The New Frontier

Diego Sunga Professor Holmes English 1101 November 29th, 2018 The New Frontier Ever since mankind began questioning the inner workings of the world, we have always tested our boundaries to learn more and bring about innovation to our civilizations, thus allowing us to flourish throughout the centuries. As seen with, the search for the Northwest Passage, Westward Expansion, and the Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions, we as a species are naturally curious, looking to broaden our horizons. Today, our new frontier lies in the stars, deep within interstellar space, however, many contend that exploring space is unnecessary for our worldly survival. Although there are reasons for such a stance, financially and domestically, the benefits outweigh the costs. With increased space exploration, we may discover resources, elements, and compounds that could be essential for Earth, and especially in the rather obscure benefits space exploration could play in the fields of medicine and biology. Currently, research is being done on the International Space Station involving certain proteins found in the brain and their growth which could lead to cures or preventions against Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Also, with the lack of gravity on the ISS, microgravity is revealing how crops grow without gravity. Furthermore, research into protein crystallization could lead to more receptive monoclonal antibody medicines. Of course, with space exploration, we are always surveying other planets and interstellar objects with the possibility for finding possibly world-changing compounds, elements, or even life. Finally, space exploration could lead to the breakthrough of habitable planets. During the Space Race in the 1960’s, John F. Kennedy mentioned, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills…” I believe this same mentality can be restored as we renew our space programs. I believe that the United States must expand upon its space exploration initiatives because of the benefits it will bring to the medical field, biology, and human evolution. With the benefits of space exploration comes newfound medical research for improved pharmaceuticals, exclusive to space. While many will view space exploration as only the expansion of our influence to new reaches of space, there also lie great research opportunities by merely being in space. With the lack of gravity and high-vacuum environments, astronauts will be able to conduct vital research into various cell and plant life growth in the new setting. Conducting this research will aid the medical field in making new more potent drugs, such as the monoclonal antibodies (MAB). As NASA editor, Kristine Rainey stated, “Space is an excellent environment to study complex, three-dimensional proteins, because gravity and convective forces do not get in the way of crystal formation, which allows creation of larger and more perfect crystals” (Protein Crystals in Microgravity). With bringing MAB’s to space, researchers can grow out their protein structure without the barring of Earth’s gravity, resulting with highly more effective MAB’s. As we look to space for future exploration there is also the looming question of exoplanets able to harbor life, and even if other extra-terrestrial life is possible. If our space exploration capacities are expanded and evolved, NASA and other space organizations could delve into the field of exobiology. Exobiology focuses on the possibility of life outside of Earth taking a focus on the biology, chemistry, and geology associated with interstellar planets and masses. According to the 1968 United Nations Conference on The Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Space, a major interest with space exploration is, “…The possibility being opened up for examining the surfaces of other planets, to make inventories of organic compounds found there and to search for extra-terrestrial organisms…” (pp. 51). As our influence in space increases, our ability to send out more probes, such as the Cassini Spacecraft, heightens allowing us to study newly discovered exoplanets and further our understanding of their formation and inner workings. Perhaps, we will discover compounds and elements that would benefit worldly production and even more effective pharmaceuticals, or even the quintessential finding: water. Although the benefits for space exploration on Earth may not be as easily observed as other studies, one imperative research opportunity advanced in space is the research and reporting on Earth’s meteorology and climate. With an increased presence in space, NASA and other foreign space agencies, will be able to observe Earth from low-earth orbit and with the use of weather satellites, be better equipped to predict weather patterns. According to the United Nations’, Practical Benefits of Space Exploration, weather satellites are vital for their spatial continuity, timeliness, pattern detail, visual integration, and in-depth analysis of weather systems, (pp. 29). This allows for early reporting on potentially dangerous weather patterns or hurricanes, allowing for preemptive awareness before any storm patterns can make landfall. In addition, using Earth-orbiting satellites, researchers have been able to closely follow global climate change by obtaining data related to the amount of carbon-dioxide in atmospheric samples, and observing changes in Earth’s global temperature and sea level. Using satellites, NASA was able to determine the cause of climate change, (through global warming), as a direct result of the accumulation of green-house gasses such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane absorbing heat from the Sun and thus warming the surface of Earth. Although there are many skeptics towards climate change, our presence in low-earth orbit presents concrete evidence that proves otherwise. Although the benefits of space exploration are plentiful, there are those who believe that our focus should solely be about Earth. Many of those who oppose funding to space initiatives, suggest that too much money is being spent on NASA and space research that they believe do not benefit them directly. In reality however, according to the Office of Management and Budget, only 0.5% of the annual budget is actually granted to NASA. Although funding for NASA and space initiatives can be costly, the economic return can reward the cost. With space being opened up for other countries and private companies, space initiatives actually have the possibility of boosting our economy through stimulating the scientific enterprise of space, (Tyson, 2012). Many critics of space exploration also state that the risks of space exploration outweigh the need to be there in the first place. Thus, in order to make space travel safer, NASA commits technological advancements to ensure safety for manned missions, and detail-oriented flight procedures for all launches manned and unmanned. This is seen with the awareness of the fundamental physical sciences that allow for space exploration. According to the National Research Council in, Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration, research into the fundamental physical sciences also, “… enable NASA’s exploration mission by empowering the development of new materials and energy sources, time and frequency standards for navigation, and technologies that help humans adapt to the hostile conditions of space,” (pp. 249). As stated in Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration, the current essential physics research for further knowledgeable space expeditions are: soft-condensed-matter and complex fluids studies, measurements of fundamental forces and symmetries, quantum gas studies, and condensed matter studies, (pp. 250-258). Understanding the physics necessary for space travel will allow us and future generations to venture further and safer into space. Being human, means to be naturally curious of the world around us. In this day and age, with a majority of this world charted we tend to look up and ponder the possibilities of the unknown. With the increased interest in space, we may find new cures, boost our world economy, reveal the importance of keeping our world clean, and maybe even discover new habitable regions. Just as mankind’s ancestors originated in a localized area of Africa and ventured out to new regions of Earth, shows us that because we started on Earth doesn’t mean we have to end here as well. Perhaps, as we nurture a new respect for the opportunities above we can unite together to bring prosperity not just for ourselves, but for the world. Canadian Astronaut, Chris Hadfield, once mentioned the overview effect which is a shift in perspective towards the collectiveness of our world, and just how similar humans are to one another. With this new perspective we can join together to make collective decisions about space and bring a plethora benefits to the entirety of mankind. Works Cited “Practical Benefits of Space Exploration”: A Digest of Papers Presented at the United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Vienna, August 1968. New York, New York. United Nations, 1969. pp. 7-8, pp. 51-53 Rainey, Kristine. “Protein Crystals in Microgravity.” NASA, NASA, 22 Oct. 2015, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/benefits/mab. Accessed November 5, 2018 Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era. National Academies Press, 2011. 2011, Washington, D.C. Tyson, Neil deGrasse, director. Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Space Exploration. Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Space Exploration, Foreign Affairs, 8 Feb. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoxWy1v-EGU. Sunga 3