Is space exploration necessary

             „... but the stars are not for man." Or are they?
             „Bitter as it might sound, mankind have been given the opportunity to explore their planet to the fullest, and to spend a golden age living in harmony and splendor. But, as you will find out, the stars are not for man." Supervisor Karellen sighed. „I'm sorry to tell you this, but it has not been mine to decide." Is this quote, taken from Arthur C. Clarke's „Childhood's End", and therein spoken by the Supervisor to Earth, reasonable? Are the stars not for man? And, more importantly, why on Earth should mankind even wish to explore the darkness that waits beyond the horizon? Is space exploration necessary?
             From a cynical viewpoint, the fear of space that from time to time seems to grip the human race, might be one of the major factors making space exploration feasible. Horror tales of asteroids falling onto Earth and causing anything from another ice age to the total destruction of the planet itself have been a recurring topic in tabloid papers all over the world. Exploring our solar system, analyzing and cataloging all major asteroids that might pose a potential thread to Earth in the future might help to diminish that fear – and to remove the danger posed by a stray asteroid. Orbits would be known, and possible impacts could be predicted well before the situation ever becomes critical, leaving enough time for preventive measures to be taken while the asteroid is still well away from Earth, accelerating slowly and ice-cold, and therefore, presumably, easier to ‚handle '. Whatever that handling might consist of. In order to successfully destroy an asteroid, technology will have to advance quite a bit – but the same goes for the technology to catalogue every single asteroid.
             A far less hysterical and, say, more immediate reason are possible gains and benefits that space
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Is space exploration necessary. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 04:35, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/38247.html