essay on space exploration is a waste of money

The UNESCO Courier

Is the space effort a waste of money?

Colossal strides in civilization in the past have followed each major advance in man's observation of the skies. Astronomical discoveries, time after time, have influenced and, in some cases, shifted the very course of history.

By Gene Gregory 

As the Apollo 11 and 12 spacecraft raced toward their rendezvous with the moon last July and last November, these most ambitious of man's ventures were the focus of a sharp and lively debate back on earth about the real meaning and value of space exploration.

Twelve years had passed since the Soviet Union launched the space age by firing Sputnik I into earth orbit on October 4, 1957. The United States had spent some $44 thousand million on space programmes, $24 thousand million on the Apollo project alone. Hundreds of thousands of top scientists and technicians had been striving together in by far the largest team of specialists ever mobilized in a single undertaking.

Yet the basic question was still being asked: "Is this trip really necessary?"

Was the moon landing a pointless "stunt", however adroitly executed, or a breath-taking demonstration of man's unlimited capabilities? Would the billions allocated for space be better spent on solving pressing problems here on earth? What, in short, is there in all this running around in space for those of us who remain earthbound mortals?

Arnold J. Toynbee, the esteemed British historian, expressed the concern of many serious-minded sceptics for whom the moon landing symbolized a yawning gap between technology and morals.

"In a sense," Toynbee remonstrated, "going to the moon is like building the pyramids or Louis XIV's palace at Versailles. It's rather scandalous, when human beings are going short of necessities, to do this. If we're clever enough to reach the moon, don't we feel rather foolish in our mismanagement of human affairs?"

But others contend that there is money enough for the moon and tasks on earth, too. And some go further to point out that the conquest of space has done much, through the development of new ideas, new attitudes, new techniques and new structures for the management of large-scale undertakings, to prepare man for a major offensive against the unsolved social and material problems at home.

"If you look at the thousands of years of civilization," Sir Bernard Lovell, director of Britain's Jodrell Bank Observatory reminds us, "you will find that only those communities that have been prepared to struggle with the nearly insoluble problems at the limits of their technical capacities those are the only communities, the only times, that civilization has advanced. The Roman Empire decayed when ¡t ceased to be progressive in this sense, and there are other examples. To a certain extent, you see the beginnings of it in the United Kingdom today, but fortunately not in the United States and certainly not in the Soviet Union."

Queen Isabella of Spain was confronted with something of the same sort of question nearly five centuries ago when she sold her jewels to assemble the resources necessary to finance the trip to the Indies of Christopher Columbus and his crew.

Her prime motives may well have been the glory and riches she expected to accrue to Spain. But the great results of this historical venture were not the spice and gold it brought to Spanish coffers, nor the vast territorial acquisitions which gave Spain dominion over the first global empire in history.

Far more important, the Columbian explorations marked the beginning of a major new cycle in the development of the world, enhancing man's mastery of the seas and bringing together in one great community, however unhappily, the entire human race.

It is not too much to contemplate that similar experiences may be awaiting us as we embark on the contemporary venture into unknown space. This is not simply because outer space provides a new dimension to potentially new resources, nor because the possibility of finding life on other planets has suddenly become much more real. Of even greater importance is the vast accumulation of new technology and new techniques resulting from the first decade of space exploration. Not unnaturally, the sheer spectacular quality of the moon landing tended to focus the world's attention on the heroic aspects of the achievement.

Somehow, the casting of the Apollo 11 and 12 voyages on millions of television sets around the world gave it the character of a sports event. Focus was on the astronauts, champions of a new interplanetary Olympiad, and on the faultless performance of the spacecraft. In the process, the real significance of space exploration became obscure.

If the experience of the past three or four thousand years has any value, it tells us that in freeing himself from the millennial confinement of the earth's gravitation and its atmosphere, man has added a vast new dimension to his environment and to his character. In broadening his horizons, he has in a qualitative sense altered his very being and completely changed his relationship to the rest of nature, and this in turn presages sweeping changes in every field of human activity.

Colossal strides in civilization in the past have followed each major advance in man's observation of the skies. Astronomical discoveries, time after time, have influenced and, in some cases, shifted the very course of history.

Now, the impact of space exploration the most momentous of all human adventures promises to usher in a new stage of civilization the broad outlines of which remain undefinable, if for no other reason than that the exploration has only begun. The potential of the universe for mankind is as completely unknown today as was that of the New World after the return of Columbus to Spain.

As Margaret Mead, the American anthropologist, has put it: "Once you raise the question that other land than this earth is possible to live on, that other places are possible places to found colonies, or that there may be other living creatures somewhere, you have changed the whole place of man in the universe. You've altered everything. This involves a considerable reduction of human arrogance and a tremendous magnification of human possibilities."

Just as the age of earth exploration completely transformed the political matrix around the globe, the space age will radically. Alter the present global political constellation and institutions. The nation state, already ill-suited to human needs in the last half of the twentieth century, can hardly be expected to effectively serve man's goals in space.

The on-again off-again trip to Mars, originally scheduled for the 1970s, will very likely be too expensive for either the United States or the Soviet Union to undertake alone. By combining in this and other projects in the conquest of space, it is possible to co-operate where prejudices and conflicting interests are least involved. In this age of global problems, the necessity of co-operation in space as human beings with predominantly common interests cannot but have a feedback on earth. If and when space exploration becomes more than a marginal activity, its higher priority is bound to give new stimulus to international joint ventures in space.

Already COMSAT (Communications Satellite Corporation) and INTELSAT (the international space communications organization of 70 member countries) have established a pattern for international public utilities in space communications. American and Soviet rockets are launching European, Australian and Japanese satellites into space. And some 40 tracking stations around the globe, involving varying degrees of international co-operation, participated in the Apollo project.

But if no one knows where this new adventure in space will eventually take us, what new worlds will be discovered what new horizons will open as man colonizes the moon or other planets, or what advantages may be found in manufacturing instruments and equipment in the vacuum of outer space, the first decade of the Space Age has given us a foretaste of what is in store for the future.

Since 1967 hardly a person on earth has not been directly or indirectly effected in one way or another by the results of the space exploration. Liberated from the forces that have kept us earthbound throughout recorded history, we now have capabilities (intellectual and material) that are immeasurably greater than ever before. These new capabilities open unlimited opportunities for the development of human faculties and the satisfaction of human needs.

A whole galaxy of earth satellites is now providing global services which have already brought vast improvements to communications, weather prediction, geology and geodetics, navigation and oceanography. These and other vital tools for the enhancement of man's control over his environment are available not only to the advanced industrial countries that have developed them, but have had immediate benefits for all countries around the globe providing developing countries with tremendous new capabilities for more rapid economic and social advance.

New technologies products, materials, processes, manufacturing techniques, operating procedures, and new standards born of space requirements are being transferred from their original space application to industry, commerce, education and public health, replacing products or practices currently in use to provide those which will better fill the vast variety of human needs.

But, most important, effective techniques and structures have been developed for the "forcing" of technology transfer, and private industry, universities and governments now have at their disposal vast computerized data banks of knowledge and data on virtually every field of the physical and social sciences, technology and the humanities.

