“The United States is justified in spending billions of dollars on NASA space missions to Mars.”Throughout history, man has dreamed of setting foot on another planet. The technological advances of the 20th century have allowed man to do what was once considered unthinkable for millennia before. With the advent of the modern space program in the early 1950s, NASA accomplished many inconceivable feats. They have sent and returned men to space. They set up space stations in orbit around the earth. They allowed men to land on the Moon, collect samples, and then return to Earth. They sent spacecraft to explore comets and other planets. They have even sent space probes outside the known walls of this solar system. Recently, NASA has spent billions of dollars searching for our second closest planet, Mars. Understanding the scientific importance that such research can mean, the United States is justified in spending this money on NASA space missions to Mars. President John F. Kennedy stated in 1961 that he believed the United States could put a man on the Moon before the end of the decade. Unfortunately, he did not live to see this prophetic feat accomplished. But in July 1969, Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon in front of audiences around the world. When he stepped out onto this extraterrestrial surface, he uttered the now famous words: “That was one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” But why was Kennedy so adamant about sending men to the Moon? What meaning could such an undertaking have in our lives? Of course we lived in a different time then. Many believed that our attempt to put a man on the Moon was merely an attempt to demonstrate the philosophical superiority of capitalism over communism during the height of the Cold War. If America could put a man on the Moon before the Soviets, then perhaps, the thinking went, the world would come to understand that our capitalist form of government allows for scientific progress much faster and better than a communist form of government or socialist. Without a doubt, the United States was involved in a “space race” that was far more political than technological in nature. But perhaps President Kennedy saw something else. Perhaps he saw the benefits of such an undertaking in realms other than simply political or philosophical. As I sign the authorization bill from the N......middle of paper......worlds. Mars is only the second “giant leap” in our knowledge of the universe. Who knows what discoveries will be made with our research on other planets? Giving up on space exploration due to financial constraints is like giving up on science in general. Just as the world is much bigger than our neighborhood, our city, our state, and even our country, so science is bigger than our planet. We must continue to reach other planets to find knowledge that can make our life on this planet more meaningful and better. Yesterday's science fiction always seems to become today's science. Television shows like Star Trek and Star Wars have elements that are developing right now in our lifetimes. Technology begins with a dream – a concept – that is realized with greater technological advances. And this progress develops through steps. It is impertinent that the United States continues to fund Mars exploration. We must not fall behind or miss this opportunity we have to discover great new truths for the sake of economic or political reasoning. Considering all the reasons, it makes sense from a social, technological and ecological point of view.