Space exploration was one of the great achievements of the twentieth century. Putting a man on the moon was, by any standards, a quite extraordinary remarkable feat, one that captured the imagination of everyone on the planet. It symbolised the way in which science and technology have brought all kinds of things within our reach which would have been absolutely unthinkable to earlier generations. In fact, quite literally, they were the stuff of science fiction.
Space exploration then, is not just a physical journey, it is also an imaginative journey. It broadens the horizons not just of those directly involved but all of us who witness it. It requires enormous ambition and vision and unwavering sense of purpose.
It is, of course, expensive. But this also means that space projects are now invariably undertaken as collaborative projects involving different countries. It facilitates international co-operation; there is no better testament to that than the work of the ESA. There are economic benefits too; the aerospace industry in the UK employs over 100,000 people, and working on a space projects helps ensure the stability of those jobs.
As we know there are also very practical benefits to space travel. It enables us to test new technologies, to experiment in ways that are simply not possible on earth. Space exploration is a key driver of innovation.
There are those who argue that the risks of space travel outweigh the benefits that it brings. But while there are of course risks, I think it’s important that we don’t let go of all the benefits that space exploration brings. That would be a backward step. Let us keep the boldness of vision and the commitment to scientific progress which took us into space in the first place.
Lord
David
Puttnam
CBE, Chair
National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
Professional Category:
Arts
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