15 November 2016

Dear President Trump,

Throughout history, humanity has always been spreading out and exploring the next frontier. Whether it be over the next mountain, through the next forest, or across the next ocean, exploration has always been an essential component of human advancement. With most of the surface of the Earth explored, all that remains is the dark depths of the ocean and the vast gulf of space. In the 1960’s, the United States made a giant leap in exploration of the latter through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and it seemed like a bright future was soon to come for human presence in space. In the years since, unfortunately, interest and funding for NASA has declined, and many goals that seemed just around the corner have been pushed far into the future. The usefulness of NASA and human exploration of space has now even been debated, with some seeing it as a waste of precious time and money in a struggling economy. NASA is, however, a huge benefit to both the United States as a technological leader and the advancement of the entire human race.

When defending themselves for continually reducing NASA’s budget or outright questioning the usefulness of NASA, politicians often cite a few main excuses. One such excuse is that NASA is inefficient with using its funds because they have many underutilized buildings that still cost large amounts of money. This is seen as a huge waste, and the blame is usually directed to NASA. While there is certainly a deficit of money, the blame should be placed on the micromanagement and interference from the government. Many NASA projects and priorities are frequently cancelled and changed by presidential administrations and congress, resulting in unfinished projects and unnecessary inefficiency. One reason some people directly challenge space exploration in general is that missions to the Moon and other space locations are just meaningless gestures of power with no benefit. It may seem that there is no direct monetary gain from space activities, but the time, money, and effort that goes into them is repaid in other ways. NASA missions provide many technological benefits in the form of spinoffs (new products that stem from NASA technologies) and scientific research. Also, these missions serve as pure inspiration for future generations of scientists, engineers, and innovators. The last main selling point that politicians and citizens use to discount NASA is that money that goes to NASA needs to be used to solve the problems on Earth first. It is true that there are many problems that need immediate attention on Earth, but only 0.5% of the national budget is currently spent on NASA. As compared to the large chunk of funding spent on the US’s abnormally large military, this is not taking much away. Also, it is human nature to explore and advance when the opportunity arises, not putting it off until later. Humanity must always be advancing as a species, or it will simply decline. This is due to the hope for the future that advancement brings, hope that keeps the wheels of civilization turning. Finally, the benefits of space exploration often help to solve problems on Earth, through both revolutionary technology and inspirational hope for a better and brighter tomorrow.

The benefits of increased support for space exploration by NASA are numerous, and the reasoning to undertake this effort is sound. For one, it is simply a matter of national pride. When thinking of the United States’ accomplishments in reaching the Moon first and leading the effort to create the International Space Station (ISS), most Americans are filled with pride. These achievements showcase the United States’ technological advancement, ingenuity, and boldness. Recently, however, the Space Shuttle program has been shut down, and the once great powerhouse in space now depends on Russia to launch to the ISS. If the US were to reverse this downward trend, Americans would again be bolstered by a source of pride for their country that has truly been made great again.

As mentioned earlier, another benefit of NASA is that its research contributes to numerous technologies and consumer products. From just the technology used to develop NASA’s spacesuits, we have cooling undergarments for athletes, UV blocking apparel, protective masks, and firefighters’ protective suits and breathing systems. These inventions prove that exploring space assists the lives of people on Earth and boosts the economy.

Another improvement to the lives of the people of America and the rest of the world that increased support for NASA will bring is inspiration for the next generation of scientists and engineers. While many gripe about the failings of educational systems, I have also seen a clear lack of motivation for many students. I know that they do not see the point of it all, and that they have never been presented the results of hard work towards education. If those students were to witness the next human effort to explore another world, it would be difficult for them not to be inspired to participate in STEM fields. The last and most important reason to get behind NASA’s mission is to further the advancement of all of humanity. It is human nature to explore, to be curious, and to push beyond what is already known. The discovery of new places has fueled people with hope, letting them know that even though things may seem grim at times, there may be a bright future coming. If this had not been done continually throughout history, humans wouldn’t have left the continent of Africa and accomplished the feats of civilization. It is our destiny to leave the incubator of Earth, for it will not be here forever.

President Trump, it is imperative that you increase the funding for NASA and support this source of technological advancement and hope. The United States has the potential to outdo even our great past achievements on the Moon, inspiring and uplifting humanity in the process. It has the potential to discover new technologies that might revolutionize a new industry or help a group in critical need on Earth. It also has the potential to let NASA slip into decay, dooming the human species to eventually die off on Earth. Your actions as president may decide that future. Do not take it lightly.

Sincerely,

Logan Daigle

                                                                              Bibliography

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Mascaro, Joseph. "Humans Should Resume Exploring the Moon and Outer Space." 2012. Space Exploration, edited by Michael Ruth, Greenhaven Press, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=true&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&currPage=&scanId=&query=&source=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&u=lafa43079&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010989213&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=true. Accessed 11 Nov. 2016.

Roberts, Jason. "Spacesuit Spinoffs." NASA, 30 July 2015, www.nasa.gov/image-feature/spacesuit-spinoffs. Accessed 30 Oct. 2016.

Wallace, Erin. "The United States Should Reignite the Space Race." Space Exploration, edited by Michael Ruth, Greenhaven Press, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=true&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&currPage=&scanId=&query=&source=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&u=lafa43079&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010989217&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=true. Accessed 10 Nov. 2016. Originally published as "Opinion--Wallace: US Must Reinvigorate Space Exploration" in Daily Toreador, 11 Nov. 2014.