Limitless: NASA and the United States Government

One giant leap for mankind was made on July 20, 1969: Apollo 11 and Commander Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. The United States began one of its most exploratory and futuristic programs in 1958 with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA.) NASA’s funding has changed over its three-quarter-century legacy, starting at 0.1 percent to its highest five percent to now 0.5 percent of the federal budget. NASA also generated significant technological advances, secured governmental funding, promoted international relations, and has even produced job opportunities. In order to be at the forefront of space exploration—both internationally and for human gain—the U.S. must continue to publicly fund NASA.

About $22.629 billion is spent on the NASA budget per year, resulting in over 30,000 products, procedures, and materials. Many NASA- and government-funded explorations have resulted in inventions that are instrumental in modern-day medicine, such as the artificial heart pump, which was modeled after the space shuttle's engine fuel pump. NASA has also improved food science research, including 3D-printed food and closed-system ecologies, which support sustainable nutrition and not only aid astronauts but also people suffering from food shortages. These NASA spinoffs are not just limited to a couple of discoveries but are found in almost every aspect of daily life, such as heart defibrillators, breast cancer screenings, GPSes, which were initially developed for military applications, and weather satellites.

Though privatized companies are other potential investors in NASA, they fail to consider the benefits for humanity and instead focus on financial gain. The lack of regulation of space exploration due to privatized ownership can lead to unsafe practices and individualized focuses. Some of these could include prioritizing personal capital and exploration over human safety. In other leading countries, such as China, space exploration is publically funded. The Chinese government formed a Leading Space Group in 1989, coordinating, planning, and budgeting for the space policy. China also has the National Space Administration, which is responsible for space activities and international space cooperation. According to U.S. Representative Ted Yoho, Beijing could outcompete the United States because they have put more money into their efforts. If the United States hopes to maintain a leading role in space and technological advancement, it will need to put in efforts similar to the ones of the Chinese government and other international leading space agencies. Space exploration may provide the answers to many crucial questions, especially if NASA’s goal is to send humans to another planet by 2030 and find life on planets beyond Earth.

Space exploration also encourages international relations for the United States government and its people. NASA has participated in 572 international agreements as of October 2012. In addition to cooperation with 121 countries and three multinational organizations, NASA attracts attention and support from over 1.2 million citizen scientists in 80 countries. When working through international cooperation, countries have become increasingly efficient with their funds to develop technological advances. Rather than just spending money on NASA, the United States is spending money on international collaboration to produce better technologies for Americans and humanity in general.

Funding space exploration is also economically beneficial to the country. Space exploration generated over $64.3 billion and about $7 billion in local, state, and federal taxes in 2019. Simultaneously, NASA's budget is less than one percent of the tax-dollar and about 0.5 percent of the Federal Government Budget, which is fairly reasonable in comparison to the entire budget. Approximately only 0.3 percent of an American’s taxpayer money goes to funding NASA, with large successes in innovation. Beyond producing beneficial space goods, NASA also generates essential products for other areas of employment, including weather, medicine, and farming, to name a few. Additionally, space exploration creates jobs for the American people. According to the Coalition for Space Exploration, NASA and its partnered corporations employed 312,000 people for highly-skilled jobs.

Beyond the technological and societal advancements made by NASA, a growing influence in international relations and an increase in economic growth can inspire future generations. Even beyond its significant advantages, space exploration may provide a potential future solution to scarce resources and overpopulation. Literally and figuratively, space is the limit, and the United States should be at the forefront of discovery.