Carl Sagan once said: “Every planetary civilization will be endangered by impacts from space, every surviving civilization is forced to become spacefaring – not because of exploratory zeal or romantic, but for the most practical reason imaginable: to stay alive... If our long-term survival is at stake, we have a fundamental responsibility to our species to venture out to other worlds. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA carries out Sagan's words every day. President Dwight D. Eisenhower established NASA in 1958 to conduct peaceful, rather than military, space exploration and research to contribute to society. Just 11 years after creation, NASA sent Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the Moon, the first humans to accomplish this feat. NASA's research and innovation seemed promising, but it came at a cost. Money, resources, and spacecraft accidents, including Apollo 13, have all hampered NASA's research. In the 21st century, the debate over NASA funding has been at its peak since the organization's birth in 1958, especially when problems abound around the world. Is the money spent on space exploration worth the benefits and advancements it brings to society? Thinking about this topic, one might ask why explore space? We explore space to compare other planets with Earth and study the sun, to explore the universe while discovering if intelligent life exists, for satellites to improve communications, weather forecasting, navigation, monitoring resources and “to create a focal point for a new intellectual renaissance” (Ruzic). When we consider space exploration, we can look to Columbus. If Columbus had never sought a better trade route but instead found the new world, middle of paper ......fe, with the inventions they produced and learning what they did I think that the budget should be increased. I firmly believe that science holds the answers to our world's problems. If NASA and other scientific organizations continue their research, I believe the world's problems will solve themselves. For example, if NASA or another organization finds a way to efficiently convert salt-contaminated water into potable water, our water shortage problem will ease. Maybe NASA has found a way to make cars or other transportation run on soil, sand, or grass (highly unlikely but it's possible). NASA would need workers to build these devices, which would create many low-education jobs across the country. Continued funding of NASA and other scientific organizations will solve problems of social injustice around the world..