Space Exploration
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Space Exploration
One of the abilities possessed by the human species is the ability to learn and be curious about their environment. Question aspects and phenomena across the environment have enabled the human population to continue learning how to take care of the environment by understanding the symbiotic relationship. Space exploration is one of the processes that has continued to showcase dominance on the planet. Space exploration began as a competition between two nations. Russia and the United States of America got tangled in a contest to see which country would be the first to take a human into space. The two nations made strides in this aspect, but Russia made the most significant stride at that time by having the first man orbit the Earth. Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut, became the first person to reach space and orbit the Earth, boosting the Soviet space program and intensifying the space competition with the United States. A few years later, the United States became the first country to have a human being land on the moon. The Space Race was significant because it demonstrated to the rest of the world which nation had the most scientific knowledge, technology, and economic system. Both the United States and the Soviet Union understood the military importance of rocket research after World War II. The Russians had gained the lead in the Space Race, which prompted the United States to work tirelessly.
Behind the two nation’s success in space exploration in the 1960s are political support and political goodwill from their respective governments. Space exploration remains a hugely expensive affair and requires a concerted effort from different stakeholders, especially the government.
Politics play an essential role in the success of space exploration—one of the roles that politics play in allocating resources for the smooth running of the programs. Space exploration is a costly affair; it requires financial muscle that the government can only support. Secondly, political goodwill and support are also essential for the success of a space exploration program. Through political friendship, it is easier for the government to develop and implement policies that support the space exploration program; if supported through policy and laws, it becomes easier to gain the support of citizens and the government through the allocation of resources. Again, it can help or denounce a space expedition program based on this perceived benefit to the nation’s interest. Space exploration will for years continue to be closely guarded and its success determined by politics.
References
Dawson, L. M. (2021). The Politics and Perils of Space Exploration: Who Will Compete, Who Will Dominate?. Springer Nature. Retrieved from
https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ub0LEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR6&dq=the+roles+of+politics+in+space+exploration+in+the+U.S&ots=5dLdw3OtpB&sig=qwGW9AVua7zx6Gc4vGOaC42v-r8&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=the%20roles%20of%20politics%20in%20space%20exploration%20in%20the%20U.S&f=false
