s surface. So one additional possibility is to collect solar energy 24 hours per day in space, and transmit it as microwave beams to receivers on Earth” (A limitless source of energy, n. d.).
To Uncover the Secret of the Origin of Life
There have been many superstitious beliefs regarding the origin of life. Religious institutions and traditional institutions hold some out of date stands. It essentially hinders scientific thinking and material richness. A noted technological country like America needs to be scientific in each of its aspects. In order to derive objective formulation of speculative statements, a science-oriented thinking has to be brought in to everyone’s lives.
In addition to knowing how life originated in the universe, it is much needed to know how the universe was formed. If that secret is found out, it will lead to a ground-breaking change in the world of science. If more evidences can be traced, the scientist community can put forward measures to sustain its life.
Space Travel-The Final Frontier
An average man had not even dreamt of travelling through the skies until a few decades ago. The enchanting accounts in the science fiction stories become a reality with the development of technology in the present world. Basically, man is a pleasure loving creature. Sky is the limit for his aspirations and it crosses the horizons in a rapid pace.
Space tourism is the latest trend for the techno-centered people. “Space tourism is no longer just the outlandish vision of science fiction writers. While still only affordable to the very wealthy, space tourism offers a unique type of adventure that is sought after by a large percent of the traveling population. From the mind-boggling thrill of looking at Earth from space to the feeling of weightlessness, space trips offer the experience of a lifetime to well-funded travelers” (All about space program, n. d.).
Steps have been taken to set up the ever first hotel in the space to attract the people towards the concept. This new development aims at gathering money through space missions. For the American society, it can be a good source of monitory benefit.
A Way to Economic Well being
It has been a persistent criticism aimed at America’s Space programs that they eat up much of the people’s revenue. They hold the opinion that no money is gained out of such big-budget programs.
But the things have changed now. Apart from gathering money from space tourism, the government gets a huge amount by scientifically and technologically assisting other nations in various space missions. And also, the country sells some important spare parts to the needy to bag billions.
In order to make the missions less money eating, many innovative and effective technologies are developed in the nation. Reusable space shuttle is a classic example. A single device can be used for a number of times without any error. “We explore space and create important new technologies to advance our economy.
It is true that, for every dollar we spend on the space program, the U.S. economy receives about $8 of economic benefit. Space exploration can also serve as a stimulus for children to enter the fields of science and engineering” (Dubner, 2008).
The Space as an Alternative Home
The human civilization is under a great threat due to the increase in the rate of population. More people always mean more food. It results in the scarcity of natural resources. An uncontrolled use of non recyclable resources can create a severe condition and even wipe out the entire humanity without a trace of it.
The concept of setting up an alternative shelter in the space is a recent and brilliant idea. The first step is to find out an appropriate place in the space. Space history tells that the moon is an appropriate one if the present discoveries prove to be true.
The American aided Chandrayan I of India put forward that there is a trace of water content in the moon. If more inquisitions are made, the concept of setting up a home in the moon can be materialized. Sooner or later people should go away from the earth. Therefore it is better initiate exploring at this moment.
Satellites and Tele-Communication
The twentieth century witnessed an explosion in the field of tele-communication. Dozens of satellites are launched to make communication efficient. This is the field America can proceed to formulate notable findings. With the advent of each innovative mechanism, people wait for the new one.
Extended researches can lead to better findings in the field of communication. “Other space-based communications applications have appeared, the most prominent being the broadcast of signals, primarily television programming, directly to small antennas serving individual households. A similar emerging use is the broadcast of audio programming to small antennas in locations ranging from rural villages in the developing world to individual automobiles” (Satellite Telecommunications, n. d.).
Great Findings
All these years, space missions have served as a key to knowing something that the people have never heard before. People could understand more about the radiation zones. This new facts accelerated the functioning of tele-phone, cell phone and the internet. Transmission of artificial radiations became trouble-free.
