Transcript
Interviewer: One criticism of the space program is the cost. The U.S. government is spending over 18 billion dollars on space exploration. Is it worth the price?
Scientist: Space exploration has a lot of benefits. One is innovation. The research for the space program has led to all kinds of innovations.
Interviewer: Can you tell us about some of those?
Scientist: Think about it: to get into space we had to solve all kinds of problems, problems we never had on Earth, that required new ideas and solutions. And these innovations didn’t just stay in space. Hundreds of new products have been created from this research things we use on Earth every day. Let me give you some examples, water filters, used to clean water. And smoke detectors, to protect your house from fire. They were both developed for use in space.
Interviewer: You’ve talked about other benefits, ones that can’t be measured in dollars and cents. Could you describe some of those?
Scientist: Well, space exploration now requires a great deal of international cooperation. For example, the International Space Station. Five different space agencies worked together to build and run the station. It’s brought together international flight crews from 15 nations. The training and research, the supplies and communication networks: they’re all international efforts. This cooperation promotes positive relationships between nations.
Interviewer: There are other, more personal benefits as well.
Scientist: Right. Since the beginning of time, we’ve had a great curiosity about the world around us. We’ve always wanted to learn more, to see more. This curiosity has led us to explore every corner of Earth. But we’ve only just begun in space! There is so much more that we need to find out. And it doesn’t just give us answers; it gives perspective. Seeing Earth from space – a small blue planet floating in a giant black sky-we see how precious it is. And that’s a perspective we should never forget.
