Space Race

The United States of America engaged in the Space Race because; one, we wanted to find out if there was more we could learn about our world and our planet by learning about what is in the space around us and two, we are a very curious nation. We want only to find out more knowledge, whether that information and knowledge will be eventually helpful to us or not, we do not care. The wonder about whether or not it was a waste of resources is a different topic altogether. Why we engaged in the Space Race does not necessarily correlate with whether it was a good idea or a bad one.

Another thought related with this topic is the statement about why British Explorer, George Mallory, wanted to climb Mount Everest; he said "because it is there". The question very possibly is; did we go to the moon and to space 'because it is there'? If this is the theory we go upon when deciding what feat we want to attempt to conquer next, what will the next 'it' (Mount Everest, Space Race, etc.) be for our country? Maybe we could focus on something the people of our country collectively think is more important than the moon and would collectively be more beneficial to them as a whole. A possibility could be that of starvation and poverty in our country; over 30% of Americans are on the borderline of being in poverty. This thought is somewhat scary when you think about the money that is being spent on space exploration that could be being used to help these Americans get back on their feet. As a country, we should be spending billions of dollars a year upon something a little bit collectively more helpful to us as a united nation and country.