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Lnat essay review - Space exploration

Hi! can anyone maybe review my LNAT essay? It was timed and i know its not very good but some advice would be amazing!! ( i know absolutly nothing about space so sorry for any space lovers for the bad info!)

Ever since the cold war space exploration has garnered increased funds from our governments, but is this a good idea? With the current political climate can we justify spending such vast amounts on a concept that for many is far out of reach? In this essay I will be assuming the government mentioned is the British Government. I will also be Illustrating the negatives associated with an increase in funding for space exploration, such as, Economic, Environmental, and Democratic Issues.

As we all know our economy is deeply struggling. Whether it is rapid inflation rates, unemployment or healthcare the system is inherently unstable. For this reason shouldn't addressing domestic affairs - such as the economy - take precedence over travelling to space? The opportunity cost created by spending more on space exploration will only augment the issues we face on the daily. From a Utilitarianism perspective, one could say that the government should spend money on what will derive the most amount of utility to society. In my opinion this would be healthcare or education. The NHS is strained by insufficient resources, workers and funds. By Redirecting our spending towards healthcare we can help more people recover, allow for more technological advancements in surgery and increase overall happiness. I would argue that by increasing space exploration funding, our societies overall satisfaction will not rise. Furthermore, education shapes the minds of the young. We have to ensure a stable and well run system to allow each student the same opportunities. This can be achieved by increased funding to state schools in the form of grants, scholarships and building infrastructure. The government has a limited budget and I strongly believe funds should be spent on the urgent needs of our society which I argue does not at present include space exploration.

Climate change is a factor we should also be considering. The government promises to do everything in their ability to combat global warming. But why do they continue to fund space exploration? We are all aware that rockets release an enormous amount of pollutants into our environment. Shouldn't we as a society work towards minimising harm to the planet? By inadvertently endorsing space travel we are only hurting our planet more. Space travel requires the extraction of valuable resources from the earth. This extraction can lead to habitat destruction, water pollution and other negative impacts. These resources should be preserved on earth as we are steadily running out of renewable resources . One might argue that space exploration offers us new discoveries and technological advancements. This may be true but the same can be said for developing sustainable initiatives. By working towards creating a cleaner world we can invent new technology that might help us along the way.

Lastly, democratically we have to take the general population into account. It is important that governments allocate their spending with the priorities and values of society. If a significant portion of the UK population agrees that space exploration should have decreased funds, it may seem undemocratic to keep allocating resources in that direction. I would also argue that space exploration only benefits a select privilaged group of people over the broader population who may still suffer from social inequality. When deciding on public policy I believe we should make the decision that will benefit the most people at present.

All in all, I strongly believe that space exploration should not have increased funding from the government, our current domestic issues should take precedence. As illustrated we are battling with too many social economic problems to justify spending on travel to space