Man is driven by curiosity. It is our basic nature to explore things, and the advancement made by the human race since their evolution from Homo sapiens has been possible only because of its incessant drive for exploring the unknown.
Man has always been fascinated with the sky, the stars, the sun, and space. After nearly 2000 years since the Greek philosophers had predicted about the exoplanets and other celestial bodies around the earth, science has advanced much in recent times and given some answers about space and its nature.
But, there has been a continuous debate regarding the issue of investment done by NASA, ISRO, etc. into their space programs.
When half of the people in the world are dying due to poverty, hunger, diseases and lack basic facilities, does the exploration of space really matter?
So, as a layperson, it is important to know why the exploration of space really matters.
Space exploration will answer some of the bigger questions about us, our identity. Who are we? Who created the universe? Are we alone in this universe or are there some other beings like us in space on other planets? Is there a purpose to life? How did the universe begin?
The answers to these questions are hidden in space. Space exploration will also expand our technology as it had in the past with technological wonders like weather satellites, GPS system, solar cells, etc. It is also important for the extraction of minerals known as space mining.
Given the rate at which we humans are extracting the minerals and resources on earth, it can be very well predicted that we would definitely need other sources for minerals, etc. in the near future, and space is seen as a vast reservoir of minerals which is yet to be known and explored. It will also make countries richer and powerful in the world order.
Stephen Hawking once said that space is a very violent place where asteroids, comets, stars, continuously collide and engulf each other, so from a security angle to protect the earth from these collisions, knowledge of space and advanced technology is our safest option.
Degradation of our planet, its environment, water, etc. in recent times has made the scientists think about the future of humanity on earth, and according to them if we continue to degrade our planet at such a rate in future, the earth would not remain habitable in the future.
So, for the survival of our species, it is very important to colonize any other habitable planet or to make such conditions thereof where humans can remain alive for a longer duration.
Space exploration also brings different countries together and thus makes international collaboration possible, which not only enhances technology and cooperation but also reduces political tension among nations.
Recent advancements in space, via missions like Voyager 1, have given us the enormous dimensions of the universe and its infinite space. From that perspective, we humans do seem quite small and insignificant in this enormous universe.
It has destroyed our egoist and humanist tendencies and forced us to look for a cosmic order in the universe, rather than placing man at the center of the universe.
While the exploration of space does seem quite interesting, there are some challenges too that need to be taken care of, like space debris, cooperation on an international level, power struggle, etc.
Overall, space exploration is important for the very survival of human species, its future and to get answers to some bigger questions related to our identity.
If we stride forward and contribute together keeping the above points in mind, we would be able to secure the future of humanity, which otherwise seems cloudy.
