The Future of Humans in Space

The Chinese space program launched an unmanned rocket into space today as part of a new program that China hopes will build a space station by 2020. China was one of the countries that the US denied from the International Space Station. Frustrated by this development China now plans on building their own. This raises the question that has long since been forgotten. Where dose the US, and humans as a whole stand as far as space fairing is concerned? That answer is surprisingly unclear. Not a single human being has left the orbit of the earth in nearly 40 years. With such little attention being given to the subject, many question why is studying space worth it? Unfortunately many people of today’s very modern technology driven society fail to realize that almost all of today’s now taken for granted advancements that have occurred in the past 54 years came as a DIRECT result of the space race. The study of humans in space is not so much the study of the stars anymore as it is the advancement of technology to give us that opportunity. It really is a shame that most people are unaware that every aspect of our everyday lives have been dramatically affected and improved by the study of space. So the next time you talk on a cell phone, remember that it was first invented for space communication with men in orbit. The next time you do something as simple as wear sunglasses remember that UV sunglasses were invented for the visors of astronauts. Steering far clear of the abstract advantages of a space conscious society, such as future cruises to the moon, or colonies on Mars, one can not help but take part in noticing or at least using, the repercussions of the extremely heated days of the Space Race.