SPACE EXPLORATION MERIT BADGE
Purpose of Space Exploration
Top Ten Reasons for Going Into Space
- Reason Number 10
- Colonization - in another twenty years it is estimated the population of
the earth will reach over 8 billion. We could use a place to live.
- Reason Number 9
- Place a spy satellite over the Miss Hawaiian Tropics contest.
- Reason Number 8
- International Diplomacy - we went to the moon to beat the Russians, now
we're building the International Space Station as a way to work with the
Russians. Go figure. In any event, prestige and international relations are
among the most powerful reasons we've had for going into space.
- Reason Number 7
- Natural Resources - some day we may be able to mine the Moon for green cheese
and the asteroids for minerals and ores.
- Reason Number 6
- Researching the universe - orbiting observatories like Hubble Space
Telescope, Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), and Cosmic
Background Explorer (COBE) to study the stars, galaxies, and the
structure of the universe.
- Reason Number 5
- Technology Spin-Offs from NASA-developed technology like small solid-state
lasers which led to Compact Discs, cordless power tools, solar power cells,
laptop computers AND TANG.
- Reason Number 4
- Researching the sun, moon, and planets - deep-space planetary
probes and manned exploration to study the atmosphere,
composition, and physics of other bodies in the solar system.
- Reason Number 3
- Get Marvin the Martian’s autograph
- Reason Number 2
- Many applications that can be accomplished only from orbit, for
example - telephone & TV communications around the world, weather
observation and prediction (notably hurricanes), land surveys, and
navigation (notably the Global Positioning System, GPS).
- Reason Number 1
- BECAUSE IT’S THERE.
On to "The Real Reasons for Space Exploration" -
a more serious version of this page for you more serious readers.
On to
NASA: Spinoffs from the space program
On to
Top 20 NASA Spinoffs
On to The Great Space Debate (Why Spend the Money?)
Back to Space Exploration Home Page
Questions
Your questions and comments regarding this page are welcome.
You can e-mail Randy Culp for inquiries,
suggestions, new ideas or just to chat.
Updated 8 September 2008