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Ram Goli
Ms. Gardner
English 10H 2
8 May 2014
Manned Space Missions:
Igniting Global Pursuit For Greater Knowledge
Manned space missions were the hallmark of the latter half of the twentieth century, of
the period of time known as the Space Age, when the United States wielded its mighty sword
of curiosity and insight against that of the Soviet Union in an epic race to land a man on the
Moon. Now, NASA the National Aeronautics and Space Administration receives less and
less funding for its space exploration programs, forcing it to siphon money away from other
projects, and abandon pieces and parts of a once triumphant and grandiose program
(Achenbach). Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator, notes Humans explore because thats in
humans nature. They always want to know whats across the next mountain or whats around
the corner (qtd. in Halvorson). Budget cuts prevent NASA from acquiring the necessary
funding to send man into outer space, to explore worlds such as Mars that have been left
untouched by mankinds inquisitive paws. Limiting the ability for man to fly into space stifles
our nations yearning to explore the unknown, and to develop greater technology that can have
lasting benefits on all of society. It is crucial for the United States government to continue
funding manned space flights, for they will ensure the preparation of NASA astronauts piloting
our nations space programs, the continued drive to visit Mars and unearth its mysteries, as well
as the accumulation of enhanced technology.
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Owing to the recent declivity of NASAs funding for manned space flights is the notion
that taxpayer money is wasted on funding such missions, which are unsafe and unbeneficial.
British cosmologist and astrophysicist Martin Rees notes that the current gap between manned
and unmanned missions is large. Rees argues that space travel will have to be limited to the
private sector, as NASA may soon no longer have the ability to oversee such projects. Opponents
of manned space missions believe that the costs of such missions are not worth the outcome.
Additionally, some cite history to retell the story of failed space missions that have resulted in
the loss of lives, such as the tragedy that unfolded when the space shuttle Challenger burst into
flames in 1986 (Watson). However, one must consider the all that humankind has gained in prior
times from manned space exploration. Space technology was able to provide the United States
with the upper hand against the Soviets during the Cold War and the Space Age, giving President
John F. Kennedy and the rest of the nation confidence in the face of peril, and continues to
elevate the United States as a world superpower (Desjarlais Jr.). NASA has learned from its
accidents, which have taught them how to create safer space travel (Watson). In order to keep
moving forward, we must continually learn from mistakes, and accidents in our history of
manned space travel can, in contrast, enable us to make changes that promote security. And
although the space program initially cost our country millions of dollars, it ignited a global push
for collaboration, innovation, and economic growth that benefited the scientific community and
society (Watson). Similar circumstances can arise if our country continues to support manned
space missions.
In truth, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Congress to pass funding for large-scale
manned missions due to our countrys suffering economy, as detailed by science policy writer,
Joel Achenbach. Nevertheless, increased funding will allow for the preparation and education of
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NASA recruits who will command our future voyages into the unknown. As described in the
article, Obama Administration Extends International Space Station to 2024, the ISS
International Space Station is an orbiting laboratory at an altitude of approximately 270 miles
above Earth that houses humans involved in research on human health and technology. NASA
has been approved an extension of ISS operations to at least 2024, but it will undoubtedly require
constant maintenance and repair. A task as crucial as this requires the steady hands and countless
experience of a human. Todd Halvorson, aerospace reporter, describes in his article, Spacefarers
Fewer, that NASA has recently received an influx of recruits for the 2013 astronaut class, and
these men and women need to be adequately prepared and trained for space travel, which can
only be made possible with funding from the government. Our nation depends on these recruits
to sustain the ISS, but if we do not have the money to send them there to train, will they be ready
to take the reigns once the time is theirs? In addition, NASA has been instructed by the Obama
administration to send astronauts to an asteroid by 2025 as a training mission for a subsequent
mission to Mars (Expert Panel). Yet little money is available for NASA to spend preparing the
astronauts who will be undertaking the missions. In fact, NASA has had to begin sending
astronauts to the ISS by relying on Russian spaceships, for there is no other way to perform the
task within their current budget (Expert Panel). If NASA is to accomplish the task set upon them
by the Obama administration, they will have to do so with limited training on behalf of the
astronauts. When the time comes to launch a mission to an asteroid within reach, it will be
unrehearsed and lacking in assurance, unless manned space missions continue to be funded. If
the government wants to see the best for its country and its people, should it not continue to
provide funding for the future innovators and explorers of the Universe?
