Why Explore Space为什么探索外太空Word格式文档下载.docx
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Why Explore Space为什么探索外太空Word格式文档下载.docx
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s
MarshallSpaceFlightCenter,
inresponsetohis
ongoingresearchintoapilotedmissiontoMars.
Specifically,sheaskedhowhecouldsuggestspendingbillionsofdollarsonsuchaprojectatatimewhensomanychildrenwerestarvingonEarth.
StuhlingersoonsentthefollowingletterofexplanationtoSisterJucunda,alongwithacopyof
"
Earthrise,"
theiconicphotographofEarthtakenin1968byastronautWilliamAnders,fromtheMoon(alsoembeddedinthetranscript).HisthoughtfulreplywaslaterpublishedbyNASA,andtitled,"
(Source:
RogerLaunius,viaGavinWilliams;
Photoabove:
ThesurfaceofMars,takenbyCuriositytoday,August6th,2012.ViaNASA.)
May6,1970
DearSisterMaryJucunda:
Yourletterwasoneofmanywhicharereachingmeeveryday,butithastouchedmemoredeeplythanalltheothersbecauseitcamesomuchfromthedepthsofasearchingmindandacompassionateheart.IwilltrytoansweryourquestionasbestasIpossiblycan.
First,however,Iwouldliketoexpressmygreatadmirationforyou,andforallyourmanybravesisters,becauseyouarededicatingyourlivestothenoblestcauseofman:
helpforhisfellowmenwhoareinneed.
YouaskedinyourletterhowIcouldsuggesttheexpendituresofbillionsofdollarsforavoyagetoMars,atatimewhenmanychildrenonthisEartharestarvingtodeath.Iknowthatyoudonotexpectananswersuchas"
Oh,Ididnotknowthattherearechildrendyingfromhunger,butfromnowonIwilldesistfromanykindofspaceresearchuntilmankindhassolvedthatproblem!
Infact,IhaveknownoffaminedchildrenlongbeforeIknewthatavoyagetotheplanetMarsistechnicallyfeasible.However,Ibelieve,likemanyofmyfriends,thattravellingtotheMoonandeventuallytoMarsandtootherplanetsisaventurewhichweshouldundertakenow,andIevenbelievethatthisproject,inthelongrun,willcontributemoretothesolutionofthesegraveproblemswearefacinghereonEarththanmanyotherpotentialprojectsofhelpwhicharedebatedanddiscussedyearafteryear,andwhicharesoextremelyslowinyieldingtangibleresults.
BeforetryingtodescribeinmoredetailhowourspaceprogramiscontributingtothesolutionofourEarthlyproblems,Iwouldliketorelatebrieflyasupposedlytruestory,whichmayhelpsupporttheargument.About400yearsago,therelivedacountinasmalltowninGermany.Hewasoneofthebenigncounts,andhegavealargepartofhisincometothepoorinhistown.Thiswasmuchappreciated,becausepovertywasabundantduringmedievaltimes,andtherewereepidemicsoftheplaguewhichravagedthecountryfrequently.Oneday,thecountmetastrangeman.Hehadaworkbenchandlittlelaboratoryinhishouse,andhelaboredhardduringthedaytimesothathecouldaffordafewhourseveryeveningtoworkinhislaboratory.Hegroundsmalllensesfrompiecesofglass;
hemountedthelensesintubes,andheusedthesegadgetstolookatverysmallobjects.Thecountwasparticularlyfascinatedbythetinycreaturesthatcouldbeobservedwiththestrongmagnification,andwhichhehadneverseenbefore.Heinvitedthemantomovewithhislaboratorytothecastle,tobecomeamemberofthecount'
shousehold,andtodevotehenceforthallhistimetothedevelopmentandperfectionofhisopticalgadgetsasaspecialemployeeofthecount.
Thetownspeople,however,becameangrywhentheyrealizedthatthecountwaswastinghismoney,astheythought,onastuntwithoutpurpose."
Wearesufferingfromthisplague,"
theysaid,"
whileheispayingthatmanforauselesshobby!
Butthecountremainedfirm."
IgiveyouasmuchasIcanafford,"
hesaid,"
butIwillalsosupportthismanandhiswork,becauseIknowthatsomedaysomethingwillcomeoutofit!
Indeed,somethingverygoodcameoutofthiswork,andalsooutofsimilarworkdonebyothersatotherplaces:
themicroscope.Itiswellknownthatthemicroscopehascontributedmorethananyotherinventiontotheprogressofmedicine,andthattheeliminationoftheplagueandmanyothercontagiousdiseasesfrommostpartsoftheworldislargelyaresultofstudieswhichthemicroscopemadepossible.
Thecount,byretainingsomeofhisspendingmoneyforresearchanddiscovery,contributedfarmoretothereliefofhumansufferingthanhecouldhavecontributedbygivingallhecouldpossiblysparetohisplague-riddencommunity.
