OPENSPACE 24: The Future of Space Exploration | Page 24

dossier
elevating humanity
through space
exploration
S
ince the last lunar landing in 1972, no missions a speech at the Starmus Festival in Norway. “If humanity is
beyond a low Earth orbit have had people on board. to continue for another million years, our future lies in boldly
Spacecraft, though, have visited every planet inside going where no one else has gone before,” he said.
our solar system. Robotic probes have landed on Mars and Hawking encouraged space agencies to send astronauts
even on a comet. Humans, however, have remained on the to the moon by 2020 and send people to Mars by 2025. “We
ground, although it seems not for long. The head of the are running out of space, and the only places to go to are other
European Space Agency (ESA), Jan Woerner, recently shared worlds. It is time to explore other solar systems. Spreading
his vision to build a Moon base to replace the International out may be the only thing that saves us from ourselves. I am
Space Station in 2024, and NASA is studying how to send convinced that humans need to leave Earth,” the theoretical
astronauts to Mars in the near future. But why should we go physicist explained.
to space?
Further, space exploration also brings out a sense of
One of the main reasons is practicality. The resources on inclusiveness. In remembering American astronaut John
Earth are limited. Climate change is a reality, and the risk of an Glenn, science educator Bill Nye said, “Space exploration
asteroid hitting the Earth, while small, is still there. We need brings out our best.” Space exploration challenges us indeed
to be prepared for a future scenario in which our survival on to reach beyond the ordinary and push the boundaries of
Earth might be in danger. Professor Stephen Hawking recently scientific and technical limits, and that should be a valid reason
called for a re-ignition of the human spaceflight program during to continue looking for answers out in space.
24