Space Exploration

Persuasive Essay - Space Exploration Technology

Did you ever want to skype your friend from Mars? Well, too bad, you won’t be able to skype, but you could still send a postcard (it would probably be very expensive, if you want it to actually be sent from Mars)! Seriously though, we should spend more money on space travel and exploration because spaceships need to be safer, more advancements in technology are an important part of colonizing mars, and it would be more than worth it to spend more on space.

Spaceships and shuttles need to be safer than they currently are. Many missions have ended in disaster, including; Soyuz 1, Soyuz 11, Challenger, Columbia, Apollo 1 (a ground test, even!), (6) and the first 3 unmanned SpaceX tests (5). The Challenger disaster still makes people sad today, and Christa McAuliffe’s (the first person of an occupation not relating to space, her being a teacher) husband, Steven, said of her, “Christa confidently and joyfully embraced life, no less than her friends and colleagues on Challenger, and no less than the crews of Columbia, Apollo 1, and all of those people who courageously follow their own paths every day. I know Christa would say that that is the most precious lesson — ordinary people can make extraordinary contributions..." He also said she would be happy with the Challenger Center for Space Science Education (7). You might be asking what SpaceX is, like a new series of tests we’ve never heard of or something? Not really. SpaceX is a commercial company started by Elon Musk, with the ultimate goal of sending people to Mars, one of the only non-government establishments to do so, except for Mars One (which Elon thinks is a joke, it hasn't even been to the International Space Station yet). Although SpaceX’s (I’ll be talking about them a lot) first three rockets failed, they are now developing Dragon V2, a better version of Dragon, which is described by SpaceX as “one of the most reliable spacecraft ever flown.” It also features “Eight SuperDraco engines… to carry astronauts to safety should an emergency occur during launch,” and “Launch escape capability all the way to orbit.” Looks promising, and they way it’s called “Dragon”, and its engines are “SuperDraco” makes it appealing to hear, and doesn’t sound too science-y (5). Dragon will be shot up into space by Falcon 9 rocket, an advancement of Falcon 1, and maybe even Falcon Heavy (“The world’s most powerful rocket.”). Looks like SpaceX is getting ready for marketing even though it might be a few years before first launch. We should have better, safer, spacecrafts so that disasters like Challenger don’t happen again, which is being worked on.

We also need more advancement in technology to colonize Mars. NASA is working on Orion, which will be their ride to Mars, (they’ve already sent robots there, take Curiosity for example) (2) and SpaceX is working on Dragon V2, Falcon 9, and Mars Colonial Transporter (MCT, the thing that SpaceX is planning to take people to Mars) (4,5). Maybe we’ll see partnership in the future, other than just a contract from NASA? Anyway, spacecrafts aren’t the only things needed to colonize Mars, and NASA is working on basically 3-D printing houses on Mars before the colonists arrive, and out of the Martian surface material. They are also working on growing food using Veggie, a system that provides light and nutrients for plants at a low cost, and low maintenance. It can grow a variety of plants for food for astronauts on long missions, the first test plant being lettuce (2). So, with all this planned, what if no one wants to go to Mars? Well, in that case, all of these attempts would be doomed, but there are always those people who will try anything new. You might also be asking, “How much is a ticket to Mars?” They are estimated to be (Only) $500,000 when the time comes! But how many people can afford it and want to? Tim Urban, the owner of the Wait But Why (WBW) blog, quoted Elon Musk, in his (really, really) long post about Elon and SpaceX, “In Musk-speak:

There has to be an intersection of sets of people who wish to go to Mars and people who can afford to go to Mars, and if that intersection of sets equals a number of people necessary to make Mars self-sustaining, that’s the critical solution.” He also said that the more people go to Mars, the more other people will want to go, as long as nothing befalls the people before them (4). SpaceX is even rumored to be working on Wifi satellites for Mars, which we all know is extremely important! So colonizing Mars won’t be easy, but with more advancements in technology, it will become easier and maybe even desirable for some people.

My last point is that it would be completely worth it to spend more money on space exploration. Henry Hertzfeld, Research Professor of Space Policy and International Affairs at Elliott School of International Affairs (The George Washington University)(8) says, “For a mission-focused organization like NASA, which isn’t making a play for profits, any ratio of economic benefits versus spending that exceeds 1-to-1 is a success.”(2) That quote just makes sense, doesn’t it? And it exceeds 1-to-1 by a lot. SpaceX boasts that Dragon V2 can land propulsively ( )and be refueled, so you can use it however much you want. It can hold 7 crew members comfortably. This is a great example of what more investing will do, and eventually, MCT will be taking people to Mars, along with NASA’s Orion. However, if the government raises NASA’s budget, we can get there sooner, and be sure to beat Russia and China. Investing in SpaceX is something normal people might be able to do in the future. Michael McBrien, part of Northeastern's Undergraduate Writing Program Journal, wrote, “The cost of NASA, as is true of almost any government agency, is worth it, because it can benefit the economy directly through the purchase of goods and creation of jobs, and indirectly by inspiring people in industries that spawn from invented technologies or materials.” I think we can agree that he nailed it. Private companies might be able to completely take over space exploration later, but for now, SpaceX should work with NASA on trying for Mars. So basically, money put into space exploration would by no means be a waste, it would be just the opposite.

All in all, we should spend more money on space exploration and technology for that purpose. So what are you waiting for? Save up and wait till you can buy a ticket for Mars (they’ll only be $500,000!).  In a decade-ish, you will be able to go to Mars with NASA and SpaceX’s new technology. Also, check out SpaceX and NASA’s websites for even more information on their technology!