But an even more important aspect of the Space Revolution is the last one: techniques for directing massive projects undertaken by thousands of minds in a close-knit, synergistic combination of government, universities and industry. Taken together these techniques are potentially the most powerful management tool in man's history, changing the way civil servants, scientists and managers approach virtually every task they undertake.

About the authors

U.S. engineer Gene Gregory is also a writer specializing in economic and technological questions.

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Space Exploration Is a Waste of Money Essay Argumentative Essay

The author argues that while space exploration may have given us Velcro and some interesting scientific insights, it is not a worthwhile use of resources compared to the needs of humanity. The cost of space programs is unnecessarily high, and the money could be better spent on research into cancer or feeding the millions of starving people around the globe. The author believes that the needs of humanity should always come first, and space exploration should be considered a desire rather than a necessity. They suggest that we should focus on learning more about Earth and the ocean before spending more time and money on space exploration.

Science may well give us good things. We all know Velcro came from NASA. But why bother spending all this money exploring space and finding out there was water on Mars at some point in the last few thousand years (we have water in Earth) when these same great minds could be applied to finding better ways to power humanity’s insatiable desire for energy, to feeding the starving millions around the globe, and generally making life down here better before looking up into the heavens.

It seems the authoritative powers have their heads way, way up in the clouds. For example: there was one space program that did send human beings into space ended up costing American taxpayers $150 billion, almost 8 times the initial cost estimate of $20 billion. By contrast, the things we learned from these missions, while fascinating, are hardly beneficial to humans. Most pertain to the composition and history of the moon. While this settled many scientific debates, there are more tangible uses to which such money could be put.

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For example, the National Cancer Institute spends about $5 billion a year on various cancer researches. The funding for the Apollo program could have funded 30 years’ worth of research into cancer, possibly leading to a better understanding and improved treatments for the suffering of millions of human beings. Additionally, at least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day. To justify such outrageous expenditures on space exploration for the benefit of future populations, when millions are suffering now, is inconsistent at best and callous at worst.

The needs of humanity should always come first. While there are people on Earth who need help, they should be helped, rather than seeing money spent on sending robots onto other planets. Humanity is the number one priority; keeping the human race alive is a necessity. Alternatively, space exploration is a desire. If we put our desires before our needs, then everyone loses out on a better standard of living.

Sure, it’s great that NASA can elevate technology to the next level time and time again, so why not make technology that directly benefits us? And as there are millions round the world who are starving to death, when people spend more and more money on space technology they should realize they are the killers. Also, why take so much time and money to learn about Mars or any other planet, when we know so little about our own? We should learn more about Earth and the ocean before wasting time and money on Space exploration.

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Space exploration pros and cons: Are space programs a waste of money?

Source: Image : ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA  

Space exploration is a hugely expensive affair. Should we spend money on space exploration when we have so many problems on planet Earth? We debate the pros and cons of space exploration and the reasons for investing in space agencies and programs. 

Should we spend money on space exploration?

The launch of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket into has brought back media attention to space exploration . Elton Musk's private aerospace company is in the process of becoming a major player and a partner for many space programs. However, most of the efforts to discover whats out still depend mostly on public funding. 

Space exploration is costly, and many argue that in times of belt-tightening, we should focus on solving problems here on Earth, especially since the knowledge gained from space exploration has few immediate benefits. On the other hand, pronponents of space exploration argue that the knowledge to be gained is invaluable, and that it is in the very nature of humankind to explore. In addition, proponents of these programs argue that they have had significant benefits and resulted in the discovery or popularisation of many useful new technologies . Furthermore, space exploration could be the only way to escape  human extinction in case living conditions become unsustainable on Earth.

Today there are six big government space agencies with the capacity to create, launch and recover satellites: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ), Russian Federal Space Agency ( Roscosmos or RFSA),the China National Space Administration ( CNSA ), the Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO ),  the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ( JAXA ) and the European Space Agency ( ESA ) which integrates several European space agencies. Among them only NASA, ROSCOSMOS and CNSA have full capacity for human spaceflights and lunar soft-landing.  In addtition to these there are many other government space agencies with variable capabilities, most of them have only the capacity to operate satellites, a few of them also have launch capabilities and can operate extraterrestrial probes. Some of these space agencies are competing to be the first to send humans to Mars  and investigating if there is intelligent life on other planets .

These space programs and agencies are very costly. It is estimated that the total annual budget of space agencies is $41.8 billion. Among them the highest budgets correspond to:

• NASA (USA, $19.3 billion)
• Roscosmos (Russia, $5.6 billion) 
• ESA (Europe, $5.5 billion)
• CNES (France, $2.5 billion)
• JAXA (Japan, $2.5 billion)
• DLR (Germany, $2 billion)
• ASI (Italy, $1.8 billion)
• CNSA (China, $1.8 billion)
• ISRO (India, $1.2 billion)

Are all these costs justfified? Are there better ways to spend public funding? Should we mainly rely on private investors such as Elton Musk to promote space expliration? Will capitalistic incentives lead the way towards space exploration? In order to help make up your mind we outline next the most important benefits and problems of space exploration.

Space exploration pros and cons

• Knowledge generation.  Thanks to space exploration programs we are discovering many things that help us understand the universe. For instance, learning about planets, comets, stars, etc. can help us find solutions for some of the problems our civilization will face, such as overopulation  and the need to colonize other planets.
• Exploration and discovery are beneficial. Humans have always engaged in exploration to satisfy their sense of curiosity and look for opportunities. During the Age of Discoveries in the 15th and 16th centuries, countries such as Spain and Portugal heavily invested in expeditions, but thanks to them they became super-powers and gained many riches. Later, during the second age of explorations in the 18th and 19th century, the discoveries of pioneers such as Captain Cook or Livingstone heavily contributed to scientific discovery.
• Artificial satellites are crucial tools in modern society. For instance they are used for defence purposes and to fight against terrorism. Satellites help us also monitor the effects of global warming  and detect wildfires. Space agencies are necessary to operate satellites.
• Scientific advancement and by-products. Space exploration programs help introduce and test new technologies. Much of the research carried out to find solutions for space travel have applications elsewhere. For instance NASA research has contributed to develop velcro, fire-resistant materials, medical devices to relieve muscle and joint pain, new precise thermometers, artificial limbs, new air conditioning systems, land mine removal systems, improved radial tires, etc. 
• Space race may save humanity. Life on Earth may be threatened by climate change, pollution, depletion of resources, infectious diseases or nuclear war. Further, space exploration is necessary to find another planet on which humans could pursue their lives. Space programs help also find solutions to adapt human lives to the space or other planets.
• Space industry jobs. The space industry employs directly about 120,000 people in the OECD countries and 250,000 in Russia.
• Few direct benefits to space exploration . True, space technology has helped us launch satellites and introduce many useful products, but do we need to keep pushing forward? The direct intellectual gains from learning about far away planets or satellites such as the moon can hardly compensate the costs. Historical exploration on Earth allowed collect and trade resources. Bringing resources to Earth is not possible with the current technology.
• Space travel is hazardous.  Many lives have been lost in space expeditions. Space missions are very dangerous and can often cost lives and stress to the families of the astronauts or cosmonauts. Should highly qualified professionals and scientists risk their lives traveling outside Earth? 
• Failure is common. Many of the space exploration fail. Probes and satellites crash, exploration robots are lost, rockets blow up in the air, etc. It is frustrating to see how so much money and time are wasted in unsuccessful missions.
• Danger of establishing contact with alien life. One of the main goals of space exploration is to find out if there is life outside Earth. However, establishing contact with other civilizations can be extremely dangerous and could jeopardize human life. If we flag our existence to technologically advanced extraterrestrial civilizations, we may be somehow exposing ourselves to their attacks and invasion. The wanna-be colonizers could be colonized. Primitive life-forms such as virus and bacteria could also provoke epidemic diseases.
• New source of international tensions. The space race is not over. There is a growing international competition to be the first in fulfilling some challenges in space exploration. Sovereignty over other planets and satellites, and over their resources, will become a controversial issue. With the advancement of technology domination of the outer space may tip the balance of power on a bipolar or multipolar Earth.
• Priorities and opportunity costs.  Even if there are benefits to space exploration, spending so much money and effort in reaching other planets is highly questionable. That money and brain power could be used to solve other more important problems for us. For instance governments could invest much more to prevent global warming, reduce crime rates and find a cure for cancer or Alzheimer's Disease.

