“In short, our leadership in science and in industry, our hopes for peace and security, our obligations to ourselves as well as others, all require us to make this effort, to solve these mysteries, to solve them for the good of all men, and to become the world’s leading space-faring nation.”
“There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all.”
“We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”
– John F. Kennedy September 12, 1962
The above quotes are from the famous speech that President Kennedy gave which set the goal of putting a man on the Moon during the 1960’s. The space program at that time had the backdrop of the cold war. Space interests in regard to national security and intelligence continue to be serious issues of today. If you review the entire Kennedy speech, you will find that the message is about investing in science and technology as much as it is about exploring space.
We just marked the 50th anniversary of The United States Apollo 11, the first crewed mission to land on the Moon, on July 20, 1969.
The resources allocated for NASA are a fraction of the overall budget for the United States and are often tragically limited because of incredibly wasteful general spending. Yet, so much has been brought forth by the investment in space technology for our society in so many ways. It is the one government program that has paid off.
Here are just a few of the benefits that have been brought forth by the space program either directly or indirectly:
Semiconductor cubing, structural analysis, air quality monitors, virtual reality, aircraft controls, aerodynamics, microcomputers, GPS, design graphics, enriched baby food, water purification systems, scratch-resistant lenses, athletic shoes, shock-absorbing helmets, home security systems, smoke detectors, firefighting equipment, flat panel televisions, high-density batteries, trash compactors, food packaging and freeze-dried technology, solar energy, weather forecasting, telemetry systems, laser angioplasty, human tissue simulators, programmable pacemakers, arteriosclerosis detection, ultrasound scanners, automatic insulin pumps, portable x-ray devices, invisible braces, dental arch wire, palate surgery technology, clean room apparel, implantable heart aids, MRIs, bone analyzers, cataract surgery tools, magnetic liquids, advanced welding torches, gasoline vapor recovery, self-locking fasteners, machine tool software, laser wire strippers, lubricant coating processes, wireless communications, engine coatings, better brakes, weight saving technology, improved aircraft engines, advanced lubricants, energy storage systems, along with an array of other things.
Oh no! How could I have omitted golf ball aerodynamics?
Advancements in space technology have enhanced our way of life, given birth to new products and industries for our economy, and improved the safety of the society in which we live.
It is also of no small consideration for me that historically all of this progress has been under the umbrella of American leadership for the entire world. Although I am very glad that the world community has an interest in developing space technology, I do find it disconcerting that lately America seems perfectly content to go along for the ride. It is a common cliché reflecting the simplicity of any particular subject to say that, “It isn’t rocket science.” Well, as America’s math and science scores continue to lag behind large percentages of other populations pertaining to the world’s largest economies, it seems as though we prefer things not to be rocket science.
The United States can barely rouse a modicum of enthusiasm for serious space exploration. NASA’s ability to achieve new space-exploration milestones may very well be limping along because of the government’s disagreements about the agency’s priorities. That is a shame because other countries, including China, seem to be picking up the ball.
During a classic piece of news footage from the 1960s a reporter walked up to a woman in France and asked her how she felt about men walking on the Moon. Her answer was, “I knew the Americans could do it!” What, exactly, does the world know about us now?
To be fair, there has been renewed American enthusiasm for a mission to Mars. I hope it continues! The next big step for mankind, back to the moon and beyond, might very well come from private enterprises such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Amazon’s Blue Origin.
I believe many of the social ills we have in our society and around the world are largely because of a lack of an education and an appreciation for the sciences. None of us are composed of a better set of elements than anyone else. We are all stardust and life is incredibly short. If we are lucky, among the billions of orbits that the Earth has taken, only 80 or 90 some odd trips around the sun is all we get on our life’s journey.
The fragile biology of our bodies is supported by the same air, water, and nutrients that every living thing, which has ever existed on Earth, has thrived upon. Napoleon, Cleopatra, and even Tyrannosaurus Rex walked under the same sun and sky as we do. There haven’t been any new shipments of natural resources to the Earth. We rely heavily on the environment’s natural processes of decay and renewal, a system that we are rapidly beginning to outpace.
The more we know about our earthly home and how it relates to the incredible oneness that we all share, maybe the more likely it will be that we will make the world a harmonious place for all of us to share.
For my money, when you consider the benefits of the space program concerning our shared humanity, technology, medicine, and the list goes on; the investment is worth every dime.
Explorers have shaped and mapped our world. However, our world does not end at the top of our atmosphere. The planet on which we live is a product of a vast universe with endless possibilities. Our exploration into our existence is just beginning.
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