Thesituationwhichwearefacingtodayissimilarinmanyrespects.ThePresidentoftheUnitedStatesisspendingabout200billiondollarsinhisyearlybudget.Thismoneygoestohealth,education,welfare,urbanrenewal,highways,transportation,foreignaid,defense,conservation,science,agricultureandmanyinstallationsinsideandoutsidethecountry.About1.6percentofthisnationalbudgetwasallocatedtospaceexplorationthisyear.ThespaceprogramincludesProjectApollo,andmanyothersmallerprojectsinspacephysics,spaceastronomy,spacebiology,planetaryprojects,Earthresourcesprojects,andspaceengineering.Tomakethisexpenditureforthespaceprogrampossible,theaverageAmericantaxpayerwith10,000dollarsincomeperyearispayingabout30taxdollarsforspace.Therestofhisincome,9,970dollars,remainsforhissubsistence,hisrecreation,hissavings,hisothertaxes,andallhisotherexpenditures.
Youwillprobablyasknow:
"
Whydon'
tyoutake5or3or1dollaroutofthe30spacedollarswhichtheaverageAmericantaxpayerispaying,andsendthesedollarstothehungrychildren?
Toanswerthisquestion,Ihavetoexplainbrieflyhowtheeconomyofthiscountryworks.Thesituationisverysimilarinothercountries.Thegovernmentconsistsofanumberofdepartments(Interior,Justice,Health,EducationandWelfare,Transportation,Defense,andothers)andthebureaus(NationalScienceFoundation,NationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration,andothers).Allofthempreparetheiryearlybudgetsaccordingtotheirassignedmissions,andeachofthemmustdefenditsbudgetagainstextremelyseverescreeningbycongressionalcommittees,andagainstheavypressureforeconomyfromtheBureauoftheBudgetandthePresident.WhenthefundsarefinallyappropriatedbyCongress,theycanbespentonlyforthelineitemsspecifiedandapprovedinthebudget.
ThebudgetoftheNationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration,naturally,cancontainonlyitemsdirectlyrelatedtoaeronauticsandspace.IfthisbudgetwerenotapprovedbyCongress,thefundsproposedforitwouldnotbeavailableforsomethingelse;
theywouldsimplynotbeleviedfromthetaxpayer,unlessoneoftheotherbudgetshadobtainedapprovalforaspecificincreasewhichwouldthenabsorbthefundsnotspentforspace.Yourealizefromthisbriefdiscoursethatsupportforhungrychildren,orratherasupportinadditiontowhattheUnitedStatesisalreadycontributingtothisveryworthycauseintheformofforeignaid,canbeobtainedonlyiftheappropriatedepartmentsubmitsabudgetlineitemforthispurpose,andifthislineitemisthenapprovedbyCongress.
YoumayasknowwhetherIpersonallywouldbeinfavorofsuchamovebyourgovernment.Myanswerisanemphaticyes.Indeed,Iwouldnotmindatallifmyannualtaxeswereincreasedbyanumberofdollarsforthepurposeoffeedinghungrychildren,wherevertheymaylive.
Iknowthatallofmyfriendsfeelthesameway.However,wecouldnotbringsuchaprogramtolifemerelybydesistingfrommakingplansforvoyagestoMars.Onthecontrary,IevenbelievethatbyworkingforthespaceprogramIcanmakesomecontributiontothereliefandeventualsolutionofsuchgraveproblemsaspovertyandhungeronEarth.Basictothehungerproblemaretwofunctions:
theproductionoffoodandthedistributionoffood.Foodproductionbyagriculture,cattleranching,oceanfishingandotherlarge-scaleoperationsisefficientinsomepartsoftheworld,butdrasticallydeficientinmanyothers.Forexample,largeareasoflandcouldbeutilizedfarbetterifefficientmethodsofwatershedcontrol,fertilizeruse,weatherforecasting,fertilityassessment,plantationprogramming,fieldselection,plantinghabits,timingofcultivation,cropsurveyandharvestplanningwereapplied.
Thebesttoolfortheimprovementofallthesefunctions,undoubtedly,istheartificialEarthsatellite.Circlingtheglobeatahighaltitude,itcanscreenwideareasoflandwithinashorttime;
itcanobserveandmeasurealargevarietyoffactorsindicatingthestatusandconditionofcrops,soil,droughts,rainfall,snowcover,etc.,anditcanradiothisinformationtogroundstationsforappropriateuse.IthasbeenestimatedthatevenamodestsystemofEarthsatellitesequippedwithEarthresources,sensors,workingwithinaprogramforworldwideagriculturalimprovements,willincreasetheyearlycropsbyanequivalentofmanybillionsofdollars.
Thedistributionofthefoodtotheneedyisacompletelydifferentproblem.Thequestionisnotsomuchoneofshippingvolume,itisoneofinternationalcooperation.Therulerofasmallnationmayfeelveryuneasyabouttheprospectofhavinglargequantitiesoffoodshippedintohiscountrybyalargenation,simplybecausehefearsthatalongwiththefoodtheremayalsobeanimportofinfluenceandforeignpower.Efficientrelieffromhunger,Iamafraid,willnotcomebeforetheboundariesbetweennationshavebecomelessdivisivethantheyaretoday.Idonotbelievethatspaceflightwillaccomplishthismiracleovernight.However,thespacepro
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