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The Illogical Case for Space

Over the past few months, I’ve written a half-dozen columns examining the ethics and rationale behind a variety of space initiatives. But there’s one central question that I have yet to tackle: Why should we care about space exploration in the first place?

Some space enthusiasts choose to ignore this question altogether. If you ask them why you ought to care about space, they might look at you like you’re crazy — “Well, why wouldn’t you? Are you, like, against science or something?” But when billions of taxpayer dollars are going into space-related research every year, and the benefit to the public is not always evident, the “why” question needs to be addressed.

Unfortunately, the common arguments in favor of space exploration have glaring holes in their logic.

Take a hypothetical space enthusiast. He might begin his defense of space spending by citing all the useful technologies that have been created as a result of space exploration. This point is indisputable — the list of technologies that NASA has produced or refined is extensive , ranging from portable laptops to baby formula. But if our primary desire is the production of useful consumer technologies, a space agency doesn’t seem like the most intuitive place to invest. Plenty of other industries could produce similar technologies if given NASA’s multi-billion dollar budget, and they likely could do so more efficiently, given that the development of these technologies is only one small part of NASA’s overall mission.

The space geek might then point out that going after NASA for financial reasons is misguided. After all, NASA’s funding only makes up 0.5 percent of the total U.S. budget; if you really wanted to save money, you’d best look elsewhere. But this is where we wade into politically divisive waters — what exactly can we scale back instead of NASA? If you said (as I’m inclined to) that the military is the most deserving of a budget cut, you’d immediately lose the attention of many conservative listeners. A call to slash social spending would be dismissed by the progressive bloc. It would be nigh-impossible to find any element of the U.S. budget that could be slashed with bipartisan support — that is, perhaps, besides NASA itself.

At this point, the space fanatic might pull out one last desperate card: Space research is necessary in order to protect the human race. If we never branch out to other planets, then we’re all sitting ducks waiting to be wiped out by the next extinction event. And, indeed, this might be true in the long term. But in the short term, we don’t have the capability to transport humans to another planet en masse, and making a distant planet fully habitable is certainly out of reach. So, for now, it’s more important to keep Earth safe than to start colonizing another planet; fighting existential threats like climate change is actually feasible, and climate research could certainly benefit from an annual budget of $22.6 billion.

So, it seems, our space enthusiast has failed to provide a convincing defense of space spending.

Now for the dramatic twist — that hypothetical space advocate was actually me, about two days ago, when I sat down to write this final column. At first, I wanted to write a traditional defense of space spending, but I quickly realized that every argument I constructed or encountered online had major holes in its logic. As a result, I was forced to ask myself: Does my deeply-held passion for space exploration actually have no logical basis?

And, I realized, the answer is yes. The very act of exploring space — launching humans on giant hunks of metal to go wander around distant space rocks — is a deeply illogical undertaking. Still, millions of humans across the globe are inspired by daring space missions, even if those missions offer no tangible benefit to their own lives.

To me, this is because space research — from the search for extraterrestrial life to figuring out how to get humans to Mars — is more of a spiritual pursuit than a pragmatic one. It excites and fascinates us; it satisfies our collective desire to learn more about the unknown — to go where we’ve never been before. Space allows us to explore our deepest questions about the nature of our role in the universe.

Asking why we should fund space exploration is like asking why we should fund art. Arguments rooted in pragmatism miss the point — that space exploration is for the heart and soul.

That said, not everyone will get the same fulfillment from space, like not everyone finds value in the same work of art. So, it’s important that we space advocates be flexible in order to keep our dream alive.

When pragmatists point out that the money currently going towards space seems excessive, we should say, “You know, you might be right,” and look for alternatives — like an emphasis on less-expensive unmanned space exploration or partnerships between NASA and private companies. When they tell us that some space initiatives — like terraforming — are unrealistic, we should abandon those goals. And when they ask what tangible benefits can be reaped from outer space, we should point out the potential opportunities to turn a profit — like asteroid mining .

These are all ideas that I’ve explored in this column. I’m obviously one of the people who finds great spiritual fulfillment through our exploration of space, but I completely understand that not everyone feels the same way. I urge my fellow space enthusiasts to recognize that our passion is not shared by everyone; in response, we should always be looking for cheaper and more efficient ways to carry out the big goals that we would love to see accomplished.

If we want to take the next giant leaps, we mustn’t step on too many toes.

Daniel L. Leonard ’21, a Crimson Editorial editor, is a joint History of Science and Philosophy concentrator in Winthrop House.

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The Planetary Society • Aug 30, 2021

Why space exploration is always worthwhile

Your guide to advocating for space in a complicated world.

Most people who love space and believe in exploration have probably heard this once or twice: “We shouldn’t waste money on space exploration when there are problems to deal with here on Earth.”

While public health concerns, social injustices, climate change, and other urgent issues are important to address, solving these problems doesn’t depend on defunding space programs.

This can be a difficult conversation to navigate, so we’ve outlined a few ideas here that you can share when advocating for space.

Space research isn’t as expensive as people think

Many countries around the world invest in space science and exploration as a balanced part of their total federal budget. Public opinion research has shown that people estimate NASA to take up as much as a quarter of the U.S. federal budget, but in fact,  NASA’s budget only represents about 0.5% of the total federal budget and the proportion is even smaller for other spacefaring nations . The correct information may go a long way to reassuring critics that space spending isn’t eating up as many public resources as they think.

The United States government spent approximately $6.6 trillion in fiscal year 2020, of which just 0.3% ($22.6 billion) was provided to NASA. In this chart, shades of blue represent mandatory spending programs; shades of orange are discretionary programs that require annual appropriations by Congress. "Defense and related" includes both the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Source: Office of Management and Budget Historical Tables 8.5 and 8.7.

