Most economists would agree that various governments worldwide allocate increasingly more funds for the exploration of space, believing that such experiments may help in improving overall well-being. There appear to be two key merits and a couple of alarming demerits of money spent on space programmes, which will be discussed in the ensuing paragraphs.
Perhaps the first and foremost positive outcome is the possibility of gaining substantial insights about the outer space, starting from our solar system to other unexplored galactic regions. In other words, the use of internet-based services is the fruit of artificial satellites and space stations that transmit radio waves, using which our modern communication thrives. Another significant advantage of investments in space-related projects could be that these advancements can possibly not only make us aware of dangers from the cosmos, such as possible collisions with meteors, but also the presence of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) carrying aliens. Additionally, the discoveries made by space research centres can be of invaluable aid in times of emergency. Take, for example, the discovery of Kepler-452b, which may be used as an alternative habitat for living beings, considering the primary observations of elements conducive to sustaining life. Thus, investing in space research can help improve and sustain life.
Turning to pressing issues caused by mammoth contributions in space exploration, it can be said that taxpayers’ hard-earned money has to be first utilised in resolving immediate problems such as world hunger, healthcare, or the housing crisis. If this budget were spent on fulfilling basic needs, this would ameliorate many contingencies caused by economic inflation. Furthermore, apart from being expensive, outer space activities cause both depletion of exotic and scarce resources and pollution in the Earth’s outer atmosphere. The rising level of pollution adds to the already ailing atmospheric conditions, leading to amplified greenhouse effects and carbon footprints. Hence, irrationally sanctioning the government’s revenues for the causes that are unjustifiable could be an unwelcome initiative as it deteriorates the standard of living, which otherwise would have improved.
To conclude, while acknowledgement of essential information about the space, and the chances of protecting life on Earth from extraterrestrial threats could be thought of as pros of funding initiatives of space science, the ignorance of more menacing essential issues and the further damage to the environment due to these activities can be justified as the cons stemming out of entertaining space related programmes.