Beginning with the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957, the space-age commenced with the vision of space exploration and technological advancements to facilitate human progress. The space age was a time of exponential advancements in the field of science and an era of prosperity that encompassed rocketry, nuclear technology, and an ambition to reach the stars. The space-age not only bought changes to technology but also strengthened the economy by creating job opportunities for thousands and also making our lives easier through advances in meteorology, energy, telecommunications, and navigation. The space age was a pinnacle of human capabilities with a future hundred times brighter than our sun. However, with recent modernization and change in global culture, the space-age has reached a point of expiration, a so-called “dark age”.
In the recent decade, people have started to believe that space exploration fueled by many space agencies such as NASA, ESA, JAXA, ISRO, etc is a waste of public money. Moreover, many people believe that we should focus on our sole planet and solve essential problems such as climate change, pollution, poverty, and drought. This belief has been initiating long debates between both parties, consisting of those who support the space age and those who consider it worthless. Private space agencies such as Space X and Blue Origin have also sparked debates regarding the privatization of space. General mass views this privatization as a desire for billionaires to travel to space and escape from earth’s problems. Although this sounds true that we shall give priority to our planet’s issues, however, we are missing the bigger picture of the actual reasons behind space exploration.
Space exploration was not only about fulfilling our imaginative desires but was a solution to our problems. NASA’s current budget stands to be 0.48% of the national budget in this fiscal year. Similarly, space organizations such as ISRO also spend minimal amount of money on space exploration, less than any space agency, with success rates similar to dominating space agencies such as ESA and NASA. Imagining a space exploration budget close to the military budget of the United States would yield seamless possibilities in terms of exploration. We are investing in technologies to fight wars between nations and creating divisions between our own species, we are giving our public money to invest in weapons of mass destruction, isn't that waste of resources and money? We are promoting industrialization and spending thousands and millions on products that we don't even use, investing in political campaigns that don't even reach the promised aim, Our hypocrisy has blindfolded our progress and if this continues to happen we will reach nowhere. In space, we exist as humanity and not as a sovereign state and we try to look for solutions for our greater good.
What people don't realize is that space colonization isn't escaping earth’s problems but a reassurance that humanity will live on in future generations. Similarly, our expedition would also help us find resources that would benefit our own population and would solve our own problems such as climate change, asteroid mining is an ultimate example since we would be able to find new elements or substances that could be capable of providing the earth with enough energy to run for centuries. With our ever-increasing population, the earth cannot stand such external pressure for a long time and there would be a point when scarcity of resources would create conflicts. Furthermore, we cannot ensure that we will continue to thrive on this planet forever since factors such as an extension-level event or a war (nuclear) might possibly threaten our existence. Human space exploration helps to address fundamental questions about our place in the Universe and the history of our solar system. We have a tendency to explore the unknown, discover new worlds, and push the boundaries of our scientific and technical limits and thereby space exploration can possibly answer many of our unanswered questions.
Reviving the space age would foster innovation and endless possibilities. Since colonization and space exploration is our only backup for our survival, we shall thereby encourage such space missions. When a rocket launches in the sky, every individual regardless of their age, religion, race, or gender looks up to it, let space be a platform for unity and harmony and a place to demonstrate humanity. All in all, as famously said by Neil deGrasse Tyson “The day we stop exploring is the day we commit ourselves to live in a stagnant world, devoid of curiosity, empty of dreams”.
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