Space spending pays off

If someone is arguing that public funds should be spent on solving the world’s problems, they should know that money spent on NASA positively impacts the U.S. economy . We get the same kind of payoff for space spending in other countries. Spending on space supports highly skilled jobs, fuels technology advancements with practical applications, and creates business opportunities that feed back into the economy. This in turn grows the pool of public money that can be spent on solving the world’s most pressing problems.

Space research directly impacts Earthly problems

When people apply themselves to the challenges of exploring space, they make discoveries that can help the world in other ways too. Studying how we might grow food in orbit or on Mars yields insights into growing food in extreme conditions on Earth , generating knowledge that can help mitigate the impacts of climate change. Medical research conducted on the International Space Station helps us understand the human body in new ways, helping save lives and improve quality of life .

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Studying space helps us understand our own world

Studying the cosmos gives us an important perspective shift. When we learn about what lies beyond Earth, it gives us context for understanding our own planet. Studying the other worlds of our solar system and beyond makes it clear that Earth is a precious oasis for life. When we sent spacecraft to Venus we saw how a runaway greenhouse effect turned the world from a habitable planet to an absolute hellscape. When astronauts travel into space they see just how thin and tenuous Earth’s atmosphere is, appreciating the fragile balance in which we live . A cosmic perspective underscores the importance of protecting our planet’s habitability and encourages investment in that effort.

Studying space may one day save us all

All the social and environmental progress in the world won't help us if an asteroid impacts the Earth. We have to explore space to find and study the asteroids and comets in our cosmic neighborhood if we want to make sure we can  defend our planet  if an object ever heads our way.

Space is inspiring

Not every child who dreams of becoming an astronaut will get that opportunity. This is a sad truth that many of us know from experience. But to be inspired to aim for something so grand gives kids the motivation to study hard and gain skills in science, engineering, medicine, or other fields that benefit humanity and directly help overcome problems that we face as a species.

And inspiration isn’t just for kids. When we marvel at the beauty of Jupiter’s clouds or the mystery of Enceladus’ oceans , we get an opportunity to appreciate the wonder and majesty of this cosmos that we inhabit. The idea that life might exist elsewhere in the universe reminds us that we might not be the only planet struggling to achieve balance, justice, and sustainability. And even in the bleakest of times, there’s something beautiful about still striving to achieve something great and discover something that could change how we see ourselves and our cosmos forever.

There’s plenty of room at the table

There’s no denying that there are many important issues facing humanity that need fixing. But to deal with those problems doesn’t mean we have to stop looking up, stop exploring, and stop making discoveries.

Human civilization has astonishing capacity, and we can do more than one important thing at a time. If someone thinks that a particular issue should get more attention and investment, they can and should advocate for that. The problems we face don’t persist because we’re spending money on space science and exploration. And there’s no reason to pit our aspirations against one another.

Let’s Go Beyond The Horizon

Every success in space exploration is the result of the community of space enthusiasts, like you, who believe it is important. You can help usher in the next great era of space exploration with your gift today.

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Space Exploration IELTS Essay Opinion Type

Space exploration ielts essay.

With all the troubles in the world today, money spent on space exploration is a complete waste. The money could be better spent on other things. What is your opinion?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. You should write at least 250 words.

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With all the troubles in the world today, money spent on space exploration is a complete waste IELTS Essay

Nations after nations, everyday, every year, celebrate their achievements in space exploration . However, it is now time to question how meaningful these blasts are. This essay aims to explain why it is questionable.

First, until all urgent and important matters in this globe have been solved, money bumped on space exploration is of no meaning. It is not a common sense at all to invest million dollars researching and producing foods for astronauts (for space exploration purpose), while everyday thousands of people are starving. Furthermore, the discovery of outer space only serves a minor group of people if the majority are even not well-educated. Those in rural areas or third-world nations do no even know how to prevent common threatening diseases like AIDS and lung cancer. ielts xpress

Then, some may argue that the purpose of space exploration are to discover new lands, new energy resources or to deter potential threat to globe. Nevertheless, is it effective to do so while other alternatives are available? Lands on earth are no yet effectively used. New energy resources (e.g. solar and nuclear energy) have not yet been widely-used. Threats of plagues have not yet been deterred. All these ? not- yets? need money. That is why costly space discovery programs are a waste of money. IELTSXpress.com

In the nutshell, people should only invest in space exploration providing that early-mentioned urgent and important matters have been solved. Also, purposes of space exploration campaign should be studied carefully and other alternatives should be considered before money is wasted.

IELTS Essay on Space Exploration

In many countries, a big proportion of expenditure is being spent on exploring the space. It is argued that this expenditure should be spent on other important things rather than on space exploration. However, in my opinion, keep other significant things in mind, space program is very crucial and important for the whole world and should be funded due to the fact that it will help to improve the communication between countries in the world and also helping to search a new alternate to live.

To begin, a reason to support funding space program is communication between all over the globe. Because business and organizations are being expanded geographically, they need a communication channel to run these businesses in an effective manner. It has become possible after launching satellites in the orbit. For instance, NASA, which is a reputed space organization has launched many satellites in the orbit, which are being used to broadcast the signals in the form of audio and video to across the globe. Moreover, the satellite television has only become possible due the space programs, and people are able to watch the global events instantly from anywhere. Thus, it can be said that by doing the space exploration, world communication has utterly been changed and for this reason it should be financially aided.

Furthermore, As global warming has become a serious concern for the whole world, scientist have started to find the alternate planet to live. Due to this fact, there are going to be conducted more space programs and eventually more money is needed to support these programs. For instance, ISRO, which is an Indian space research organization has been funded by the Indian government. As a result, they have managed to launch own satellite without help of other countries. In addition, there is a need to resolve the problem of global warming and this could only be possible if more space programs will be aided financially. Thus, it has been important for every country to give financial support to these programs so that the next generation can live in a better place.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that space program should be supported financially as there is need to get together the whole world to improve the communication and fight against the environmental problems.

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Space exploration: Colossal waste of money or one giant leap for mankind?

Following Elon Musk’s brilliant, yet also brilliantly expensive Falcon Heavy launch , there was again social media outrage decrying it as a huge waste of resources that could have been better used on Earth. It’s something I’ve heard a lot here and there from both liberals and conservatives: “Why should we invest so much in something that barely affects us?”

I’m not that surprised when this question comes from supporters of the current administration. Our supremely well-qualified EPA Chief, Scott Pruitt, just recently stated , “We know that humans have most flourished during time of warming trends. I think there’s [sic] assumptions made that because the climate is warming, that that necessarily is a bad thing.” Trump has also tried to hide and censor scientific facts that go against his platform, even cutting funding for many major science agencies .

This makes it even more strange that some liberals are against the scientific progress that space exploration brings.

The common “bleeding-heart liberal” argument is often that “since money isn’t being spent on poor people or starving children in Africa, it’s a waste.” For example, Nathan Robinson describes these launches as “indefensible wastes of money” in his article that sums up much of this childish reasoning. Robinson tries to casually equate Musk’s position about space exploration with the idea that “anyone who mentions the colossal waste the project involves, or the various social uses to which these resources could be put, [should] be dismissed as a killjoy.”

