Final Rationale

           The future of human success is in space exploration. Thus we must address the possibilities within it. The question to be addressed is: Can humans and robots colonize other planets and moons in our solar system and beyond? I believe that we can. I wish to educate the general populous about our future as a race advancing into space, and hopefully encourage more young scholars to pursue careers in astronomy, astrophysics etc., as to further this goal of exploration and colonization along more quickly, as well as persuade readers of the importance of space exploration. This paper is intended for scholars, as well as anyone interested in the future exploration of our universe. It will be written in the format of a research paper as to inform readers of the issue from different points of view and practicality. I understand that most people don’t know a huge amount about this topic, and I intend to address that. I plan on using work from NASA and scholarly journals written by astronomers, engineers, and astrophysicists. I hope to inform and inspire.

                When people think about the future, they often think of space ships, and aliens and other science-fiction related things. What many fail to imagine is; what if we don’t make it to “the future”? In the second section of my paper, I plan to move into the politics of space exploration. I will address the treaty of 1967, the necessity for humans to explore, different views on colonization, and the survival issues of humans in space. I will also address the phenomenon of private space exploration. Our planet won’t last forever, and if we [the human race] wish to make it to this alleged science-fiction future, we must accept that fact and work towards moving away from our dying planet and into the rest of this universe. Space exploration is no longer an idea of science-fiction; it is now an idea of the near future.

                Astronomy as a science dates back to pre-historical Europe. While they did not possess the tools we have now, it is human nature to be curious, and even in ancient times, people wondered what was beyond the stars. Humans need oxygen and water to survive, thus making many planets uninhabitable. There is also the problem of time taken to reach a planet (i.e. if you left on a rocket to Mars today, it would take you roughly 30 years to get there). The advancement of robotics however has enabled to branch further out than we currently could if we only used human pioneers. I will address the lawyers working for grant money for these advancements as well as human-robotic partnerships. There are many benefits to using robots as opposed to humans, and they must be shared. I will also discuss the technology currently in use and the technology being worked on for future use. Astrophysics, biochemical physics, and aeronautical engineering are all making progress in hopes to further our existence into the universe.

In the 1960s, the United States of America, the Russian Federation, China, and India all began working towards traveling to Earth’s nearest terrestrial body: the moon. Throughout the 1960s, moon travels were all the rage. This decade came to be known by astronomers as the “space age.” After the hype of the first man walking on the moon however, the general public lost interest. There were still advances being made, but people didn’t seem to care. Because of this, financial, and political reasons, with the exception of the International Space Station, little work been done to move humans to terrestrial bodies other than our own. This is not to say that there are not men and women working every day in labs and in the International Space Station to make progress, but unfortunately due to it being seen as a luxury opposed to a necessity, funding for these programs has not been good. It is understandable of course. There are many Earthly problems that need funding to be attended to now, as to where space exploration can be attended to later, but later may be too late. If we do not put effort into expanding our existence now, we may never have the chance.

Physics is a huge factor in every branch of science including space travel. Because of this, I must include the physics of discovered habitable planets, the possible health issues of space travel and the barriers in our way. I must also address the likelihood of our colonization of planets in terms of particle astrophysics, and gamma radiation.

         I will then conclude my paper reasserting the importance and necessity of our advancement into the universe. The advancements in science and technology that we must make, the political and economic issues of space travel, and attempt to personally connect with my readers through appeals to emotion.