The end of our space program?

Is it really the end or is there something in our near future to rise above the shuttle program? Your guess is good as mine. Some will state SpaceX is going to get us back up into the black abyss. Others will say NASA will recover with new technology and launch capabilities. As for the rest, well they say down with the program.

What do I think? I tend to be optimistic about the first two statements. I have always favored SpaceX to be our new beginning as a space fairing nation. It would broaden our access to low earth orbit and allow time for NASA to recuperate and gain control of its leadership and vision. I am not the one to accuse and point fingers but the truth is there; our failure to construct a new program in exchange of the shuttles is because there was no sincere administration.

Perhaps all the news regarding the final shuttle mission will get the public’s attention. Maybe this transition will get people excited about space again. Yet, there are those who will ignore the warning as they are certain space exploration is a waste of our tax dollars. Let me address these two comments that I have seen across many news websites and message boards (they make my blood boil).

"Why explore when we have our own problems on Earth?"
Since the dawn of our existence, we have had problems. It is in our blood to seek out conflict; we are drawn to it for some bizarre reason. Think about it, how many crime shows do we have on T.V. nowadays? We like to watch Judge Judy, people love to chant “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry”, and we can’t seem to get enough of it. The question all together is bologna (for lack of a better word). Let’s face the real fact: There will and will always be problems on Earth.

People do not seem to understand the architectural feat that humans have just accomplished. The International Space Station, a scientific/research complex built some 200 miles above the Earth , assembled in cooperation of several space agencies around the globe:

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Russian Federal Space Agency
• Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
• Canadian Space Agency
• European Space Agency (16 countries total).

I can’t think of any other program on this planet that has allowed several countries to work together to build such a structure. To top it off, we built the orbiting complex in one of the most hazardous and hostile environment, the vacuum of space.

Think about it, more than 8% of the world helped contribute to the ISS. Imagine what we could achieve if that percentage increased… Exploration of the cosmos has only allowed us to strengthen our ties with other countries. In my rebuttal, to rid of human spaceflight would only cause a bigger dilemma on Earth.

"Space is a waste of money."
Oh yes, I have heard this one before, actually it has been said to me numerous times. I can state the redundant facts like how NASA is only less than 1% of the entire federal budget, or how many technological spin-offs have debut from our space program and benefited the lives of many. I can spew all this information out to try to prove to you the money invested in NASA is well worth it. Yet, something even more powerful than money comes to my mind.

When you look at this picture, what do you conclude: awesome, cool, epic, stunning, amazing…?
Sure, these are all fair emotions, but I think there is one in particular which people tend overlook; a sense of pride. People are in absolute awe when they see this magnificent machine roar skyward. There is this overwhelming feeling consuming the body. The journey, the endeavor, the exploration of the heavens; it excites us, it captivates us, it unites us.

The space program inspires the young minds of tomorrow; in fact, it inspires every age group out there. To disassemble our space program and rid NASA would only be a shame. You want children to be interested in mathematics, science, engineering, and technology – then we need events like these to keep taking place.

Godspeed to Atlantis, the STS-135 crew, and the workforce of NASA.