He’s exactly right. These people are indeed killjoys, and should be educated on the benefits that research can bring. In addition to being applied to Elon Musk and other rich entrepreneurs, this argument is also used for reasons that we should defund NASA.

What Robinson fails to address is the fact that the research and development that is needed to undertake such a massive project directly benefits us back on Earth. This is something I believe cannot be overstated enough: Even though we might just see something like a rocket launch as “cool” or an “oh wow” moment, in reality so much preparation and research goes into it that will inherently flow back and benefit us. Imagine a life without prosthetic limbs, heart pumps, solar power, advance firefighter gear and water purification. NASA has played a large part in the research and development of all of these items .

Innovations that are developed through NASA’s research are known as spin-offs, and often include medical and safety breakthroughs. Robinson states, “perhaps we could make it so that a child no longer dies of malaria every two minutes,” but space exploration could actually be the solution to this disease or similar ones through spin-offs. The technology that results from these large scale missions could solve many problems back on Earth.

From an economic standpoint, space exploration in general has so many benefits. Starting off, NASA doesn’t occupy a large portion of the federal budget at all, clocking in at a 0.4% of the 2018 budget . Even then, it’s not like the money that goes into NASA is being wasted. Each dollar that goes into NASA adds $7-14 to the economy. It’s a good investment to invest in space: we get great technology that we can use here on Earth as well as a boost to industry.

Viewpoints like Robinson’s disparaging Musk for using his own money on his own project instead of sending it off to another cause are reasons that wealth redistribution (which is needed in society) is often looked down upon within the U.S. The idea that rich people are both the sole problem and sole solution for society doesn’t really make sense, and especially not for scientists like Musk who are trying to develop ways to advance society. At the same time we as a society disparage wealthy people for working hard and having money, we expect them to give up that money and magically solve all of the world’s problems.

Even when Musk is involved with such a scientific breakthrough that will no doubt benefit the majority of members of society, much of it from his personal investment, he is still insulted. Even when the government is able to make an amazing return on its investment from NASA and other space programs that can be used to help civilians, people like Robinson will no doubt still bash on the agency. If anything, we need to invest in space technology: instead of ridiculing Elon Musk for shooting a car into space, we should relish the technology and R&D that went into it.

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Space Programs: Progress or Waste of Money? Essay

Introduction, space exploration: pros and cons, reference list.

According to Space Foundation (2016), over 70 countries as at 2015 had developed space programs. Only Russia, United States of America and China have achieved spaceflight as the standard of space programs. Other countries yet to go into space have designed budgets and policies aimed at reaching the space at one point in time. By the end of 2010, over 52 countries had sent satellites that orbit the earth as part of the steps geared towards achieving space exploration.

The ability to launch and recover several satellites has been achieved by several agencies. Some of the agencies established around the world include China National Space Administration (CNSA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), European Space Agency (ESA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Indian Space Research Organization (ISIRO), and the Russian Federal Space Agency (RFSA). Arguments for or against space programs have led to an intense debate on their usefulness or irrelevance. In this paper, I argue that space programs are necessary for research and scientific developments so that job creation and technological development improves lives.

Billions of dollars have been spent in space exploration. However, little achievements have been realized regarding improving the lives of people. Improved technology as part of exploration has been realized through massive spending (Baum 2009). The world has serious problems such as global warming and climate change which should be tackled. Budgets should be allocated towards reducing cases of serious issues such as high temperatures, droughts, floods, and hurricanes that continue to cause death in various parts of the world.

The depletion of rainforests should be considered a key priority that is spending money on the development of space technologies. Furthermore, pollution of oceans is a more pressing issue that pride of reaching the space. Desertification is at an alarming rate. Without adequate resources to tackle real problems that affect the planet, space exploration and programs are likely to be futile in the near future. Research on space exploration is, therefore, a waste of money, time, and effort.

Crucial resources from the planet should be spent in the management of challenges affecting humanity (Baum 2009). The Central American rainforest is facing the reality of being depleted. However, government authorities would rather spend resources on space exploration than consider the long-term sustainability of resources. All space exploration programs depend on the sustainability of current resources. As a result, there is no need to waste time in space when in the long-term; resources will not be enough to guarantee continued presence in space. The civilization of the world has serious consequences to the world.

The development of cities and technologies has led to massive deaths over years. The way forward is not to spent time in space but to look for ways in which the plant can be sustainable to the need of all people. Funding should be channeled to the science of seed clouds so that farmers continue in agriculture that can sustain humanity (Baum 2009). Since the population is on the rise, resources should be channeled into food so that famine and suffering do not continue affecting humanity.

According to Ehrenfreund (2012), the ingenuity to develop technologies and work in space is part of the progress that comes from space programs. Technologies such as satellites and spec exploration tools cannot be developed without exploration. Research and innovation are futile when students and members of the public are not supported to engage in space exploration. The development of space-shift has opened the world to several opportunities of developing alternative technologies that improve life. Technologies such as airline crash protection have been developed to improve air transport safety (NASA 2004).

Without space programs, safety programs designed to improve safety of air transport is likely to be futile. Space programs also create jobs for citizens. Space agencies as well as networks that support space programs contribute to the employment of millions of citizens, directly and indirectly. Universities and other institutions benefit through the employment of students into space programs. As a result, the economic impact of space programs to any nation motivates the high level of space programs and budgets around the world. In the case of Curiosity Mars rover landing, NASA asserts that over $2.5 billion was spent. A large amount of the money was spent on projects that affect the lives of people on earth. In the United States, space programs create over 7,000 jobs in over 30 states.

Space programs are not a waste of money. Space programs have led to the development of technologies that improve air transport. Spending over $2 billion in space exploration is not a waste of money considering the number of people employed directly or indirectly in space projects on earth. Genuine scientific discoveries cannot be achieved without funding. Despite the challenges that affect the planet, there is still need for space programs while allocating resources that deal with global warming and climate change. The need to gather knowledge in space is necessary for designing programs surrounding climate change and global warming.

Baum, S 2009, ‘ Cost-benefit analysis of space exploration: some ethical considerations ’, Space policy , vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 75-80. Web.

Ehrenfreund, P 2012, ‘ Toward a global space exploration program: A stepping stone approach ‘, Advances in Space Research , Vol. 49, No. 1, pp.2–48. Web.

NASA 2004, The Vision for Space exploration . National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Web.

Space Foundation 2016, Global Space Programs. Web.

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Home Essay Examples Science Space Exploration

Space Exploration As A Waste Of Time And Money: Pros And Cons

• Category Science
• Subcategory Astronomy
• Topic Space Exploration

The money being spent on space exploration cost billions and it has accomplished Superior generation which might have come anyway by other means. Space exploration is costly, difficult, harsh, perilous, and risky. It has additionally created numerous amazing and awesome, various, and some distance-ranging economic impacts, along with financial growth in towns and surrounding areas, acceleration of technological advances, and growth of latest industries and scientific fields. Space exploration also makes us smarter, improves our lives, and increases our functionality to triumph over technological challenges. Worldwide warming is real, and we are truly facing huge issues on Earth, and they are getting worse. These include the pollution of lands and seas, extreme drought, heatwaves, people who still live in poverty, people who can’t access education. Those are the general crises which it is on our planet. The field of technology and astronomy is known how much its costs lots of money, studying, telescopes and spacecraft, could spend billions of money to run the worldwide area Station no longer be better used to alleviate international starvation, for instance.

