We Need a Strong Space Program
...a good prospect of many technological advances. The many supporting industries that provide services directly to the program are a source of jobs and a stimulus to both local and the national economy. Those industries and services that indirectly benefit from new technology and products constitute companies even more widely dispersed in the multilayered stratum of the economy, thus farther spreading the benefits of new products to the general consumer. Although this process might take many years, the constant search for improvement in technique and hardware in the space program, assures the world-at-large that innovative products are constantly being developed and improved. The benefits of funding programs such as NASA far outweigh the advantages of funding other programs because the returns from the investment are considerable. (Marshall Space Flight Center, “Benefits of the Space Program”) Without the space program, satellites, another important technological tool of our age, would not be in such wide use. Orbiting satellites serve mankind constantly when performing a multitude of tasks that we find indispensable. Communications satellites, like the EchoStar III, are used to send relay TV signals to American homes. The EchoStars and other communication satellites act as relay stations to receive and send TV, phone, and Internet signals from one location to another all around the globe. Over a hundred communication satellites orbit the world. Remote sensing satellites provide a valuable resource from their orbit at approximately 300 miles. These satellites scan the planet in order to study plant cover, chemical composition, and surface water. Remote sensing satellites are invaluable to conservations studying the effects that mankind is having on this planet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration operates the TIROS (Television Infrared Observational Satellite), a satellite system used to track weather patterns all over the world. The Global Positioning System, a system used for navigation, has gained wide use all over the world. Originally only used by the military, GPS receivers are installed in cars, boats, aircraft, and even hikers carry a handheld version to maintain constant awareness of their location. Many other satellites serve to assist in research, such as the SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observation) satellite, used to study the sun. Altogether satellites perform many tasks that greatly benefit mankind and the many satellites systems now in operation could not be serviced, upgraded, or replaced without the space program. (The Satellite Site) The dwindling natural resources of our planet suggest other long-term goals for space exploration. If the technology needed for exploration of our solar system develops to such a degree that it becomes cost effective to explore, locate, and acquire valuable resources necessary for manufacturing products we use regularly, the potential for limitless expansion of the human race might become a possibility. Payload concerns make space travel rather cost prohibitive, with the Earth used as a “platform” for all missions, but if manufacturing could be set-up off-planet, the costs could be lowered making economic feasibility more likely. (“Mining in Space”) When technology advances to the point at which utilization of local resources (on the moon, Mars, asteroids, etc.) occurs, the feasibility of colonies on extraterrestrial locations becomes likely. Colonization of other planets, large asteroids, and other objects in our solar system may one day become a necessity due to overcrowding here on Earth. With the world population nearing the 7 billion mark, there may come a time in the not too distant future that some of humanity must leave this planet to relieve the pressure of overpopulation. A worldwide initiative to develop and maintain off-world colonies would garner more cooperation across political boundaries as well as giving the human race a new frontier into which to expand. Renewed interest in the exploration of space stimulates the interest and imagination of our youth. The benefits to education expand with new discoveries and the children of today grow up reaching for the stars and dreaming that they might one day float in orbit above such far-away places as Mars or Jupiter. “It's Official. Mars is Now a Career Opportunity!” is actually a link on the NASA’s (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Education Enterprise website. NASA actively recruits and promotes education towards future careers in all phases of its operations from research and technician positions to astronaut programs. In the elementary and secondary schools of our nation, NASA sponsors several programs that promote interest in quality education as well as attracting students towards careers in occupations which strongly tie-in with NASA’s programs and mission. The programs range from Math Counts, a national math coaching and competition program, to the NASA Summer High school Apprenticeship Program (SHARP) and the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP). In post-secondary education, many scholarship, fellowship, and research grant programs attract the interest of some of the best minds in our colleges and universities. Among these are programs like the NASA Contracting Intern Program (NCIP) and NASA Scholars (MUREP). MUREP, a program for need-based scholarship and fellowship candidates, serves students at several minority-serving institutes. These and the many other educational programs which NASA sponsors allow NASA to assist in assuring quality scientific and technical education for the students of the nation. The programs also give NASA a pool of intelligent and motivated persons with which to staff and implement their programs. (Canright, NASA Education Enterprise) Satisfying scientific curiosity and answering questions about life and our origins might seem to present the least tangible returns of the investment in a strong space program, but understanding the solar syst...