Why We Touch the Sky
How investing in NASA and space exploration provides answers to questions we don’t even know to ask
On Sunday, November 15, 2020, the four-man crew of the Space X Crew Dragon Capsule was launched into orbit and docked at the International Space Station. The successful launch and docking of the Space X vehicle promises to usher in a new era of space exploration after the retirement of NASA’s shuttle program in 2011.
As the world is battling another spike of COVID-19 cases, with cities once more shutting down, space exploration may seem like a fever dream. It is difficult to look up at the sky with wonder when society appears to be on the brink of economic collapse. Yet, it is during such trying times when we need a reason to strive for the impossible.
Innovation in space exploration directly impacts technological progress across society
One of the tenets that I follow is to avoid making life more complicated by creating trouble when none exists. However, facing complicated questions is the lifeblood of scientific inquiry because it is often difficult to envision solutions without a problem before you. Outer space is a scientific playground of complicated problems that require innovation and ingenuity to surmount.
To get to outer space, scientists had to overcome Earth’s gravitational pull. This required advances in propulsion technology as well as precise calculation. When in space, the next problems involve breathing, life support, food, and water. This resulted in advances in water filtration technology and food storage. Astronauts would then need to be protected from the cold void of outer space. This resulted in the creation of aluminized polyester insulation.
Every one of these obstacles yielded new technological advances to cope with the harshness of outer space. The advances to make space exploration possible not only assisted the space program but society at large. Every technological leap for NASA yielded a big step forward for mankind.
“Digital signal processing was pioneered at NASA for use during the Apollo Lunar landings to computer-enhance pictures of the Moon. This technology was used in a broad range of Earthbound medical and diagnostic tools, including advanced body imaging techniques known as CT, CAT Scan and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).” — NASA Press Release, 1998
Despite a long history of space innovation, there are still newer challenges ahead. With plans of establishing off-world bases on the Moon and Mars, scientists are already considering the implications of long-term survivability in these environments. Even if the colonization of foreign worlds does not occur in the near future, the technological breakthroughs from pondering these scenarios will have a palpable impact on life on Earth.
Scientists need a reason to dream big
From the highest peak to the deepest ocean, overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges is a siren’s call for scientists. Students do not enroll in engineering programs to learn how to manufacture ball-point pens. They do not become chemists to slightly modify a shampoo formula.
Space exploration is that perfect rock song that made you pick up a guitar. It is the swirling blues and yellows of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” The future scientists want to look up at the sky and imagine that their work can take them past the horizon.
“The Moon landings deserve credit for motivating a large fraction of today’s scientists, according to a survey of almost 800 researchers who have published in Nature in the past three years.” — Richard Monastersky
The space program is not a one-note scientific conclave. The challenges of space exploration demand the participation of scientists and engineers from nearly every discipline. NASA is not just looking for people to launch the next set of robots into space, they are tackling multi-varied problems whose solutions may exist in the realms of physics, engineering, biology, or chemistry. Space exploration is a monumentally collaborative effort that draws on the inspiration of our global scientific community.
“Every day is different and that’s the beauty. One day I’m brainstorming planetary exploration tools and the next I’m working on re-supply missions in a commercial spacecraft that takes experiments and supplies to the International Space Station. We change the world by focusing on space.” -Luke Roberson, senior principal investigator
We must continue asking questions and looking for answers
When I look up at night, I am reminded of the dark, starless, patch of sky that the Hubble Telescope focused on for 100 hours. Robert Williams was criticized by his colleagues for wasting precious telescope time by examining an empty field. However, the Hubble peered over 12 billion years into the past to reveal clusters of over 10,000 galaxies.
There is an endless list of questions that examine our existence in the cosmos. How did the universe begin? How will the universe end? Can we reach our cosmic neighbors? As technology marches forward, we can unravel some of those mysteries. In 1965, Bell Laboratories inadvertently observed some excess radio noise in their equipment, which led to the identification of CMB radiation…the remnants of “The Big Bang.”
Unfortunately, people from outside the scientific community may question the value of such findings. After all, as interesting as the discovery may be, how can we justify potentially millions of dollars in research funding without a quantifiable return on investment. In a world that is run by dollars and earnings, we cannot lose our sense of wonder.
There is value in promoting curiosity and scientific inquiry in our population. When people are inspired to look beyond their laptops and phones, it inculcates a greater appreciation for our existence. It also promotes a more honest discourse that will extend to realms beyond science. We must make an effort to calculate wealth beyond our wallets. As we reach towards the vast expanses of our universe, we may also find better versions of ourselves at home.
“Science is an attempt, largely successful, to understand the world, to get a grip on things, to get hold of ourselves, to steer a safe course. — Carl Sagan