Robin Hanbury-Tention assumes that the concept that we ought is to only spend money on necessary issues which can be like development as a civilization: if we had been to address things in this manner all the time, we might continually find something else extra worth of expenditure, and by no means definitely solve something properly. We’re a smart species, so absolutely we can address multiple difficulties at a time. Space research is a gross waste of money and time and effort that will be better if they applied it on our planet rather than the space. The needs of people constantly come first. There are humans who need assistance they must be helped

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Rather than spending money on robots onto different planets and keeping humans alive is important. Its extremely good that NASA can rise generation to the next degree of time. So why not make technology benefit us? When we spend a lot of money on space exploration they should know that they are the cause of problems and issues on the Earth. And why should we spend much effort, time, money and suffer on working on the unsatisfactory result in the most time into space exploration, when we don’t know a lot about our planet? There are many things in our world that have not been found or discovered yet, such as AIDS and cancer treatments and overcoming poverty. Space exploration is a waste of resources and its dangerous too, so many accidents and problems happen in space like shattering of space vehicles, explosions, pieces falling off, and missing the gravity of earth, which is even a waste more money to fix them.

On the other hand, people think that space exploration is not a waste of time and money . Matthew-s-Williams thinks that space exploration isn’t that costly and very expensive. And to be fair, exploring space, comes with innumerable benefits. If space technology has improved and developed, we will leave this planet in large numbers and live safely and that will solve our problems like environment, resources, energy problems population.And it help us discover the ozone layer and their information and how to defeat the climate change and they helped us to connect the world through intreats and communication And its helped a huge number of humans because of the beginning of space explorations. How do you propose to purchase MRI machines without the digital image processing NASA, and you could communicate. Space exploration thus supports innovation and economic prosperity by stimulating advances in science and technology, as well as motivating the global scientific and technological workforce, thus enlarging the sphere of human economic activity. Let’s say the world is on its edge and we have to get off of the earth then we could take rocket ships and we could live on the moon. If we continue space exploration we could probably find a planet that has water or oxygen and there is many discoveries and products that have been developed from the knowledge gained from space exploration. For example, NASA created Velcro which is now used in many clothing items, bags, and so forth. Non-stick pans and surfaces were also created as a result of space exploration. And it has benefited us with new knowledge and as a result of this, many new and intriguing inventions have been made. we may need Space more than we think. We all know. The more we know about our own Galaxy, and even just the Universe, the safer we can potentially make out planet. Besides, if we’re not careful, we’re going to be in many problems to one of those planets out there sooner than we think. Where would we be if Earth became uninhabitable and we, having cut our Space program, were unable to find a substitute? So we should grow and develop and improve new innovations to create a more sustainable and efficient world. And it has given

Ryan Anderson state that space exploration helps us on understanding our planet and studying other planets like Jupiter and Mars teaches us how special our planet is, and provides sobering examples of how the climates of planets can change. money spent on space exploration goes toward the salaries of thousands of skilled American workers who make NASA’s missions so successful. technologies that are essential and important for hurricanes and dangerous storm systems have saved lives and helped us prepare for the worst and allows us to identify potential dangers before they strike. Also, It gives us a chance to see what is beyond in the final frontier. And it could change our approach to medicine.

Overall, in my opinion, I think that space exploration is a waste of money but sometimes is not we know we exist, but we don’t know if anything out there exists and if we use space exploration in a better way like developing it to make innovation that helps our Earth in how to solve climate change and solve the problem of the ozone layer and at the same time we can discover another planet to solve another problem like population, so we should balance our thinking and don’t forget about our the responsibility of taking care of our planet since its our home .spending money on our planet also known as our home so we should think fairly about the earth and the space because all of them have effects on our society. We should know and think about how to solve our problems on earth and use the benefits of using space exploration to solve them.

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Is Space Exploration a Waste of Money? Pros and Cons

Many nations around the world are scaling up their efforts in space exploration. Companies like NASA and SpaceX have invested a lot of money in Space exploration. In 2021, countries around the world spent $92 billion, an 8 percent increase from the previous year on Space exploration. Although all these monies have been spent, there haven’t been significant achievements apart from improvement in technology .

In this article, we are going to answer the question; is space exploration a waste of money and also focus on pros and cons of space exploration.

Reasons Why Space Exploration is Not a Waste of Money

We are going to first focus on why space exploration is a waste of money, pros and cons. We will look at arguments from those that support and those against space exploration. 

1. Scientific Knowledge is Valuable Compared to the Cost

Knowledge is invaluable. Space exploration proponents argue that although Space exploration is very costly, the cost is worth it since the knowledge humans have gained from Space is not comparable to the cost. They argue that humanity can be saved by colonizing other planets like Mars in case of impending danger. Elon Musk , SpaceX CEO is on a mission to colonize Mars. Space exploration will help us understand how the earth came to be. 

2. There Have Been Many Discoveries

Space exploration has also led to numerous findings and discoveries about Space. For instance, man has come to know that some planets like Mars can support human life. Besides, non-stick pans were developed as a result of space exploration. Rocket science and landing on the moon led to the discovery of non-stick pans.

3. It is the Nature of Man to Explore

Since it is the nature of man to explore, space exploration is worth it. Without exploration, some continents would still be inhabited by indigenous people. Some countries like the US have grown due to interaction with people from across the world. Besides, exploration helps alleviate ignorance.

4. Improved Technology

Through Space exploration, technology has significantly improved. For instance, companies like SpaceX have managed to develop rockets that can go beyond the earth to planets like Mars. Other tech improvements include the creation of Space Airbus which is being used to help build and design Solar Orbiter. 

5. Multiple Benefits

To sum up all the benefits of space exploration, there have been multiple discoveries like satellites that provide information about clouds, and weather forecasting. Weather forecasting has saved lives by warning people about impending danger like storms and hurricanes.

Reasons Why Space Exploration is a Waste of Money

The following are arguments from those who feel space exploration is a waste of money.

1. There is No Direct Benefit from Space Exploration

Many opponents of space exploration argue that apart from gaining knowledge about Space, there is no direct benefit to humans. Most of the benefits of Space exploration are indirect like the discovery of Satellites used in weather forecasting. As such, the benefits of space exploration are not worth the cost.

2. Space Exploration is Very Risky

Space Exploration is very risky and has led to the loss of lives. Some of NASA’s spacecraft like Apollo 1 have exploded and astronauts have lost their lives. Spacecraft accidents during space missions and training are fatal and lead to huge losses. For instance, NASA lost control over unmanned spacecraft that had been sent to Mars. 

