Why We Need to Go to Space Now More than Ever
By: Alex Kermath
If you glanced at the news last August, there is no doubt you saw Jeff Bezos and his friends launch into space with the money out of his own wallet. Five and a half billion dollars spent to break the atmosphere and look down on our tiny blue planet. I saw this as a great success towards the eventual commercialization of space: a step towards interplanetary travel, moon bases, asteroid mining, Dyson spheres and so much more. Such a mission could help push us towards a new phase in humanity, but that’s not how the public sees it. To many, this was a selfish “If I can, I will” sort of project. In some aspects, it was, but, regardless of your opinion towards the matter, it was an unfortunate blow to humanity’s interest in space.
It is incredible that the exploration of a whole universe outside of Earth can be confined into a few scientific fields and less than 0.5 percent of the U.S. budget. What is even more far-fetched is that until SpaceX, only publicly funded government programs have ventured out towards the final frontier. However, from an outside perspective, the lack of privatized space travel makes sense. Why would we want to waste money looking at stuff up there, most of which current technology could barely even fathom reaching? In the eyes of the majority of the public, space travel is just another dollar out of their pocket. What do they get out of it?
Well, there are a million reasons why that I’m sure won’t change many minds, the most important one to me being a search to solve the complexities of our unknown universe. There is another important reason, however. One that should convince everyone to appreciate the investment in space: it helps you.
Recently my community was under a tornado warning. While the brave men and women driving firetrucks and ambulances came to rescue people caught in the tornado, satellites tracked the tornado’s expected path. Widespread broadcast of the situation alerted those at risk to move out of the way. Those who couldn’t escape knew to hunker down in a safe place and wait. The satellites that tracked the tornado and the network that shared the information and notified the first responders. Lives were saved through technology developed in pursuit of space exploration.
Outside of my own story, materials developed for space and the satellites themselves continue to provide technological benefits for all of humanity. Another example brought up by Mark Rober, a former NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) scientist and now a content creator, is SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive). Simply put, SMAP allows NASA to monitor the soil moisture levels across the entire globe and provide that information freely to anyone. Rober’s video, “Is NASA a Waste of Money?” goes more in-depth, but the main takeaway is that the money spent to build the satellite was used far more effectively to help poorer countries support themselves than any other attempt with the same budget.
Space travel needs to be seen as a true hero of humanity, not a washed-up adventure from the 1960s. It takes decades to build up a reputation but only a moment to destroy it, so how do we redefine the reputation of space travel? We need selfless acts. Independent institutions need to begin building and vocalizing to the public about satellites that benefit humanity. Money, as always, becomes the forefront issue of this mission. Only a select few can afford a full-fledged satellite and even fewer that send it into space. However, there is an alternative.
The CubeSat is a 10x10x11cm satellite containing an experiment that is conducted in low Earth orbit. The size of this miniature satellite makes space exploration far more affordable to established institutions such as the Academy. Additionally, in another selfless act, NASA offers to send the CubeSat up for free on their next rocket if it meets their requirements of being scientifically or educationally beneficial. If every school privileged with a considerable endowment took upon this endeavor, not only would it push us one step closer to an era of prosperity through space, but the immediate benefits of all the research conducted would be staggering.
Many institutions have already begun this journey. Some colleges have established a Cubesat program that provides students with unprecedented experience in technology. However, the trend needs to continue. Currently, I’m working towards getting EOPS (Exeter Off Planet Society), with our own Cubesat. As I stated earlier, funding is the primary constraint at the moment. Still, with the help of Mr. Adil Jafry — the founder of Chandah Space technologies — EOPS, and my fellow Exonians who participate in it, we should look to be a beacon for other institutions for what I believe is one of the greatest causes one can invest in. Space travel as a whole is non sibi. As we progress the industry and incentivize for future technology, the eventual benefits of which will be immeasurable for everyone across our globe.
