Space exploration is a waste of money. Agree or disagree?

In recent years, a considerable government budget has been approved to investigate space searching for extraterrestrial life.

However

, there is no unanimous consent on whether

such

expenses are well-considered. Some people believe that the resources might have more urgency to be allocated to the much-needed social programs. I firmly oppose

such

a notion and elaborate my ideas by showing the economic and social benefits these programs offer both currently and in the long term.

First

, proponents of space

exploration

advocate that complex

exploration

projects require intensive and extensive research in various fields,

thus

promoting multiple industries. An example of

this

would be NASA in the 1960s when focused effort resulted in men arriving on the Moon and triggered many breakthroughs in technologies

such

as long-distance communication and computers. By doing so, the governments indirectly address numerous problems, including jobs and business opportunities, at the same time enhancing global citizens' life quality.

Moreover

, it can be understood that a project of

this

scale is primarily a long-term investment, with future generations will be the ones who reap all the benefits.

This

is not exactly something new, as examples from the past can readily be shown to support the purpose of

exploration

. Back in the 15th century, many countries send their explorers worldwide to go on a journey using big ships to find new land that can be explored to advance the economy and humanity. One Christopher Columbus, representing Spain, managed to find the land of America, and

this

exploration

reaped a significant advantage for everyone involved in it. There is no doubt that the galaxy is much larger than the size of Earth;

hence

, the more likely

this

strategic effort may someday bear fruit. In conclusion, I believe that national leaders should continue to support space

exploration

projects no matter how big it is. It has been proven that

exploration

is a driving force on the progress of various industries. It is an investment that offers a significant benefit

that is

much needed, particularly when the Earth becomes more and more polluted and burdened by the ever-increasing population.