The future of space exploration: Missions to Mars and beyond

When I was a young child, I only cared about the heavens. I was a fascination to the galaxies, planets, and stars. On clear nights, I would imagine that one day I would be gazing up into the heavens and exploring space. I believed that NASA would be my future employer and that Neil Armstrong was my hero. NASA is slowly disappearing as Neil Armstrong ascends to new heights. Presently, we have Robert Bigelow, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, and Burt Rutan. These gentlemen all own aerospace companies that currently or in the future offer flights into space. Also, provide “space hotels” for Robert Bigelow. This is my future: either I’ll work with these guys or I’ll start my own aerospace company that will sell tickets to go on space exploration.

Space exploration is at a crossroads for both the United States and the entire world. We can choose; do we venture out there and embrace the final frontier with bravery? or do we keep our heads buried and spend money on useless programs that won’t get us anywhere in the galaxy? Because of the foundation that NASA has established, the work that private businesses are currently undertaking, and advancements in contemporary technology, manned missions will be carried out outside of this solar system by the time Generation Y reaches retirement age.

Leaving conspiracy theorists aside, the space program continues to face significant opposition. The fact that it costs too much is the biggest complaint! I respond, “So what? In point of fact, one of the objectives of the private sector is to provide affordable seats to space. Additionally, NASA’s expenses are decreasing as private companies take over space exploration. However, NASA will not be shut down as a result; In fact, NASA ought to receive the most funding from the government! The economy would benefit from this, as would a number of new technologies that could be beneficial to the nation. The excessive risk factor is yet another criticism leveled against the space program. “The day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom,” Anais Nin once said. When there is an entire universe to explore, humans cannot be expected to remain still on this planet! Numerous organizations, nations, and universities are currently looking for planets that could support life. According to astronomer Seth Shostak (Wall), we will discover extraterrestrial life within the next 24 years. Wall quotes Shostak as saying, “Instead of looking at a few thousand star systems, which is the total so far, we will have looked at maybe a million star  This point also responds to the opposition’s assertion that space travel is pointless. I say that there is overwhelming evidence that space exploration will benefit humanity. A Gallup poll asking Americans about the space program was conducted in 2008. Over 52% of Americans supported increasing NASA’s budget, and 68% believed that the consequences would outweigh the benefits. NASA). The odds of finding extraterrestrial life are at their highest ever, and the rewards of finding or discovering something profitable to humanity are extremely high. The people needed for the space program are those who are willing to put everything on the line for the benefit of science.

The significance of NASA to the development of civilization is demonstrated by these nine points outlined in the Space Act. The second point is incredibly insightful. Even though it says that NASA needs to make spacecraft that are safe and effective, advancements in that technology could easily be used to make cars, boats, and even airplanes. In addition, the least that Obama could do for the private space travel industry would be to ensure that they do not have to deal with an excessive amount of bureaucracy when carrying out research, experiments, and theory tests if NASA were to disappear, as Obama wishes it to do. With so much new information and so little known, the space travel industry is at a turning point in its history.

We can now look at what some companies are doing in the commercial aspect of space travel now that we understand the foundation of space travel. Virgin Galactic, which is owned by Richard Branson, is the only business that has made the greatest progress. This company’s overarching objective is to provide inexpensive space travel. Over 530 people have booked seats for a space flight, according to their website. Since these people are paying $250,000 for their flight, it is expected that Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, and others will be on board. Despite the high cost of the flight, I fully support this business and all of their efforts to advance the private sector. The fact that they were the first company to develop a reusable spaceship is significant for their sector. They can’t be like the Apollo program, which required a new rocket each time to launch the spacecraft into space because it would be too expensive. Virgin Galactic has a big year this year. Given that Branson has not been keeping his promises to the public in recent times, it will be exciting to see if he will keep his word. SpaceX is the market leader in the cargo and supply side of the space travel industry, which encompasses more than just this.