Space. The Final Frontier. In the past six decades, humanity has launched countless of rockets and man-made objects into low earth orbit. We have sent satellites, capsules, landers, shuttles and people into orbit. We have even sent satellites past our Solar System with the Voyager crafts. In the past six decades we have done many things in space, which have now become essential to everyday life. Do you want to make a call to your grandparents in Finland? Sure, let me first connect you through the communication satellite that is in geostationary orbit. Do you want Siri™ to tell you where you are? Okay, just let it determine and triangulate your location through the GPS satellites above you. Do you need to know the weather for tomorrow? Just read the forecast that was modeled from data collected from a satellite also. And these are just the direct benefits that we take for granted everyday. Over the years, the projects and technologies used on NASA missions have been spun off into everyday products, from food safety to fire retardant materials.

Now at this point, you are probably thinking, “That’s great and all, but why should I care? It’s not like I want to be an astronaut or anything” or “ Why should we explore space? I mean, it does not put food on the table or help lower the national debt.” The thing is, however, that while the research done in space may not be of interest to you, the exploration of space and its mysteries, in my opinion, are critical to advancement and progression of human civilization. We, as a species, have always wanted to explore the unknown, regardless of motive. It is only natural for us to explore new frontiers. And regarding economics, NASA’s budget is only half of a percent of our whole national budget. Only half of a percent! To me, it is a surprise that we still even have a space program on that kind budget.

Now, let me quickly shift gears for a second and explain why I am talking about space. The fact is that, in the past decade, funding to the space program and such has been routinely shrunk. Moreover, America does not have any active launch system to get people from the ground to the International Space Station. We currently pay the Russians to use their Soyuz launch system in order to transfer supplies and get people up there.

Even with that side information, you are probably still thinking about why you should even think about exploring space. You’re probably still thinking about why we should launch space missions in an economic situation that is less then ideal. In my opinion, we should have space missions to the stars, for they are a matter of national pride, a measure of technological mastery, and a symbol for who we are. That is because we, as Americans, are pioneers; we are trailblazers. We have fought for our freedom and defended it. By launching landers onto Mars and sending probes to Jupiter and beyond, I see it as not just a probe, but as a symbol. I see it as a symbol of what has come before it, what we can do now, and what the future can hold. And that, I suppose, is what I really care about. In my mind, I hope that we as a species, not just the United States, can eventually create colonies on the Moon and Mars. I see a future where we would have ramjet planes that could take anyone from New York to Tokyo in three hours so that you could have a bagel in the morning and sushi for lunch, all for the price of an airline ticket today. I envision spaceports with Star Trek-like vehicles taking us to new boundaries.

So, as this article is coming to a close, let me finish off with a quote from Neil deGrasse Tyson, an American Astrophysicist:

“So, with 99 out of 100 cents going to fund the rest of our nation’s priorities, the space program is not now (nor has it ever really been) in anybody’s way. Instead, America’s former investments in aerospace have shaped our discovery-infused culture in ways that are obvious to the rest of the world. But we are a sufficiently wealthy nation to embrace this investment for tomorrow—to drive our economy, our ambitions and, above all, our dreams.”

That, in my opinion, embodies why we have the space program – not just because it is fun, but because of the things we can accomplish with its findings. It is not about just preservation of a legacy, but rather the continuation of one. I believe whatever we do as a nation in the next couple decades or next couple centuries will be an integral part of it. And if that turns out to be case, we better make sure that we are poise and ready to seize the day and take that opportunity.