Is space exploration worth the cost? Space, the final frontier, where no man has gone before. Except astronauts have, and it costs taxpayers billions. But the real question is, is it worth it? Space exploration started in 1957 when Soviet Russia launched the first artificial satellite called Sputnik 1. In the next 4 years, a man would orbit the entire Earth in just 2 hours. Then the space race occurred, sending the first man to the moon. Since then scientists have discovered more moons, dwarf planets, and even galaxies. NASA has sent drones to different planets and launched satellites that orbit the Earth daily. This costs anywhere between 10 billion dollars and 200 billion dollars annually, depending on the projects each year. However, that …show more content…
G. Scott Hubbard, professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford and former director of the NASA Ames Research Center, states that for every dollar put into the space program, the U.S. economy makes $8 in profit. The European Space Agency states that for every euro spent, it is returned tenfold with the value of jobs generated. Those statements prove no money is actually going to waste, but in fact the government is making money from the space program and provides specific numbers. The two quotes showcase that even though the two space programs are in two different continents, the U.S. and Europe, the benefits are the same. Space exploration makes money and is crucial to the entire world. Some people are under the impression that space exploration may benefit the government but has no practical return for the average taxpayer. According to the math done by Space.com, the median family in America, who earns $50,000 a year, pays about $33 annually for space exploration, which translates to the billions used by NASA every year. The benefits of space exploration may not be apparent but the increase in government revenue boosts national defense, social security, and health care. In conclusion, space exploration creates revenue and boosts the