DrOpThEwOrLdOnYa

What being bored and having photoshop =

Martian Child

"Dennis, can I just say one last thing about Mars? - which may be strange coming from a Science-Fiction writer - But right now, you and me here, put together entirely of atoms, sitting on this round rock with a core of liquid iron, held down by this force that seems to trouble you, called gravity, all the while spinning around the sun at 67,000 miles an hour and whizzing through the milkyway at 600,000 miles an hour in a universe that very well may be chasing its own tail at the speed of light; And admist all this frantic activity, fully cognisant of our own eminent demise - which is our own pretty way of saying we all know we're gonna die - We reach out to one another. Sometimes for the sake of entity, sometimes for reasons you're not old enough to understand yet, but a lot of the time we just reach out and expect nothing in return. Isn't that strange? Isn't that weird? Isn't that weird enough? The heck do ya need to be from Mars for?"

Space Exploration and Life as We Know It

Imagine sitting in front of a television set 40 years ago. You, along with family members, are gathered around to witness the first man ever to walk on the moon. Full of wonder and excitement, you watch as Neil Armstrong sets foot on something that is literally out of this world. Although your mind races with thoughts and emotions are flowing through

your body from the utter amazement, the last thing on your mind would be updating a blog or declaring you’re excitement on Facebook. No one at the time would, yet most of the technology we take for granted today was developed through NASA, the Apollo missions, and the International Space Station. Along with aiding simple personal enjoyment this technology is pricelessto an era engorged with invention and discovery. However, due to our economy’s current state, the space program’s budget is being threatened, which would put a halt on missions planned for upcoming years. It is necessary that we continue to invest in NASA’s space exploration for the reason that it will lead to solving future problems, and finding solutions to those at hand such as global warming, numerous medical conditions, and the economic crisis.

The men and women who have worked for and beside NASA have not only accomplished marvelous feats in outer space, they have contributed to innovations in life on earth as well. Many of the advances in technology have appeared through NASA because of the limitations placed on their missions such as energy, weight, and the physical needs of astronauts. When the Apollo team was creating a mission to the moon, weight was a serious obstacle. For a spaceship, “It has been and continues to be about $10,000 a pound to get to lower Earth orbit,” said 20-year NASA employee Scott Hubbard (Gaudin 2). In fact, one of the most prized inventions of our generation owes its existence to the space program and its issue with weight on the space shuttle. Hubbard goes on to say:

That was one of the driving requirements that led to the development of the integrated circuit, where you put all the components on a chip rather than having a board stuffed with individual transistors and other circuit components. (3)

This is one reason why the space program is so important, without the microchip NASA developed, we may not have personal computers today. The advances in technology and life do not stop at computer related products; they reach much further. Many of the innovations coming out of NASA contribute to an immense amount of our everyday lives. The number of new inventions resulting from NASA’s research is also outstanding. “Since 1990, NASA has honored the creators of 154 Exceptional technologies, derived from 22,892 inventions reported in the same period” (Scolese 2). These inventions range from reducing flight risks with airfield wind advisory systems to reducing the impact on our feet using technology originally used to help Armstrong walk on the moon.

What’s more, NASA has also developed important medical technologies. One of their greatest inventions has helped save many cancer patients throughout the years; one great example is that of Katie Pederson. Pederson was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 11, yet with the help of NASA scientists and their technology she is alive and well today. In fact, according to Judith Tenney of Reinventing Government (REGO), “The photodynamic therapy that is helping Katie / has been used on more than 300 other patients since 1996” (Tenney 2). The technology’s original purpose was to promote “plant growth in closed environment systems during micro-gravity space-flight research” (2). The unanticipated result was the creation of a life-saving treatment for many types of cancer. This is just one more example of how innovations brought by NASA, and the research they undertake are helping solve a host problems. Furthermore, the ability of NASA to innovate and bring new technologies to the world, albeit invaluable, requires a serious budget. According to the 2005 Annual Report by the NASA Inventions and Contributions Board:

NASA has spent about $200 billion in this same time frame [of 15 years] on all our missions and supported hundreds of thousands of engineers and scientists all over the world in our endeavors. (Scolese 2)

The funding for NASA’s operation comes from a fraction of the national budget, and currently NASA is calling for a $17.6 billion budget for 2009 (Mould & Cabbage 1). NASA’s budget will allow them to accomplish many of the goals they have set for the near future. Included in the NASA budget is

$5.78 billion for the space shuttle and space station programs, $4.44 billion for science, $3.5 billion for development of new manned spacecraft systems and $447 million for aeronautics research. (1)

These plans for the budget are modest at most considering the potential accomplishments that could come from the work NASA will embark on.