3. The Earth has Not Been Fully Explored

Instead of colonizing other planets like Mars, humans should first fully utilize the earth. Besides, the world is soon going to face the challenge of underpopulation due to low child birthrate. As such, there is no use to colonize other planets while we haven’t fully utilized earth.

4. Money Can Be Used to Help Impoverished Humans on Earth

Other people who feel that space exploration is a waste of money feel that the money can be used to help humans who are living in dire poverty . Many continents like Africa are still lagging behind and people cannot afford three meals in a day and basic needs like clothing . As such, instead of focusing on studies, we should first help humans live dignified life.

Summary: Space Exploration is a Waste of Money Pros and Cons

The arguments of those in support and against space exploration are all correct to a certain degree. However, space exploration is worth the cost, and governments should collaborate and support it. There have been huge milestones that have been achieved by NASA and private companies like SpaceX in space exploration and cannot be underestimated.

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IELTS Essay, topic: Space exploration

• IELTS Essays - Band 7

With all the problems in the world today, spending money on space exploration is a complete waste. The money could be better spent on other causes.

First, until all urgent and important matters of the globe have been solved, money on space exploration is meaningless. It at all to invest millions of dollars researching and producing foods for astronauts (for space exploration purpose), while every day thousands of people are starving. Furthermore, the discovery of outer space only serves a minor group of people if the majority well-educated. do no even know how to prevent common threatening diseases such as AIDS and lung cancer.

Then, some may argue that the purpose of space exploration to discover new lands, new energy resources or to deter potential threat to . Nevertheless, is it effective to do so while other alternatives are available? yet effectively used. New energy resources (e.g. solar and nuclear energy) have not yet been widely-used. Threats of plagues have not yet been deterred. All of these tasks that haven’t been tackled yet require money. That is why costly space discovery programs are a waste of resources.

In a nutshell, people should only invest in space exploration provided that urgent and important matters mentioned earlier in this essay have been solved. Also, purposes of space exploration campaigns should be studied carefully and other alternatives should be considered before the money is wasted.

This is a very good essay, well done.

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4 thoughts on “IELTS Essay, topic: Space exploration”

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Excellent material to get expert band 9. Thank you very much

Very good material for 9 band in IELTS for all types of students Kind thank and send me more material for Ielts Writing,Reading and Listening ,practice for IELTS EXAM

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Space Exploration is too Expensive and Money Should be Spent on More Important Things- IELTS Writing Task 2

Updated On Mar 05, 2024

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Space exploration is too expensive and money should be spent on more important things. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Opinion Essay

Introduction

Sentences 1&2 – Paraphrase the essay with the help of synonyms to create an understanding of the topic.

Sentence 3 – Mention that the essay will elucidate the importance of space exploration for humans.

Body Paragraphs

Paragraph 1 – Mention a brief about the origins of space exploration, then jump onto how it has now become a global initiative.

Paragraph 2 – Talk about its importance and how it helps secure the future of humanity. Talk about other positives, and give examples.

Paragraph 3 – Acknowledge the argument against it, but also mention that preserving our present at the cost of the future is a risky gamble, and humans are destined to find a home other than the earth.

Restate your views.

Sample Essay

Space exploration is often deemed as the next frontier for humanity to conquer. However, while governments across the world are ratifying means of stamping authority in space, the critics are wary of its expenses. They deem it unnecessary while stressing to channel that money towards more important things. Nevertheless, I feel that space exploration is necessary, and this essay will elaborate on the same.

Ever since our ancestors studied the stars, astronomy has come a long way and branched off into space exploration in the twentieth century. What started as a “war” between the USA and USSR has transformed into cooperation of various countries worldwide. For instance, the $100 billion International Space Station, the crown jewel of space exploration, is a multinational collaboration among six countries. With space exploration, newer technologies and inventions are also developed with serve purposes to people in a general sense.

Nowadays, private companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic are trying to further our reach in space. While SpaceX wants to establish a human colony on Mars, Blue Origin hopes to utilize the resources of the Moon. No matter what the goal is, the outcome is the same – to be able to carry on interplanetary expeditions. It is necessary as the Earth is saturating rapidly in terms of its assets , and finding another “home” is indeed a possible solution.

The critics argue that money funneled into space exploration can serve better purposes to create a stable present by focusing on issues like global warming, waste management, and climate change. But, one must realize that saving the present at the cost of the future is an unfortunate gamble, and while humans are indebted to our mother planet, our future lies away from the Earth. As the adage goes, humanity was born on the Earth but not meant to die with it.

To conclude, I would like to mention another aphorism , “Curiosity and exploration have been two cornerstones of the human race.” Hence, space exploration is a necessary step.

Band 9 Sample Essay

Several advanced and developing countries have recently invested billions of dollars in space research, driven by a desire to discover life on other planets and galaxies. As a result, it is a time-consuming and tedious process that costs a fortune. Some argue, however, that space exploration is a waste of time and money and that the funds could be better spent on other issues affecting the planet. Rather than investing money in space exploration, I believe the best way to spend money is to help improve the living standards of underdeveloped countries.

To begin with, space exploration is a prohibitively expensive endeavour. How many ever benefits science may have bestowed on mankind, spending resources on space exploration and determining whether life exists there is a waste of time because the brilliant minds searching for water on Mars could use their intelligence to find better ways to power humanity’s insatiable desire for energy, feed the world’s starving population, and improve living standards on Earth. Furthermore, space exploration has no immediate advantages, and many of the ‘advancements’ brought forth by space exploration are irrelevant to everyday life.

Besides, human needs should always take precedence as humanity is the most critical priority. There are countless people in need of financial assistance and the environment which needs to be taken care of. As a result, instead of investing money in robots or sending spaceships to other planets, money should be focused on helping people and nature. Several impoverished countries are confronted with substantial obstacles in the areas of health, education, and employment, resulting in poverty. Furthermore, global warming and climate change pose a danger to human life on the planet. Thus, money spent on space travel would be better spent on these remarkable concerns, which would help to build a more stable environment for people on Earth.

However, proponents of space exploration argue that investing billions of dollars to find unsolved mysteries on other planets is an intriguing task as it allows them to gain invaluable knowledge and discover many technologies. These people also believe that space exploration could only be an alternative way to escape human extinction in case living conditions become unsustainable on Earth. In contrast, I believe that millions invested on space exploration can be used to solve the prevailing problems existing on Earth.

To sum up, Although successful space exploration may provide unquestionable improvements to people’s lives if it is invested with an exorbitant amount, I believe space exploration is a waste of time, and effort and that its funding could be better used to address existing problems likes global warming and climatic change. Why waste money on space exploration when we could be improving our own planet, where humans presently live?

• Ratifying  

Meaning – sign or give formal consent to. Example – The housing society is ratifying a pay increase for its helpers and cleaners.

• Crown jewel  

Meaning – a particularly valuable or prized possession or asset. Example – The Kohinoor was India’s crown jewel.

• Multinational 

Meaning – including or involving several countries or individuals of several nationalities. Example – Tata & Sons is a multinational conglomerate that serves in many countries.

Meaning – guide or channel (something) through or as if through a funnel. Example – The governments are funneling more and more money towards space exploration.

