| Ill start this off by saying, considering how I want to make a career out of Aerospace engineering, I may be somewhat biased on this topic.
Is space exploration worth it? My awnser would be yes. The gains in technology that we have had due to space exploration are staggering, and cover litterally every part of people lives today. There is still much to explore and much to study, and space exploration truly helps science push the envelop of our understanding. There are is one thing im going to disagree with Padre on. It is the question of Gliese 581c. While it is 120 trillion miles away, that is actually fairly close in galactic terms. On top of this, Gliese 581c is actually not the only prospect for habitable planets, it just happens to be the newest to be discovered. There are plenty of closer star systems and planets to be explored for the possibility of colonization. Mars and the Moon both could be used as temporary colonies or bases, using something like a biosphere, that could propel space exploration even further. The ability to construct and launch a ship while in space or on an extremely gravity-low place like the moon could enable us to increase the range of our craft exponentially. Mars is the closest planet to Earth in the Solar System, and there are many unawnsered questions on mars that could significantly change our view of the world and the galaxy as a whole. Id like to think of our missions to mars and to the moon as steping stones to the next planets in line. And perhaps the most important part is as we attempt to go further and further, technology will continue to advance.
My two cents,
WNxRogue
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
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