Some people believe that space travel is a waste of government money while others believe it is important for human development. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

Billions of dollars have been invested in space travel over the last fifty years. It is the view of some individuals that this money should be spent on more urgent society needs whilst others argue that travel in space is essential for humans in order to develop. Both these groups have good reasons for their beliefs and in this essay I will examine those reasons and give my own perspective on the issue. Instead of financing expensive journeys into space, governments should focus on using this money better, because there is the need for greater medical care. There are millions of people around the world who are unable to receive health care as they do not have sufficient funds. In other words, they might not be able to purchase medicines or pay for a hospital stay, both of which are generally overpriced. For example, a recent research has reported that a large number of Bulgarian citizens struggle to afford treatment if they contract a serious decease such as cancer. However, if the government decides to limit subsidies on space flight, they could provide free medical services to those who need it. This is likely to result in better quality of life on a global scale. On the other hand, the exploration of the space considerably contributes to human progress. One reason is that people gain access to valuable information about the planets and the Universe. This means that space studies enabled humans to ascertain several problems related to the Earth. To illustrate, people were enabled to notice the problem of ozone depletion by observing the planet from outside the atmosphere. Furthermore, some discoveries will be probably utilised to tackle critical issues such as air pollution. For instance, scientists expect to find a fuel substitute, which would be less harmful for the environment. Nevertheless, despite the expense and resources necessary for achieving space travel, the obtained knowledge could be highly beneficial in the long term. To conclude, although the presence of more pressing public problems, I entirely support the position claiming that space journeys are important for human development. Space exploration allows people to look inward as well as outward and thus provides solutions for environmental concerns.