The debate of whether national budget must be invested for exploring the remains a contentious issue. While one school of thought maintains that it is a best option, others argue that improving day-to-day lives of people in the Earth must come first. By critically examining both these perspectives, this essay will argue in the favour of latter viewpoint.
On the one hand, proponents of space exploration claim that investment in space related programs could provide an alternative for our planet if it went successful. It means, by funding more in exploring outer universe scientists and astrologers might be able to find a new planet which could prove beneficial if something disastrous happens to our earth. For instance, it is often claimed that earth is reaching its carrying capacity very soon, and if earth is exploited beyond its limitations, it will not be able to support this enormous billions of human population, for that we need to find another possible options as soon as possible, ‘better safe than sorry’. However, looking at the present statistics this assumption of earth being unable to support life in it is not going to happen very soon, so it may not be of that emergency.
In contrast, detractors who support to finance for easing people’s lives assert that investing on space is of no benefit for us. They say, government’s first priority must be to work for the betterment of their netizens, and improving vital areas like health, education and ensuring food security. Whatever amount is spent on the universe that will not uplift the condition of people living below poverty lines. For instance, almost 30 % of Indian population today is expected below poverty line, and the government instead of providing them aids and subsidies, is investing on producing satellites. Neither is the deprived community benefitted from that, nor their huge mortality rates in the absence of better food and health facilities have decreased. Thus, humans who are in need of support from the governments must be addressed first.
In a nutshell, although the mentions of searching for another possibility to sustain life by the proponents of space exploration seems worthy up to a certain extent, the arguments raised by another school of thought is more practical and reasonable, so I would like to side with them.