The United States should explore space.

Thanks for the response. What I mean by exploring is to use astronomy, space technology, and machines to explore and go out there. Observatories are included. Refutation 1. "Creating ships and shuttles with our limited technological knowledge is in fact a waste of money, we can't really go to far with what we have now. So, it would be a waste of time and money." It is not a waste of time and money. Actually, we're running out of time of our survival. We only have limited technological knowledge because America isn't currently finding the program as valuable as before. If we did find it as important and funded it as much, it would be much better and would be much more useful. It does not at all waste money and I will later explain it. 2. "Until our civilization has evolved to the point where we can govern ourselves under one political body, searching for a new home isn't a good idea. And even if our society gets to such a point (which I am sure it will), our technology will have to be advanced enough to get to the planet, otherwise it is pointless." You stated that our technology will be advanced enough. The only way it will be advanced enough is if we invest in space exploration. We should do it now, rather than later when our deaths will be closer. No civilization has ever evolved to the point where it is a perfect society, and everyone will be able to cooperate when they realize that their lives are on the line. 3. 'What about the poor and the sick? We could be using such money to find cures for diseases and educate our youth." Space exploration has learned how to treat brain cancer for the sick. Educating the youth is a good idea, and I'm not against that, but I'm not saying all of America's money is going to space exploration. Some can go to these important things and I'm positive that many of America's activities are not currently important. I'll be getting to that later. And the poor can find jobs in the space exploration. Economical benefits do come from space, which I will later explain. 4. My opponent has stated that no matter what we do, we will always die out in the end. That doesn't mean we just give up and let ourselves be enveloped in mass destruction! Who knows? With space exploration, we might even discover a possible way to survive forever and live our legacy instead of giving up and dying as a coward. 5. My opponent has stated that getting new technology from space is not space exploration. True, it may not be exactly the same, but it is certainly linked. When we went to the moon and explored space, it taught us how to send satellites into space. These satellites then powered new appliances such as phones and GPS. And to quote my opponent, "We are simply launching rockets up into our aptosphere (atmosphere I assume) to orbit around our planet and provide us with USEFUL TECHNOLOGICAL BENEFITS." He clearly states himself that there are technological benefits that are useful. 6. "Human extinction is inevitable..." That does not mean that the human race should give up and just believe that it's the will of the universe. We should actually do something about it and may even discover a solution. 7. Sorry that I'm skipping around. My opponent also asked "who gets the planet?" Well, this topic is not about other countries, it's about us. The United States. If other countries see fit to invest in space exploration, that's a good idea, but it's irrelevant due to the topic. I'd like to point out that my opponent has only stated why my points are invalid, but has never clearly stated why we shouldn't explore space. The entire time my opponent has been disapproving me, but not furthering his own case. I'd also like to point out that my opponent is right that education and foreign policies are important issues. I believe these are valuable things we need to discuss. However, he is speaking so that all the money of the US will be poured into the US. That's not what I'm saying. Currently, only Out of a $2.4 trillion budget, less than 0.8% is spent on the entire space program! That's less than 1 penny for every dollar spent. The average American spends more of their budget on their cable bill, eating out or entertainment than this yet the benefits of space flight are remarkable. It has been conservatively estimated by U.S. space experts that for every dollar the U.S. spends on R and D in the space program, it receives $7 back in the form of corporate and personal income taxes from increased jobs and economic growth. Thus, not only can important issues be take care of but we can also gain money from space. http://www.thespaceplace.com... Own points 1. Space exploration links to valuable new technology. Around half the world's population has a cell phone, and we wouldn't have had cell phones if there were no satellites. And space exploration taught us how to send satellites into space. It has in fact helped the sick and the physically weak, too, as I later mentioned. e.g. Brain cancer treatments, ultraviolet suits that protect skin, and heart pumps. 2. *NEW* Space exploration, no matter how hard it is to believe, does actually help our economy. As I mentioned in my rebuttal, for every dollar invested in space exploration, 7 dollars returns to us as benefit. Valuable jobs are also created in this rough economy that are necessary for America to get back on track. 3. *NEW* Valuable scientific information comes from space exploration. One small example is the Hubble Space Telescope. Much maligned at first because of its flawed optics, it still produced better photographs than anything here on Earth. Once fixed, it has produced even more startling scientific data which we have only begun to understand and apply. One of the many spinoffs from the Hubble telescope is the use of its Charge Coupled Device (CCD) chips for digital imaging breast biopsies. The resulting device images breast tissue more clearly and efficiently than other existing technologies. The CCD chips are so advanced that they can detect the minute differences between a malignant or benign tumor without the need for a surgical biopsy. This saves the patient weeks of recovery time and the cost for this procedure is hundreds of dollars vs. thousands for a surgical biopsy. With over 500,000 women needing biopsies a year the economic benefit, per year, is tremendous and it greatly reduces the pain, scarring, radiation exposure, time, and money associated with surgical biopsies. The technologies that led to the computer bar codes in retail stores, quartz timing crystals and household smoke detectors were originally developed for NASA. The Ergometer used by astronauts helps paralyzed men with muscle stimulations! The pacemakers used to treat cardiac patients as well as the remote monitoring devices for intensive care patients were derived from the telemetry systems that first monitored astronauts and spacecraft. Much of the portable medical equipment carried aboard ambulances has its roots in NASA's needs for such portable equipment in space. These are but a few of the more than 30,000 secondary applications of space technology providing daily benefits in Earth-bound hospitals, offices and homes. 4. Survival is an extremely important issue our planet is faced with. My opponent has basically suggested that we're going to die anyway and we shouldn't do anything about it. That's an awful idea. By exploring space, we lengthen the amount of time for our survival and can even discover a way to live forever. 5. Because I am running out of space, my fifth point is about the dangers in space. Look back at my first point in Round 2 for reference. Also, America has not spent enough on space exploration and 2x NASA's budget has been spent on household pets. For these reasons, vote Pro, saying the US should explore space. Thank you for a great match, joshpleco! :D