Millions of dollars are spent on space research every year.

Some people argue that the money

should be spent on improving living standards on Earth. Do you agree or disagree?

In recent years, there have been more and more countries involved and interested in long-term
space projects. Because of the enormous research expenditures incurred, the value of space
projects has been disputed. Some people suggest that government funding should be diverted
toward improving the living standard of ordinary people. In evaluating the merits of space
ambition, one should adopt a broader perspective. The investment in space research can be paid
off someday in the future.
The first reason to support it is that our planet is now facing an unprecedented resource problem,
which can be tackled only by discovering and mining new resources on other planets. The
overuse or scarcity of some resources on the Earth is a severe problem. Rare metals, such as

gold or silver, will eventually be depleted, as industrial production expands. These metals and
other natural resources, although rare on Earth, might abound on other planets. In that case,
conducting space research is a promising adventure.
Meanwhile, the worlds population is now growing to a stage where there are too many people
for the planet to support, highlighting the need to seek land suitable for peoples resettlement off
the planet. Even if new urban developments are able to accommodate the increasing population,
water and electricity supply, waste treatment, sewage disposal and sanitation will become
unmanageable for the capacity of our planet. As there are countless planets orbiting stars
throughout the universe, one can be confident that at least one of them is suitable for our
second home planet. Mars, for example, bearing a close resemblance to the Earth, is considered
a potential backup.
In addition to searching for a shelter for future generations, space programmes contribute
considerably to the well-being of the Earth in some other aspects. For example, by monitoring
the ozone hole, global warming, the loss of rain forests and other environmental threats to
human survival, remote sensing satellites help people trace the recovery from the worst
environmental threats and thereby improve the quality of life. Meanwhile, space research
provides a new platform on which scientists can carry out experiments and make new
discoveries in a variety of fields, such as agriculture.
As suggested above, in locating new resources, positioning new settlements, addressing
environmental concerns and facilitating scientific discovery, space research will prove to be not
only worthwhile, but also crucial to the survival and sustainability of human civilization.