- Published: September 13, 2022
- Updated: September 13, 2022
- University / College: The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney)
- Language: English
- Downloads: 47
Space exploration- a good or bad thing? As the development of humanity continues, newer technologies are also made gaining us the power and ability to space travel. However, is this ability really beneficial to us? Is it worth the disadvantages that come with it? We have received many positive responses however; these positive responses are countered by overflowing numbers of negative responses. According to the majority of our readers, space travel is not beneficial to humanity and the main reasons include the safety, environmental issues as well as the cost. Safety is one of the main reasons why space travel is not beneficial to humanity. Since the discovery of space travel, there have been more than 15 known fatalities all resulting in death for all crew members. A well-known example is the 1986 January 28 accident where the space shuttle challenger which was destroyed 73 seconds after its launch resulting in 7 deaths. Another example occurred on 2003 February 1 where the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it re-entered the earth’s atmosphere. There have also been over 30 accidents that resulted in near-deaths. The environment is also a factor to consider as rocket launching may cause severe damage to it. One of these environmental factors involves the depletion of stratospheric ozone, where rocket launchings would cause reactive gases to be emitted. This in turn causes ozone molecules to break apart. Rocket launching may also emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere contributing to climate change and rising sea levels. The last factor to consider is the cost. Is it really worth it? It costs billions of dollars each time people go out to space to risk their lives. It costs so much to space travel and yet they are willing to gamble it on the lives of the crew members even knowing that there are people in this world that are under-privileged and that the money could have been used to assist for the hopeless. Is space travel really beneficial to us? Is it really worth it? Or is it all a waste?