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In addition to deterring training for future NASA astronauts, lack of funding for manned
space missions will hinder NASAs ambitions to put humans in orbit around Mars by the 2030s,
a feat that has tremendous benefits. As aerospace engineer Robert Zubrin notes, in particular,
sending humans to Mars could result in sound evidence of past life on the surface of Mars. Many
others voice their opinions regarding a manned mission to Mars. Pete Spotts, a National News
science reporter, says, the minerals in the tiny, gray, ground-rock sample exposed by
Curiositys drill [] would have provided a ready energy source for microbes, if any had been
there. So far, we only have clues. We have not been able to confirm the existence of life on
Mars, or any other planet, nor deny it. Human presence and insight is needed in these situations;
we need to know if Mars is capable of supporting life, and possibly our own. Knowing if this is
true or not can help answer the grand question of, are we alone? Manned missions to Mars can
help us unlock its secrets on whether or not there is other intelligent life in the Universe, life that
humankind may have to rely on if the future brings us disastrous dangers. Humans have the
ability to question, to explore, and to make intelligent deductions that a rover lurching over
Marss dust-layered rocks cannot (Zubrin). It is vital to continue funding such missions, for they
provide answers to essential questions on the future of humanity, especially those on life on
distant worlds.
On top of enabling us to visit the dusty plains of Mars, manned space missions can
directly benefit the common person in society, as they require the development of new
technology and modernisms. Charles Bolden from the article, NASA Chief: We Explore
Because Thats What Humans Do points out that manned space missions have resulted in the
development of countless technologies and innovations, such as the GPS, heart monitor, laptop
computer, treatments for salmonella, and more (Halvorson). Efforts to put humans in space have
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spawned tremendous achievements for humanity in the past. Funding and launching more
missions, whether it is back to the Moon, to an asteroid, or to Mars, can only lead to more
benefits. Many are quick to point out the cost of manned missions and the lack of benefit that its
outcomes have on the larger population. Yet, technology from these missions saves countless
lives and aids many with their day-to-day activities. While its scientific outcomes may not
pertain to many, the steps taken to ensure the missions success can. As Zubrin argues, the result
of continuing to send humans into space would be millions of engineers, inventors and
researchers creating new industries, finding new cures and sparking economic growth that
dwarfs the cost of the effort. Not only do these missions have outcomes that benefit society in
the moment, they have lasting effects on the future of societies. Therefore, the U.S. government
should continue to fund manned space missions in order to promote humankinds pursuit for
greater technology and achievement, ideals that benefit now, and will continue to benefit in the
future.
The United States government should continue funding manned space missions in order
to educate and prepare future space explorers, to investigate the hidden potential of foreign
worlds such as Mars, and to encourage the growth of technological innovation. Neglecting
manned space missions will lead to the deterioration in values of exploration and insight, and
discourage efforts to land humans on distant lands, discovering new phenomenon. It has been
recently reported by NASAs Kepler space telescope that our Milky Way galaxy is likely to
have about 40 billion planets that are roughly the size of the Earth and in orbits that could
potentially allow water to exist at the surface (Achenbach). These other worlds could be
teeming with life, intelligent or not, waiting to make contact with mankind, and to share their
secrets with us. If we refuse to see farther, to probe deeper, to explore the remote and the
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unknown, we will not be able to advance ourselves from our current state. If greater knowledge
is the lock that keeps from us a more prosperous future, then manned exploration of space and its
entities is the key that will bring to us a vast surplus of realization, curiosity, and triumph.




















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Works Cited
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Desjarlais Jr., Orville F. "The Ultimate High Ground." Airman (U.S. Air Force). April 2003: 2-
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"Expert Panel: NASA Seems Lost in Space, Needs Goal." Gainesville Sun. 05 Dec. 2012:
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Halvorson, Todd. "NASA Chief: We Explore Because That's What Humans Do." Florida Today.
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Halvorson, Todd. Spacefarers Fewer, but Recruits Wait in Wings. Florida Today: n.p. Nov 10
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"Obama Administration Extends International Space Station to 2024." Environment News
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Rees, Martin. Mom, When Can I Go to Mars?. Newsweek. 03 Sep 2012: n.p. SIRS Issues
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Spotts, Pete. Curiosity hits Pay Dirt: Mars was Habitable, Evidence Suggests. Christian
Science Monitor: n.p. Mar 12 2013. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 29 Apr. 2014
Watson, Traci. "How Challenger Brought NASA Down to Earth." USA TODAY. 26 Jan. 2011:
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Zubrin, Robert. "Cold War 2.0: Space Race Relaunch." USA TODAY. 19 Nov. 2013: p.
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