Since its conception, space exploration has captured the imagination of many in a boundless frontier, where ingenuity is limitless and social barriers do not hinder humanity's collective quest for knowledge; However, when considering the implications of space exploration, advocates must recognize the financial costs of frequent space travel, exploitation of otherworldly resources, and contamination of other planets with disease. . Despite these various oppositions to the advancement of space exploration, its benefits have far outweighed its costs, as space exploration has benefited the American economy, contributed to groundbreaking research, and allowed countries around the world to collaborate and improve their diplomatic relations with each other. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Space exploration advocate and enthusiast David Livingston says the benefits of space exploration outweigh its cost. It posits that money spent on space exploration is naturally reinvested in the U.S. economy, which in turn contributes to medical research, building homes, and more. (Livingston). He further accentuates his argument by articulating the purity of space as a frontier untouched by human greed and conflict and, therefore, constitutes an exemplary environment that can become a future ground for increased collaboration between nations without the hindering foreign conflicts and special interest groups. which have long prevented beneficial diplomatic relations (Livingston). This assertion is further reinforced by Michael Collins, one of the first men to visit space, when he states that if influential figures such as politicians saw the Earth freed from the chains of preconceptions and prejudices, exploration space could reinvigorate humanity's zeal for space. environmental conservation and inspire the average citizen to protect and maintain their fragile earthly home. By uniting under the untouched boundary of space, not only would nations around the world improve relations with each other, but they would also address the problem of Earth's rapidly diminishing natural resources by revitalizing conservation efforts. through combined collaborations. The Tax Foundation presents a visual representation of how every federal tax dollar is spent. In support of Livingston's argument, data presented in the chart presented by the Tax Foundation shows that only about $0.06 of federal tax money is actually spent on space exploration, compared to d Other categories such as Social Security, where most tax money is spent. . Along with space exploration's small percentage of federal tax dollars, other categories, such as agriculture, must share the $0.06 with "space and technology" (Chamberlain). The small proportion that space exploration actually occupies is further supported by the claims of Margaret McLean, author of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, who highlights the outrage many American citizens feel when the government spends approximately five billion dollars in grants to finance NASA. However, compared to other government spending, NASA funding represents less than 1 percent of U.S. taxes (McLean). Americans often forget that without the new discoveries that exploration brings.