I'm not usually one to make appeals to our innate humanity, but for space exploration I make a notable exception.

The earliest question a child asks is 'why?'. The earliest, and most common theme in literature from all civilisations is the concept of home, and our continuing search for it. Space, and astronomy, have married these two questions together and produced knowledge which humbles and fascinates.

We once thought that home was a flat plain under heavenly skies. We now know that our planet is one of 9, in a solar system which is one of a hundred billion in a galaxy which itself is one of a potentially infinite number of others.

Our inquisitiveness has lead us to understanding that we are all star matter, produced 4 billion years ago when rocks collided to form earth. Our civilisation, just 10000 years in to discovering agriculture, will die out in a galactic blink of an eye, but by far the most significant relics any future society's will find of us is our understanding of the stars.

Questions which revolve around what use space has to us are ridiculous. What space has taught us, ultimately, is that all of our wars, kings, gods and cares are so inconsequential in comparison to the size, beauty and infinity of space. Trump can claim to be the most powerful man in existence, but one look through a telescope shows us how insignificant his power is.

Now for my political point

For all their faults, the Soviet Union did more for our appreciation and exploration of space than any other civilisation. I think their ideology of total humanism, of trying to expand the potential of human capabilities allowed its astronomists - who of course should be distinguished from its political leaders - the intellectual and material basis for seriously probing the cosmos. America, for all their celebration of reaching the moon first, drastically cut finances for NASA once the Cold War was over.

For me, space exploration should be the ultimate goal of our civilisation, something to unite around once automation has rid us of the need to work and abolished the need for economic inequality. Space has the capacity to humble us all, that for me is more than enough of a point.

Edited by serial thriller (27 Sep 2017 8.18pm)

If punk ever happened I'd be preaching the law, instead of listenin to Lydon lecture BBC4

I certainly agree that our ambitions seem to be way out of line with what has been achieved.
Man can't survive in space for long periods outside the Van Allen Belt and I'm still puzzled as to how a Moon trip was even possible although that might just be my lack of knowledge.
Long distance travel is obviously out unless we have far more sophisticated technology and living on other planets is a pipe dream right now.

Hrolf is right. We'd be foolish to remain on this little speck of dirt and not try to spread our wings to live out our full potential. It could ultimately mean the difference between our survival and demise.

Isn't the next space exploration mission being funded by Arsenal, so that they can bring back some atmosphere ?

Dops cap

Pointless.

Those proposing life for humanity beyond this blue dot should look closer to home first.

Buy Litecoin.