Space Exploration is Extremely Important for The Very Future of The Human Species

Space is maybe where we need to go eventually. Somehow, our very existence may depend on our possible migration from our threatened planet to exoplanets. The very future of the human species, it seems, is highly linked to space exploration, and its benefits. These would include exploring space as an opportunity for discovering new worlds for possible colonization, building advanced space technologies to protect natural resources, and using new technology for human benefit. 

However, space exploration and the future of mankind may not be interdependent. Firstly, humans did not evolve as a species to go into space. Different researchers, to illustrate, have found that long-term exposure to zero gravity causes multiple health problems, such as loss of bone density and muscle strength, and impairs astronauts' performance increasing their risk of injury. Secondly, both astronauts and space tourists face risks from radiation, which can cause severe illness and injure organs. An investigator for NASA missions discovered, for example, that the amount of radiation the travellers will face is way beyond what the human body can handle resulting in different skin diseases. 

Still, in reality, humans may need to colonize another planet within the next century or face possible extinction. One, studies reveal that one-third of all plant and animal species could be extinct by 2070 as a result of climate change which is rapidly becoming a crisis. The instance of Stephen Hawking’s dire scientific advice to us to attempt space colonization rings true. Two, unpredictable asteroids spinning in space in close proximity to the Earth have the capacity to wipe out all living organisms here making timely colonization of another planet even more important. The Chelyabinsk meteor, for example, injured about 1,000 Russians in 2013. 

Further, developing new technologies for space mining could save the world as the overwhelming strain on our natural resources continues to increase. First, a group of scientific researchers in America estimated that in about 60 years the Earth will run out of all its natural resources because of over-exploitation. Fossil fuels are fast depleting as an exemplification. Second, the extraction of valuable minerals has led to a host of problems, including incalculable environmental damage and human exploitation, but there is a wealth of precious materials in space. Startups such as Planetary Resources want to mine asteroids for supplies of raw materials getting scarcer on Earth. 

Then, new space technology creates the opportunity to do much for human benefit. An aspect of space exploration is to make and send machines to places we never imagined was possible before through the development of various technologies. They boost the economy and improve human lifestyles, say the GPS, accurate weather predictors, solar cells, and ultraviolet filters in sunglasses or cameras. Another aspect is the unique medical research going on in space which has revealed extraordinary, unknown facts. Examples are rife about the chances of curing killer diseases, dealing effectively with genetic disorders, and even prolonging human lives, experiments that cannot be done on Earth. 

To conclude, if space exploration is not continued with utmost urgency, the human species may even become extinct soon. Additionally, one of the principal reasons we must continue searching beyond our earthly habitat is that we are innate explorers who are ever curious to learn more about the universe, and this proclivity has built human civilization. Yet, from another perspective, for nearly every country, and its citizens, increasingly empowered with state-of-the-art, ever-improving technology, the colonization of other planets has become an ultimate dream gradually turning into a distinct possibility. Modern man does not merely dream but he wishes to master his dreams through SciTech so as to survive forever. All in all, exploring space is an opportunity for discovering new worlds, building advanced technologies, and working together scientifically towards a larger goal of species’ survival irrespective of nationality, race, or gender. We may need to sustain the life of millions of species of existing fauna and flora too.