One of NASA’s most fascinating spectacles is the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS is considered the single most expensive object ever built, and to put the amount of money spent into perspective, “The United States' participation has been estimated at $96 billion” (Sabbagh1). The station covers 43,000 cubic feet of living and workspace for up to six astronauts to reside (1). These astronauts carry out research that will

lead to developments in fields of “medicine, technology,

and science” (1). For instance, the PBS space station webpage states that, “Growing protein crystals in a space environment can help scientists create better treatment for numerous diseases that currently have no cure” (1). Advancements such as these being carried out on the ISS only offer progress and prosperity to the world we live in today.

Many people may be concerned that NASA’s research and space exploration can only help us understand the universe outside of our own earth. Contrary to what some may assume, NASA’s ambitions are also pointed towards answering questions, and solving problems concerning our own planet. Currently NASA has numerous instruments in earth’s orbit. These instruments allow experts to supply a wide array of data about earth including: “solar output, sea level rise, atmospheric and ocean temperature, ozone depletion, air pollution, and changes in sea ice and ice sheets” (Jackson 1). Among the data NASA has been collecting and analyzing, the most important today has to do with our atmosphere, and global warming. The special instruments NASA has launched to orbit in previous years are providing very important information to climate experts. For instance, NASA states, “the Terra and Aqua satellites have provided the first global measurements of the distribution and properties of atmospheric aerosols” (1). To a world faced with a threat as powerful as global warming NASA’s ability to provide information, that would otherwise be unattainable, is priceless.

Due to our economy’s current state, the space program’s budget is being threatened which would put a halt on missions planned for upcoming years. Many politicians view NASA as expendable and its funding is endangered by budget cuts due to a harsh economic climate. Most of these arguments are backed by statements such as, “We shouldn’t go into space until we have solved all the problems we have here on Earth” (Brooks 1). This is a very legitimate argument for politicians to make against a program like NASA in times of economic hardship. In fact, times of economic hardship often give politicians a stance to argue against the space program, and according to Ian O'Neill, writer for Universe Today, “space exploration becomes an unnecessary luxury and policies become a lot more introverted” (O’Neill 1). Although the wellbeing of the economy is a very important subject to be dealt with, it is important that we do not overlook the value of NASA’s endeavors.

On the other hand, supporting the continuance of funding for NASA, congressman Ralph Hall states, “Economic growth is driven by technological innovation, and space exploration fuels this innovation,” (Hall 2). This statement shines a light on an element of NASA that is often overlooked. This element of NASA gives the program a greater purpose than merely space exploration. The technical advances made by NASA and its employees’ have a great impact on our economy. These advances help the economy grow by introducing new products, and technologies to the market. One such advancement is the commercialization of aerogels, which are flexible lightweight insulators. According to James Fesmire, a co-inventor of the new technology, “This aerogel blanket insulation is not only the world’s best insulator / [it] also opens the door to many new design

possibilities for buildings, cars, electrical power, and many industrial process systems” (Bell 1). This is just one of the many advancements in technology from NASA that will contribute to our economy in years to come. The space exploration that NASA is involved in may be one of the most sound investments our nation makes and should be continued.

Not only does NASA provide innovation, it also provides jobs. Beyond the scientists and astronauts who fill the offices and research rooms of NASA, “more than 18,000 civil service employees and more than 40,000 contractors and grantees work [for NASA]” (McCann 1). These positions range all the way from Computer Engineers to Model Makers and Office Clerks (1). If we cut funding from NASA, not only will many of current employees go jobless, countless independent firms hired by NASA will be forced to find new work. According to David Mould and Michael Cabbage, officials from NASA’s

headquarters, "NASA's budget for FY 2009 provides $173 million for entrepreneurs - from big companies or small ones” (Mould & Cabbage 1). Considering all of the job opportunities provided by NASA it is easy to see how important this agency’s existence has become to small and large companies alike.

Imagine watching a mission to space on your own television in the near

future, witnessing for yourself the accomplishments of man. Maybe instead of

watching man walk on the moon, we could all gather around our High-Definition

televisions to behold man’s first step on Mars. The possibilities that NASA’s

research and exploration bring to the table are all but endless in today’s world.

