Outerspace + Travel
BY PRANAV AKSHATH '24
The average person will not climb into a rocket and blast off towards Mars any time soon, making outer space seem distant and difficult to understand. While some citizens resist the idea of space exploration, funding it actually supports our personal needs. Scientists working at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and other public and private space institutions have not only created technology for space travel, but have also adapted them to fit our day-to-day lives.
For instance, we have seen countless ads promoting memory foam and we use it daily in items such as shoes and beds. Contrary to popular belief, memory foam wasn’t invented by Nike or Mattress Firm. It was originally designed by NASA to cushion seats in rockets. Because lift-off was so turbulent, airline pilots and passengers used memory foam to keep themselves safe. Now, it is a source of comfort in our homes.
Additionally, while we use our phone cameras to snap selfies today, they were originally intended for space in order for NASA’s to create cheaper, more efficient spacecrafts. Phone cameras helped astronauts keep in touch with Mission Control and allowed Mission Control to keep an eye on rockets, especially during their return to Earth.
In terms of funding, The Planetary Society details that NASA received $22.629 billion dollars in 2020. This may seem like a lot, but this amount only makes up 0.48% of the U.S. government’s spending. Further, this is already a 5% increase from NASA’s budget last year. The program remains underfunded because the government prioritizes current problems we face on Earth, like pollution and fracking, over space exploration.
However, NASA’s research should be prioritized. Its researchers are currently experimenting with growing plants in space, which could bring plant cultivation to harsher environments on Earth, like volcanoes. Plants take in carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and release oxygen into the atmosphere, and could potentially lessen the effects of climate change. Further, the program is striving not only to bring humans to Mars, but to make it more habitable. The innovations that come with these efforts can help restore life on Earth as climate change rages on.
Research on space travel leads to new inventions, new technology, and new ways of solving problems here on Earth. Though space seems like a distant and abstract concept, it’s a lot closer to us than we think—from selfies to restful sleep, it is interwoven in our daily lives.
For instance, we have seen countless ads promoting memory foam and we use it daily in items such as shoes and beds. Contrary to popular belief, memory foam wasn’t invented by Nike or Mattress Firm. It was originally designed by NASA to cushion seats in rockets. Because lift-off was so turbulent, airline pilots and passengers used memory foam to keep themselves safe. Now, it is a source of comfort in our homes.
Additionally, while we use our phone cameras to snap selfies today, they were originally intended for space in order for NASA’s to create cheaper, more efficient spacecrafts. Phone cameras helped astronauts keep in touch with Mission Control and allowed Mission Control to keep an eye on rockets, especially during their return to Earth.
In terms of funding, The Planetary Society details that NASA received $22.629 billion dollars in 2020. This may seem like a lot, but this amount only makes up 0.48% of the U.S. government’s spending. Further, this is already a 5% increase from NASA’s budget last year. The program remains underfunded because the government prioritizes current problems we face on Earth, like pollution and fracking, over space exploration.
However, NASA’s research should be prioritized. Its researchers are currently experimenting with growing plants in space, which could bring plant cultivation to harsher environments on Earth, like volcanoes. Plants take in carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and release oxygen into the atmosphere, and could potentially lessen the effects of climate change. Further, the program is striving not only to bring humans to Mars, but to make it more habitable. The innovations that come with these efforts can help restore life on Earth as climate change rages on.
Research on space travel leads to new inventions, new technology, and new ways of solving problems here on Earth. Though space seems like a distant and abstract concept, it’s a lot closer to us than we think—from selfies to restful sleep, it is interwoven in our daily lives.
