Why do we explore?

There is something tantalising about the great beyond, the distant lands, the final frontier.

When Sir Ernest Shackleton was recruiting people to join him on his exploration of Antarctica, his newspaper advert read: ‘Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.’ Amazingly, hundreds wanted to go with him. The Mars One project aimed to send four human settlers on a one-way mission to Mars in 2022—they received more than 200,000 applications.

The need to explore has always been at the heart of human existence. From the first person to cross the sea to the intrepid trekkers who made it to the poles, to the pioneers launching us into space, humans share one thing in common: we need to know what’s out there. Human ventures have led to navigating the seas, charting distant lands, conquering the skies and exploring the galaxy.

Humanity’s space program satisfies the need to explore. It speaks to our sense of human curiosity, wonder, and awe at the unknown. Who hasn’t stared at the night skies and pondered alien existence? Who hasn’t wondered what is might be like to gaze down at planet Earth?

But some argue that with all the problems here on Earth, we should reconsider spending such astronomical sums on looking at lumps of rock floating through space.

NASA and its related agencies have been powerful drivers of new technology. Modern satellite communications, weather forecasting and GPS would not exist if we hadn’t taken that giant leap for mankind. Modern robotics, computers, digital photography, mobile phones—science and technology we take for granted these days would not be possible without the inspiration space provided for the engineers and scientists who developed them. Be that the US space program or the science-fiction sagas that grew from it, space has inspired countless innovators. Velcro was a NASA invention.

Yes, the money spent on trying to find water on Mars could have been spent here on Earth, finding better ways to power humanity’s insatiable energy consumption, feeding the starving millions around the globe, and generally making the world a better place. There are issues plaguing the human race; poverty and injustice run rampant. But while these issues exist and should certainly not be ignored, the funds put forth for space exploration have a quantifiable impact and are no less of a priority. The evolution of invention and space exploration will not solve poverty and inequality, but as technology improves, so do the lives of every man, woman and child planet-side. Space exploration is representative of our future and will secure it.

Space missions and their results capture the human imagination more vividly than anything else. They inspire careers in science and engineering and contribute to bettering life on Earth too. The International Space Station provides a unique environment for scientific discovery, with its research leading to countless improvements in materials, medicines, clean water provision, and agriculture. Space program technology is applied to problems facing the developing world, and the lessons learnt are then used to push space exploration further, which sees new technology applied again on Earth—and around we go. The highly efficient engineering approaches required in the developing world—robust low-maintenance solutions—are the same approaches needed to further explore space.

Besides, any large-scale mission requires international cooperation. The Event Horizon Telescope, the European Space Agency, NASA—all comprise thousands of people working across continents, societies and cultures. Having a project that involves everyone fosters a world view that includes everyone. There are no borders in space; no divisions. Just humans working together. If we can band together to explore, we can inspire cooperation at home too.

We explore to gain knowledge and satisfy our curiosity. We push the boundaries of our scientific and technical limits. This is why humans number in the billions—from our first steps, we’ve endeavoured to learn more about the world around us. If we stop exploring, we stop being human. ■

Adventure

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