Space exploration is one of the most rapidly developing science which is known for its high financial implications and advanced cutting-edge technologies. Life beyond the planet was always an object of researches and investigation. Many new developments, equipment, and discoveries from space are notably useful and efficient for improving the level and the quality of life on the Earth. The history of that kind of researches started in ancient times when philosophers tried to investigate the night sky to find out the system of stars arrangement. Since then, studies in this field have progressed in a significant way, and now people even have their own space station in Earth orbit. Nowadays, there are specialized organizations such as the Aerospace Industries Association or American Astronautical Society the goal of which is to explore space. The purpose of this paper is to describe the particularities of space exploration, taking into consideration its advantages and disadvantages for humanity, ethical questions, and predictions about the future of this industry.
Space Exploration
It is an erroneous belief that the exploration of space does not have any impact on the life of ordinary humans. It improves the quality of the life of millions of people every day: the technologies designed for space studies are now used in the medical sphere and for conducting other experiments (Rai et al., 2016). Nevertheless, space research also poses many ethical questions to society concerning colonization, financial resources, and ecological issues. With the advancement of this science, increasingly more questions rest without any answers. For many people who are not very familiar with the topic, it seems to be a complete waste of the governmental budget and just a way for experts to entertain themselves.
In the era of Gagarin and first trips into space, being a cosmonaut was considered to be highly prestigious, respected, and, at the same time, romantic. At the present moment, this science went too far away frthe om basic understanding that people regret that their taxes are spent on the exploration of the place that they would never visit. The attitude of the researchers in this field is rather ambivalent; the main beneficial and negative points of space exploration would be covered in the next parts to make the argumentative and clear statement.
Benefits of Space Exploration
The investigation of space has many advantages for society despite the fact that they are not highly notable for an ordinary person. For example, space researches encourage studies of different types of science (Panesor, 2009). What is more, the young specialists in chemistry, biology, or engineering become interested in the space sphere (Panesor, 2009). It is profitable for both sides – students provide innovative ideas, and the research centers help the new generation of scientists to get the job and to be well-paid. The benefits of space exploration cannot be counted only in money because the impact on society is non-quantifiable. According to Jacksona et al. (2019), a woman plays a crucial role in space studies. Thanks to women-cosmonauts, the level of social inequality declined rapidly in the last decade of the 20th century. A variety of studies show that women and men think and act in contrasting ways. It helps the industry of space exploration to function in a more efficient way considering several distinct points of view.
Negatives of Space Exploration
Space exploration is often claimed to be the sphere for wasting a large sum of money. This industry is one of the most expensive because of the intellectual resources and high-priced equipment details (“Cost of Space Exploration,” 1961). Nonetheless, Baum (2009) proposes the idea of cost-beneficial analysis; from his point of view, it is necessary to keep in mind the ethical risks and the alternative options of the distribution of the budget. In his other study, he raises the issue of the problem of colonization (Baum, 2016). According to his research, if people cannot save nature on the planet, there is no use to attempt to find other places to live. Moreover, the ecological situation becomes significantly severe because of the desire of humans to leave the Earth.
It is important to mention that the cost of space explorations is not always high. It generally depends on the type of research and its goal (“International Space Exploration Coordination Group,” 2013). If the data of previous experiments were used, it would help to make the price for the surveys lower (Battat, 2012). However, it requires more time and effort from the staff and makes this task, not an easy one. Another disadvantage is that it takes years or even decades for inventions and technologies to be a part of the life of ordinary people. The negatives of space exploration are highly notable for society because they cannot see the real impact.
Increase in Space Exploration and Possible Future Impacts
The industry of space studies plays an essential role in the political, social, and economic spheres. If there were more money invested, it might result in a financial crisis in the country. Even though space exploration is supposed to have many non-material benefits and unexpected advantages in the nearest future. For example, the recent developments would be directly integrated into different fields of science. The robotics like the mechanic hand or neurotransmitter are now saving and improving thousands of Roboticsnks to space technologies. The level of intellectual needs in this sphere would encourage cultural and cognitive growth for many people interested in this area of study (Crawford, 2019). If the specialists would not find any place for colonization, it may influence the attitude of the society to the planet and its beautiful nature. People might become more accurate and carrying about the ecological situation on Earth.
Ways of Space Exploration with the Least Damage
First of all, the previous experience and results should be attentively analyzed to make the price of the new inventions lower. Secondly, there should be specialists in public relations who would explain the society why space explorations are too crucial and what are the benefits of it. Finally, space study should become a global issue for developed countries (Krichevsky, 2018). It would reduce the cost for each separate country and would make the process more efficient.
Conclusion
In the modern world, space exploration has its benefits and negatives. The advantages are mostly non-economical and concern the social sphere of life, while the disadvantages are centered around the high costs of the researches. Nevertheless, there are several ways to improve the financial situation and to make the price lower: by using the experience of previous generations or by optimizing the process. Ethical questions should also be taken into consideration and make humanity reflect on ecological and moral questions. Space study is one of the fascinating spheres of science in the 21st century.
References
- Battat, J. A. (2012). Technology and architecture: Informing investment decisions for the future of human exploration [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Baum, S. (2009). Cost-benefit analysis of space exploration: Some ethical considerations. Space Policy, 25(2), 75–80.
- Baum, S. (2016). The ethics of outer space: A consequentialist perspective. The Ethics of Space Exploration, 2(1), 109–123.
- International Space Exploration Coordination Group. (2013). Benefits Stemming from Space Exploration.
- American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1961). Cost of Space Exploration. Science, 133(3470), 2055–2055.
- Crawford, I. (2019). Widening perspectives: The intellectual and social benefits of Astrobiology, Big History, and the exploration of space. Journal of Big History, 3(3), 205–224.
- Jacksona, M. S., Knezek, P., Silimon-Hill, M. D., & Cross, M. A. (2019). Women in exploration: Lessons From the past as humanity reaches deep space. International Astronautical Congress, 1(1), 1–15.
- Krichevsky, S. (2018). Super global projects and environmentally friendly technologies used in space exploration: Realities and prospects of the Space Age. Philosophy and Cosmology, 20(1), 92–105.
- Panesor, T. (2009). Space: Exploration and exploitation in a modern society. Institute of physics. Web.
- Rai, A., Robinson, J. A., Tate-Brown, J., Buckley, N., Zell, M., Tasaki, K., & Pignataro, S. (2016). Expanded benefits for humanity from the International Space Station. Acta Astronautica, 126(2), 463–474.