Looking into the Practical Benefits of Space Travel

By Miraya Aggarwal, Daily Digest Editor, The Pawprint

Over the past three decades space travel has found itself in the limelight becoming a topic of interest for the general public and an area of importance to governments around the world. While most understand the revolutionary effects of space travel, many criticize the amount of funds countries spend on space travel annually. This argument is raised because many believe that the only benefit of space travel is the sense of accomplishment for humanity as we try to conquer lands past our own planet. However, contrary to this belief, Space Travel has been proven to be beneficial in the past and predicted to lead to better things in the future for countries around the world.

We can use space exploration to validate or disprove scientific theories that have been created on Earth. Insights into gravity, the magnetosphere, the atmosphere, fluid dynamics, and the geological evolution of other planets have all come from studying the solar system.

Today’s scientists are particularly interested in dark matter and dark energy in order to better comprehend their roles in the Universe’s hidden mass and accelerated expansion. This is the goal of the European Space Agency’s Euclid1 mission, which is currently in development .

Space exploration has resulted in several advancements in domains ranging from metals and alloys to biology and medicine. Some uses, such as kitchen ceramic coatings, air purification systems, smoke detectors, and scratch-resistant glass, are already commonplace.

Materials tested in space, under conditions that are impossible to duplicate on Earth, can aid in the development of stronger, lighter, and higher-performing products. One of the studies carried out aboard the International Space Station (ISS2) by French ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, for example, evaluated novel materials designed to limit bacterial development. These novel materials have a lot of potential in hospitals, public transportation, and the food industry for public health and safety. The present COVID-19 pandemic emphasizes the need for this type of study.

According to THALES, a space research company, another practical example is “Long-duration missions are tough on the human body. Astronauts suffer loss of muscle mass and bone density, as well as accelerated wear and tear on the circulation system. Monitoring them in space and after they return to Earth is a chance to learn about the effects of aging and support research into conditions like osteoporosis.

In Conclusion, Space Travel is an industry where development could be instrumental to the world and a revolutionary tool for countries across the globe.