Is space exploration really desirable at a time when so much needs doing on Earth? It is an often-asked and serious question that requires a serious answer. One could present many arguments, from jobs and education to technology development and national security, for undertaking a robust space program. In an ideal world only one argument is necessary, though in the real world some would argue it is not sufficient. That argument is exploration, and that we should undertake it for the most basic of reasons—our self-preservation as a creative, as opposed to stagnating, society.
There are ample reasons one might give not to continue space exploration. The year 2001—supposed to be the year of Arthur C. Clarke's "Space Odyssey"—will forever be remembered instead for the events of 9/11. We do have to deal with the reality of world events, but surely we should not let terrorism set the agenda. H.G. Wells said many years ago that "Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe."
We are still in that race today, and surely an international cooperative venture into space—with all that implies—strikes a blow against catastrophe, and a victory for civilization. Great things were achieved in the past in the name of competition—the Apollo program would never have happened without Cold War competition. It now remains to be seen whether great things may be done in the name of international cooperation, even in the midst of great unrest in the world.
For its part, the United States has much at stake. Pulitzer Prize winning historian William Goetzmann saw the history of the United States as inextricably linked with exploration. "America has indeed been 'exploration's nation,' " he wrote,"a culture of endless possibilities that, in the spirit of both science and its component, exploration, continually looks forward in the direction of the new." The space exploration vision must be seen in that context.
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Who is most likely the intended audience for this article?
A.
historians researching space exploration
B.
Americans interested in finding a future career path
C.
science fiction authors writing about space
D.
Americans interested in improving people's lives