The Benefits of Funding Space Exploration

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The Benefits of Funding Space Exploration. Arthur C. Sabio ENG 122 Instructor Jessica Harnisch April 1, 2013 Given that United States struggles to reduce the federal deficit, it is easy to understand why our nation would want to reduce its spending on space exploration. Most of that funding has been cut in recent years as many have argued that the costs outweighed the benefits. However, that is not entirely accurate. While funding can be used for other issues facing our nation rather than financing a space program, the United States should continue to fund space exploration because it drives the development of new technologies that can create both consumer and medical benefits, generates economic growth and opportunities, and leads to new advancements that can help solve problems on Earth. The benefits that the United States of American has gained by supporting a space program financially, has spanned many years since the nation decided to venture beyond the earth into the stars. In the United States, the agency that is responsible for the nation's space program and aerospace research is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or commonly referred to as NASA. Established in 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and with the full support of Congress, its birth was directly, but not sole purposely, related to the pressure to further develop the country's national defense, but served to symbolize the entrance of the United States into the space age. When the Soviet Union had successfully orbited the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957 it help to establish a new urgency for a U.S. space program. President Eisenhower desired the creation of a civilian controlled NASA was to meet the urgency and to keep military and civilian space activities separated. (Figliola, Behrens, & Morgan, 2006). At the dawn of the space age, some 50

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