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It’s a common line when spending on space exploration rolls in: Aren’t there bigger issues to be solved here on Earth? The implication is that humanity has enough to worry about, and maybe space is too much expensive considering all these problems. This oversimplification ignores the nature of humanity, the motivation that made us the dominant species on Earth. If we want to stay that way, space exploration is vital. Here are five reasons we belong up there.
New technologies and research
Humans haven’t evolved to go into space, but we’re going anyway. This has led to the development of various technologies that fuel the economy and improve our lives on Earth. Without space programs, we wouldn’t have GPS, accurate weather forecasts, solar cells, or UV filters in sunglasses and cameras. There is also medical research going on in space right now that could cure diseases and prolong human lives, and these experiments cannot be done on Earth. Space exploration could save your life.
Asteroids don’t care about us
Speaking of saving lives, space exploration could save all our lives. The solar system has calmed down a lot since the early centuries, but there are still an unknown number of large asteroids and comets that could hit the planet and really ruin your day. It has happened several times in the past, each causing mass extinction. It is not a question of if another large asteroid hits Earth, but when. A robust space program is the only hope we have of deflecting such an object. If we don’t work towards this goal, humanity already has an expiration date.
Colonization is the ultimate safeguard
There are currently over 7 billion humans, which is a lot. However, we are all crowded together on this one planet. If anything happened to Earth, our species could be wiped out. For example, the aforementioned asteroid impact. Colonizing other bodies in the solar system (or building our own habitats in orbit) is one way to create a “safeguard” of humanity that will survive no matter what happens to Earth. Maybe future humans will be Martians who never set foot on Earth. The technology to make this possible is not going to develop on its own.
Space mining could save the world
As we develop new technologies on Earth, the pressure on our natural resources continues to increase. The extraction of precious minerals has led to a multitude of problems, including environmental damage and human exploitation, but there is a multitude of precious materials in space. Startups like Planetary Resources want to mine asteroids instead of Earth, which would mean an effectively unlimited supply of rare raw materials on Earth.
We are explorers
There are more practical reasons for space exploration, but one of the main reasons we have to keep going is that we are explorers. This is why humans number in the billions – from our first steps on our feet, we strove to learn more about the world around us, and it has enabled us to build civilization. Exploring space is an opportunity not only to discover new worlds and build advanced technologies, but also to work together towards a larger goal, regardless of nationality, race or gender. If we stop exploring, we stop being human.
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