Space Exploration

Space – a new frontier for the expansion of human intellect. To explore the universe and bring back to earth its many wonders is an idea that has been engrained into the very nature of humanity itself. Although it seems a simple idea, to travel into space is an enormous endeavor. It requires a virtually limitless budget and an ethical perspective that deems space exploration admissible. To many, the exploration of the last frontier would be an invaluable human accomplishment. To many others, however, to tamper with the landscape of the contents of the universe would be to destroy the mystery and uniqueness of said wonders. The topic of space exploration is hotly debated. The most important things to consider when developing a viewpoint or opinion on the matter should include the ethics of tampering with nature, the sum of money spent on the necessary equipment, and the overall gain for humanity – Is it really worth it? Exploration of space would require people to tamper with the environment of their location. Is this ethical? One could argue that people tamper with environments on Earth to fill their desire for knowledge. Why would doing this in space be any different? One could also argue, however, that tampering with things is space is highly unethical. These people would argue that the cliché, “Leave it better than how you found it,” should apply. Space itself is infinite, but its resources are not. They are not expendable. Margaret R. McLean, author of “To Boldly Go: Ethical Considerations for Space Exploration”, states that humans are “Not… owners of the solar system, but… responsible managers of its wonder and beauty” (Source E). McLean has three principles for space exploration that deal with preservation, conservation, and having an ethical mindset (Source E). These are, indeed, good things to consider when dealing with this very volatile topic, but there is another side to the debate. Some would argue that the benefits of space exploration could vastly