GlobalEnviroBlog

Some Thoughts on Making Space More Attractive:

In the 1960s, space was special. People eagerly watched for news about the brave astronauts. Today, much of the news about space is a footnote. People often see no advantage in space exploration. The future of space exploration is flickering and not as bright as it once was.

Why has space lost its luster? The old saying “Familiarity breeds contempt.” probably sums up a large part of it. People have become too accustomed to the almost routine nature of the launches. It was easier to get excited when there were only seven astronauts. Today there are hundreds.

Perhaps we should focus our sites on the benefits we receive and will receive from space.

•  Satellite communication allows almost instantaneous communication around the world.
• Survey satellites allow detailed monitoring of such vital information as air temperature, water temperature, natural resources and weather. Using this data we can evaluate the rate of global climate change and potentially undo any damage we have done.
• The GPS network of satellites allow us to know where we are, what time it is, and how fast we are moving.
• Microgravity experiments on the International Space Station are leading to discoveries about living things and are contributing to the development of new materials and drugs that can’t be made on Earth.
• Helium-3 is found on the moon. This is the key to successful fusion power generation. Fusion power using helium-3 produces little to no radioactive waste and a tremendous amount of power with no carbon dioxide emissions. As such, helium-3 is worth more than any substance known to humankind.
• The proposed opening of space to tourism in 2009 by Virgin Galactic will make space travel available to more than the extremely rich.

The benefits of continued space exploration far outweigh the costs. The researches spawned by this venture help us protect the environment and ultimately may lead to the key to our survival.

Richard Moolick
Global Enviroblog