The Fate of Human Space Exploration
When the world’s first satellite, the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 1, launched into space in 1957, the dawn of the age of exploration of the unknown had begun. Sputnik’s launch marked the start of the long journey of humans into space as many governments heavily invested in space programs and research sought to better understand the universe. Since then, the successes of space exploration have continued and have culminated in the world’s first manned mission to the Moon in 1969, where humans first walked on the Moon’s surface.
Today, the importance of space exploration is exceptionally apparent. It has enabled governments to stay informed on observable solar system occurrences, natural disasters and anomalies, as well as the growth of technology that can both monitor and enable other progressive initiatives. Additionally, space exploration has contributed to our understanding of human and non-human life on Earth, as well as our current level of understanding of planets, star systems and galaxies.
For the last few decades, funding for space exploration has greatly decreased, consequently resulting in a decline in advancements. The US government has experienced a decline in funding since the 1990s, decreasing from 17.4 % of the total US budget in 1991 to 0.4 % in 2015. Therefore, despite the ongoing effervescent successes of space exploration, it has become increasingly difficult to remain financially sustainable, and is expecting an even further decline.
Some are, however, attempting to offset this decline in government-funded space exploration by founding their own private organizations. For the past few years, these companies have come to the fore of the space industry, including SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Rocket Lab. These non-governmental organizations attempt to draw more attention and investments towards the cause; by claiming to be more cost effective and efficient, private organizations can significantly reduce the costs of space exploration and help keep space exploration budgets moving. Nonetheless, public-private partnerships (PPP) may be necessary in order to remain financially sustainable going forward.
Nevertheless, the focus should not be solely business-oriented and there needs to be more research
in the field in order to ensure long-term and sustainable space exploration. Research in niche fields, such as geology, biology, astronomy, biochemistry and physics, has been meager or has been stopped due to financial limitations. Therefore, a dedicated focus to space exploration should be employed, and new innovative ways to explore the unknown should be implemented.
Ultimately, with a return on investment from both government and non-government-funded programs, and with a cohesive focus to the overall goal of space exploration, the industry can be saved. The mystery and romance of space exploration is unmatched and it will continue to remain the impetus of scientific researching and development for years to come. Human space exploration has changed the way we view our universe, and the current state of exploration is worth protecting. With both public and private investments, space exploration can experience a resurgence in terms of both capacity of research and financial sustainability. As a species, we are just getting started, and the future of space exploration is infinite.
