Space exploration is, indeed, a waste of both time and money.

Having recently engaged in my first debate on this site and, to be frank, going for an easy win, I felt it would only be appropriate to open a debate to the floor. I couldn't think of a good debate topic, so I simply reversed roles from my last debate. I wish good luck to my opponent, and hope for an engaging debate. -- Definitions -- Space: 'The expanse in which the solar system, stars, and galaxies exist; the universe. The region of this expanse beyond earth's atmosphere'- http://www.thefreedictionary.com... Waste: 'To use, consume, spend, or expend thoughtlessly or carelessly' - http://www.thefreedictionary.com... Money: 'A medium that can be exchanged for goods and services and is used as a measure of their values on the market, including among its forms a commodity such as gold, an officially issued coin or note, or a deposit in a checking account or other readily liquefiable account'- http://www.thefreedictionary.com... Time: 'A non spatial continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future'- http://www.thefreedictionary.com... -- Arguments for Space Exploration -- 1. Eventually, we will have to leave earth if we wish for the human race to survive. Whether it is within a few centuries due to climate change, [1] or a few billion years due to the sun expending all of it's energy, [2] the earth will eventually become uninhabitable. When this happens, we will be forced to explore space in order to look for promising planets for colonisation. 2. To be adventurous! Since the early days of civilisation, man has yearned to discover what is beyond the horizon. However, now we have explored most of the surface of the earth, there are more horizons to discover. The sea, the centre of the earth and the universe to which the earth belongs are the big ones. Even if there is little foreseeable material benefit to exploring space, surely we should explore space in the spirit of adventure? We might discover extraterrestrial life, or new elements, or previously unknown aspects of our universe. The possibilities, as the saying goes, are endless. 3. Many forays into space in the past have been immensely profitable enterprises. Take the Hubble space telescope. That enterprise changed our understanding of the universe forever. A telescope on the moon, shielded from both solar and earth radiation, has the potential to see further into the universe than anything previously built. [3] At the very least, there is great potential for an increase in scientific knowledge by exploring our solar system. 4. It would create new jobs and spur innovation. Even if the effort turns out to have none of the benefits listed above, it will not have been a waste. Funding space exploration would create jobs, businesses and new technologies. We would fund research into, to name a few, solar-power generation, cryogenics and robot-human interaction, [3] all of which have numerous, obvious applications on earth. So even if the 'space exploration' part of the argument fails, the effort still will not have been a waste! [1] http://en.wikipedia.org... [2] http://www.newscientist.com... [3] http://tech.mit.edu...