The space missions made it easy to know the details about the earth’s magnetic field. All branches of science and all categories of people got benefited out this great finding. Astrobiology is an advanced branch of knowledge which brings together the aspects of astronomy, biology and geology. All these branches are highly developed through missions.
The universe is full of heavenly bodies. It is necessary for us to study the movements and features of them as some of them can hit the earth to make massive devastation. A space study can spot different comets and asteroids and trace their movement. With the aid of advanced space technology, even the direction of such heavenly bodies can be altered.
Even in forecasting the climate conditions, the space explorations put in a lot. As well, it makes tsunami and earthquake alert quick and accurate. In this sense, space technology is much needed to save the earth from external assaults.
Space Technology for a Better world
Since being a principal global power, America is in the position to monitor the space missions conducted in the vast expanse of the world. With such extension works, the country can promote international cooperation and mutual understanding.
In the present world order noted for its transparency, it is beneficial to have a tactical tie-up between countries in the field of space technologies. The concept of globalization connected the countries with a single network. For America, this can be of use to find a global market for space mission devices and other technologies.
However, the need for a good relationship between countries is essential. It is a good sign that, Russia, an important world power, came forward to have understanding with America. Today, instead of aggressive adjoin one another, Russia and America are alive together, planning the architecture of an all-embracing amplitude station. On June 29, 1995, the American amplitude shuttle Atlantis docked with the Russian amplitude base Mir.
This was the aboriginal abutting of Russian and American amplitude ability back 1975 (Krylov, 2008). In the recent years, a number of spatial missions are done by establishing a spatial cooperation between France and the United States, and all of them proved to be fruitful. In order to achieve spatial superiority, what a nation has to do is to promote collaborations among countries and start exploring the unknown to contribute to the betterment of the entire human race.
The Other Side of the Issue- It is Expensive, Dangerous and Uncertain
Every mechanism has two sides. One cannot deny the fact that space missions are much money eating. Each new project of spatial exploration creates a huge hole in the nation’s funds. There are a number of people who moan over the billions of dollars spent for space activity.
While vast majorities of the people are put under poverty line, it seems that technological orientation of America is too much. Every year, the World Health Organization reminds us that because of under nutrition, a lot of children are died before they reach adolescence. With the money put aside for technological advancements, the country can feed millions of poverty stricken mass. In this sense the nation can attain glory in the field of Human Welfare too.
Apart from financial matters, there are many other aspects that negate the idea of space activity. Foremost of all, it is a dangerous affair for a man of flesh and blood can do. Each and every undertaking involves numerous risk factors. In recent times, America has witnessed a few mission failures. The Columbia Space Shuttle disaster remains to be one of the black marks in the American Technological world. Above and beyond, space missions are uncertain. No one can predict the outcome of the mission.
Conclusion
Man’s interest on space explorations roughly begins with the findings of Thales and Pythagoras that the earth is round. Since then, the human race witnessed many outstanding discoveries. However, the vast outer space still remains to be unexplored.
The veteran scientific country like America can do a lot of things to uncover the hidden truths and thus provide the mankind with novel and factual account about the universe. Nothing is unachievable if tried hard. Space missions with a purpose can always be beneficial for the development of any nation. The journey must move on from the Moon to the Mars and even beyond.
References
A limitless source of energy. (No Date). Introduction – Energy From Space. Web.
All About Space Tourism. (No Date). Web.
Dubner, J. Stephen. (2008). Is Space Exploration Worth the Cost? A Freakonomics Quorum.
Krylov, N. Alexei (2008).A study of the dynamics of contaminants in the own external atmosphere of orbital stations. Russian Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Focus on Physics, Vol. 27, No. 10, pp. 77–83.
Nicholson, M. (2003). Space exploration necessary for progress.
Pike, J. (1998). American Control of Outer Space in the Third Millennium. Web.
Satellite Telecommunications. (No Date). Space Exploration. Web.
Space Exploration. (No Date). Study notes. Retrieved from Study World. Web.