Their accomplishments have sparked ideas and inventions that shaped our future.

Let alone all of the technology the agency has brought to our lives; they have

provided work for countless innovators as well. NASA is indeed deserving of their

proposed budget and should not be penalized due to a sag in our economy.

Even though the economy is in a difficult place at the present time, it is important

to recognize the accomplishments NASA has accumulated over the years; not only

for the United States of America, but for the entire world.

Works Cited

Bell, Linda. “Aerogels Insulate Missions and Consumer Products.” NASA Tech Briefs. 29 April 2009. 25 August 2009.

This article’s purpose is to introduce a new technology developed by NASA scientists. The aerogel is the lightest solid known to man and has been made commercial due to advances in science. I plan to use the information in this article to demonstrate the broad collection of technology that NASA provides us with.

Brooks, Jeff. “Why Democrats Should Support Space Exploration.” TheSpaceReview.com. 21 November 2005. 22 August 2009.

This article deals with the political conflict surrounding the funding of NASA. In the article, democrat Jeff Brooks argues that his fellow Democrats should support space exploration. I make use of this article by introducing claims posed by those in opposition of NASA’s program.

Gaudin, Sharon. “NASA’s Apollo technology has changed history.” Computerworld.com. 20 July 2009. 19 August 2009.

This article focuses on the Apollo missions managed by NASA and the technology developed by NASA scientists. I plan to use this source to demonstrate some of the struggles engineers were faced with while planning a mission to the moon.

Hall, Ralph. “Numerous benefits of space exploration.” The Hill. 14 July 2009. 19 August 2009.

Arguing the importance of continuing to support NASA and our space program, Hall states, “NASA is one of our best success stories and deserves our enthusiastic support. Now is not the time to reduce our goals or expectations. Now is the time to set the bar higher” (1). I will use this source to back up claims as to why we should continue to fund the space program.

Sabbagh, Karl. “A Rare inside view of the next frontier of space exploration.” Space Station. 21 December 1999. 24 August 2009.

In this article Sabbagh provides a look into the purpose of the International Space Station, as well as numerous facts about the station. I will incorporate this information into my article in order to inform the reader of what is happening on the space station. This will allow me to portray the importance of the station as well as NASA’s program.

Jackson, Randal. “Taking a global perspective on Earth’s climate.” Global Climate Change. 24 August 2009.

This article showcases NASA’s involvement in researching Earth’s climate from space. It explains problems presented by climate change and how their instruments are allowing them to provide valuable information. I plan to use information presented in this article to demonstrate the multitude of ways in which NASA helps solve problems here on earth as well as in space.

Mould, David and Michael Cabbage. “NASA Unveils $17.6 Billion Budget.” NASA. 4 February 2009. 19 August 2009.

This article’s purpose is to announce, and explain the budget NASA has set for 2009. I plan to use this source to give the reader an idea of the amount of money used to fund NASA. I will also use the source to show how funding NASA affects our economy considering the state it is in currently.

McCann, Mike. “NASA Occupations.” NASA Jobs. 28 July 2009. 24 August 2009.

This is a webpage that lists information about NASA job opportunities and statistics. I will incorporate this information into my paper to justify claims that NASA provides a large number of jobs. This will strengthen my argument because it displays how NASA is involved with both big and small time businesses.

O’Neill, Ian. “What About the Space Exploration Crisis? NASA Budget Could be Cut to Save Money.” Universe Today. 12 December 2008. 24 August 2009.

O’Neill writes this article in order to inform his audience of the threat posed to NASA’s budget. He argues that the space program is very important and backs claims up with many supporting details. I will use the information in this article to express reasons for the threat against NASA’s budget.

Scolese, Chris. “Innovations in the 21^st Century.” NASA.

This article was written to exclaim that there is a place and purpose for NASA in the 21^st century. Challenges of the 21^st century are described a long with ways in which NASA can provide “Innovations, Solutions, and Opportunities” (6). I will incorporate information from this text to extend my argument that NASA is an important part of our success in the past and future.

Tenney, Judith. “Katie and NASA Beating Cancer.” REGO. 15 March 2000. 24 August 2009.

In this article Tenney writes about a cancer patient named Katie Pederson and how NASA scientists helped save her life. She explains the process that took place, as well as the technology that was used to cure Katie’s cancer. I plan to use this information to demonstrate that NASA not only innovates in outer space, they also bring solutions to problems on Earth.