Meaning – a proverb or short statement expressing a general truth. Example – The old adage, “Honesty is the best policy” is very true.

Meaning – the extreme limit of understanding or achievement in a particular area. Example – We should try to expand the frontiers of our knowledge.

• Collaboration 

Meaning – the situation of two or more people working together to create or achieve the same thing Example – The collaboration between the companies he owns is inevitable.

• Interplanetary 

Meaning – being or occurring between the planets or between a planet and the sun Example – The movie showed an interplanetary war.

Meaning – a useful or valuable thing or person Example – She became wealthy as she knew how to manage her assets.

Meaning –  a concise statement of a principle Example – The aphorism ‘A barking dog never bites’ is applicable to him.

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Space exploration is a waste of money. Agree or disagree?

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Fully explain your ideas

To get an excellent score in the IELTS Task 2 writing section, one of the easiest and most effective tips is structuring your writing in the most solid format. A great argument essay structure may be divided to four paragraphs, in which comprises of four sentences (excluding the conclusion paragraph, which comprises of three sentences).

For we to consider an essay structure a great one, it should be looking like this:

• Paragraph 1 - Introduction
• Sentence 1 - Background statement
• Sentence 2 - Detailed background statement
• Sentence 3 - Thesis
• Sentence 4 - Outline sentence
• Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
• Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
• Sentence 2 - Example
• Sentence 3 - Discussion
• Sentence 4 - Conclusion
• Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph
• Paragraph 4 - Conclusion
• Sentence 1 - Summary
• Sentence 2 - Restatement of thesis
• Sentence 3 - Prediction or recommendation

Our recommended essay structure above comprises of fifteen (15) sentences, which will make your essay approximately 250 to 275 words.

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Space Exploration Essays

by Arvind Sharma (India)

Space exploration is much too expensive and the money should be spent on more important things. What is your opinion? In many countries, a big proportion of expenditure is being spent on exploring the space. It is argued that this expenditure should be spent on other important things rather than on space exploration. However, in my opinion, keep other significant things in mind, space program is very crucial and important for the whole world and should be funded due to the fact that it will help to improve the communication between countries in the world and also helping to search a new alternate to live. To begin, a reason to support funding space program is communication between all over the globe. Because business and organizations are being expanded geographically, they need a communication channel to run these businesses in an effective manner. It has become possible after launching satellites in the orbit. For instance, NASA, which is a reputed space organization has launched many satellites in the orbit, which are being used to broadcast the signals in the form of audio and video to across the globe. Moreover, the satellite television has only become possible due the space programs, and people are able to watch the global events instantly from anywhere. Thus, it can be said that by doing the space exploration, world communication has utterly been changed and for this reason it should be financially aided. Furthermore, As global warming has become a serious concern for the whole world, scientist have started to find the alternate planet to live. Due to this fact, there are going to be conducted more space programs and eventually more money is needed to support these programs. For instance, ISRO, which is an Indian space research organization has been funded by the Indian government. As a result, they have managed to launch own satellite without help of other countries. In addition, there is a need to resolve the problem of global warming and this could only be possible if more space programs will be aided financially. Thus, it has been important for every country to give financial support to these programs so that the next generation can live in a better place. In conclusion, I firmly believe that space program should be supported financially as there is need to get together the whole world to improve the communication and fight against the environmental problems. *** Please can you check my essay on space exploration.

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Spending Money on Space Exploration

by sayali vilas jadhav (pune)

Money spent on space exploration is a waste and can be put to better use on earth. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Nowadays, most of the countries in the world are giving more importance to space exploration because it is a thing of pride for a country to achieve success in space exploration. According to me, money spends on space exploration is worth as this gives us a chance for us to know new things around us. space exploration gives us a chance to innovate new things for the welfare of people.As we know, we found out that there is water on the moon. Due to this scientists planning for sending people to the moon to minimize population and to provide quality life to people. But sometimes I feel that the money which we are spending on space exploration can be minimized and put into the welfare of poor people. due to this roadside children may also get an education and poor people may get jobs. The bottom line is there should be a balance between both things as both things are good for the welfare of people. space exploration is also important like minimizing the poverty from the country.

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Contacting Aliens Essay

by LennyBoyyy

Some Scientists think that there are intelligent life forms on other planets and messages should be sent to contact them. Other scientists think it is a bad idea and would be dangerous. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. The opinions of scientists go apart when it comes to the topic of other life forms. Some say there exist other life forms and that they should be contacted, while others would not do that because it could be dangerous. There are without a doubt pros and cons regarding this topic, but in my opinion it would not be a good idea to contact them, because I would find it better to gain some knowledge about the other life forms before you contact them. On the first hand would It be an unbelievable success to get to know other life forms. Scientists are searching for other life forms probably since decades, but never got any signs. Millions of Dollars were spent to reach these goal. It would change drastically people’s lives. In addition, the technology could in cooperation with the other life forms, advance massively. On the other hand, could the contact with other life forms become very dangerous, because of the lack of knowledge the humanity has regarding other life forms. Not knowing how your communicating partner looks like, functions or thinks could be very risky. Additionally, it could be also the case that there don’t exist other life forms and that huge amounts of money were spend without any sense. Summarized, I would not try to contact other life forms, because the cons in form of the uncertainty if other life forms exist and the danger in which humanity could be exposed exceeds in my opinion the pros in form of the probability that other life could be found and that a stable communication could be build.

Spending Resources to Explore Space

by Nidhi Pareek (Ahmedabad )

Some people think that space exploration is a waste of resources while others think that it is essential for human kind to continue to explore the universe in which we live. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. It is an undeniable fact that over the past few years space exploration has become one of the most discussed topics in today’s society. As a result, some people think that studying space is crucial for humanity, others argue that it is a waste of resources. In this essay, I would like to put forth my views on both the sides with a valid opinion in the conclusion. Firstly, space research has many benefits such as latest technological advancements in satellite communications which include smartphones, satellite television and radio broadcasting are all breakthrough of space research. Furthermore, space research is important for getting minute-details of weather conditions and it also provides the future predictions of climatic conditions. Moreover, space scientists are keen to find the possibility of life on other planets like Mars and if they get success then growing population problem of earth will be solved. Finally, having well developed space research organisation in any country is a matter of prestige for government and it's citizens. However, we seldom give a thought to ponder over the other side of this essay so there are some drawbacks of space research and that is why some people are against the exploration of space. Foremostly, space research requires colossal amount of budget and it is a time consuming study. Furthermore, success ratio of space research is very low. In addition, risk of life is always there with space explorations. For an example, in the year 2006 a prominent astronaut of NASA, Ms. Kalpana Chawla and her team travelled to space for research but unfortunately their space-shuttle crashed while they were returning back to earth. The seemingly inexorable description about the space research can keep on going. Nevertheless, showing a deep reverence and observing the finer nuance of the matter mentioned above I espouse the notion of supporting that space research is an essential part for an economic development but as we all know it is considered as the most expensive scientific discovery so countries should collaborate and there should be a joint efforts for space studies to make it cost effective.

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