Over the past several decades we have come a long way in the study of outer space. Since the time of Copernicus, Bruno, and Galileo we have discovered not only things in our galaxy, but we can begin to study others as well. On Wednesday November 10th NASA announced that in 2014 they plan to launch their new telescope; The James Webb Space Telescope. This new telescope will use infrared light to find ancient galaxies that formed in the wake of the big bang.
Critics at CNET news propose that this new space telescope will cost upwards of about $6.5 billion and does not fit into NASA’s budget. CNET speculates that the close launch date of 2014 is too early, and would require NASA to come up with an additional $250 million in both 2011 and 2012.
On April 24th 1990 NASA launched a space telescope into outer space called Hubble. In the past twenty years since then, it has led astronomers to estimate, with high certainty, the age of the universe at about 13.7 billion years old. It has also given photographic evidence that what Ptolemy thought was a star called Omega Centauri, is actually a cluster of about 10 million stars. Click here to watch what Hubble has recorded of the Omega Centauri.
Though one might argue that the US doesn’t exactly have enough pocket change to cover this hefty $6.5 billion bill, I would argue that it is something worth exploring. If Hubble, costing only about 4 million dollars, is any indication of what the James Webb Space Telescope can do, I would say it is worth the expense! During the Renaissance our ancestors spent a lot of their time and money into studying unknowns of nature on earth, and began to skim the surface of outerspace. Now with the technology we have access to, we are able to do what they never could. Looking deeper into space, to find something that can answer our questions about how we got here, why, and if there is life sustained somewhere else in the universe.
“To know that we know what we know, and to know that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge.” -Copernicus
for more information go to NASA's website.
Harwood, William. "Management Blamed for Space Telescope Cost Overrun | The Space Shot - CNET News." Technology News - CNET News. 10 Nov. 2010. Web. 10 Nov. 2010.
NASA - Hubble Data Used to Look 10,000 Years into the Future." NASA. 26 Oct. 2010. Web. 10 Nov. 2010.
Not only is this pushing us further into debt, but it is using our precious planetary resources. Although this may be an effort to further our exploration into space and find new worlds to be colonized and new planets to use as resources to sustain our daily lives. It is ironic that we must spend money to make money, or use our resources in order to find more.
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ReplyDeleteI feel like the money IS worth the investment but only in certain amounts right now. We need to be more focused on putting money in places now that will allow us to focus more intensely on these types of projects in the future.
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ReplyDeleteThis kind of research may be costing us a pretty penny but I would like to see funding cut in a variety of other areas before space exploration. Education and exploration is our only hope.
ReplyDeleteWe should explore space, but not at the moment. The united states needs to wait a little before they add to its enormous debt. If we don't the economy could crumble faster then it already is.
ReplyDeleteIt's just such an immense task to cover, it's going to be impossible to accomplish something monumental in space without spending money for the resources. We just have to take the current state of not only US but world economics and the truly fragile state of the world right now and ask if it's the right time for so much spending.
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