Exploration: The Key to Americas Innovative Future

Tristan Rivera
April 13, 2015

As the scene begins, a large, dark sphere illuminating with blue light around its surface engulfs a
large portion of view. A voice starts up, Thats home. Thats us. The large sphere slowly
appears smaller and smaller and the voice continues: On it, everyone you love, everyone you
know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The
scene continues, the darkness turns to light, and our well-known planet Earth takes center stage.
But the scene does not stop there.
Now, the size of our distinguished planet is reduced to that of a dime as the words linger on:
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast, cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by
all those generals and emperors so that in glory and triumph they could become the momentary
masters of a fraction of a dot. By the end, our home planet is reduced to the size of a speck of
dust in relation to the expansiveness of the universe.
This scene comes from the final episode of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (2014) in which host
Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes from Carl Sagans Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in
Space (1994).i This clip calls for viewers think about the world beyond our world. In imagining
a world beyond our own, a great sense of curiosity is invoked to find out more about what is
around us in the seemingly infinite universe.
This curiosity influences ideas for imaginative, potential action sort of what if scenarios
that could be carried out through exploration: something that appeals to our greatest senses of
imagination. If these ideas are put into real action, we would be able to fulfill these curiosities.
Exploration of the depths of our oceans as well as the vastness of space around us is one of the
ways we currently are putting past journeys of pure imagination to reality. These explorations
help us answer a myriad of questions about the world around us and lead us to unique
discoveries with each successful journey.
But in order to improve and advance the discovery process of the unknown through exploration,
our current public support and allocations towards organizations like National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
need to expand. This expansion mixed with current societal circumstances regarding education
and increasing globalization will allow for a surge in future motivation for exploration missions
as well as societal, personal, and intellectual developments at supreme heights.
Historical Explorations: Man on the Moon
Back in the early 1960s when President John F. Kennedy along with NASA initiated the Apollo
Program, the science culture in America was booming. Amidst the space race with the Soviet
Union at the time (as well as the ongoing Cold War), Kennedys compelling announcement to put
a man on the moon by the end of the decade put tremendous pressure on his administration as
well as the scientific community with a
large portion of pressure on areas of
space exploration.
However, this ambitious goal proved a
success on July 20th, 1969 as Apollo 11
commander Neil Armstrong took the
first steps on the moons surfaceii. At
this moment in time, the possibilities for
what was to come were endless.
Successful exploration of space opened up
a whole new potential for curious,
creative thinkers in the scientific
community and abroad.
During this time period, its interesting to
note that the United States saw a
dramatic increase in the Figure 1. Space Exploration Budget and Technical PhDs, William
number of PhDs earned amidst H. Siegfried (2003).
the Apollo Missions. Figure 1
displays the high rise in PhDs earned in the technical fields around the time of the Apollo
Mission with a spike around 1968, around the same time that the first man landed on the moon,
till just before Apollo 17, the last time a man was on the mooniii. Its astonishing to see that the
number of PhDs earned nearly tripled in areas of the Physical Science as well as Engineering and
doubled in Mathematical Sciences from the beginning of the program till its peak, the year
before Apollo 17.
Of course one strong factor in this increase is attributed to the amount of money allocated to the
NASA budget at the time. But, the combination of the high societal demand for space
exploration missions and allocations towards these missions provided a great motivation for
students to pursue higher level technical degrees at the time.
Pushing the Drive for STEM
In analyzing the circumstances surrounding the increased trend for pursuing the Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields in the 1960s, international events
show that growth was during a time of heightened global competition: when the global space
race was occurring.
Today, the increasing globalization of
economy and culture puts America in a
sort of international competition for world-
class performers and forward thinkers
similar to that in the 1960s. But compared
internationally, America has been slacking
in performance in its STEM areas. The
students in these fields are the future
technical innovators in society and with
increased technology playing a larger role
in globalization, America sees where it
needs to stress for its future development.
According to one of the biggest cross-
national tests, the Program for
International Student Assessment (PISA)
[Figure 2], the US ranked 35/64 in math
and 27/64 in science in 2012 for students
age 15. This data, which comes out every
three years, gave more concrete reason for
a heavier demand to improve Americas
performance in the STEM areas, especially
in light of pressure from increasing
globalization factorsiv.
Already, we have seen action Figure 2. PISA Rankings for Mathematics and Science Abroad,
emerging from the government as Pew Research Center (2012).
reform started in 2009 to push for the
STEM fields. President Obama around this time launched an Educate to Innovate initiative
which has brought in over $700 million to date, mostly aimed at enhancing the state of our
STEM related programs. These funds have allowed for the creation of programs such as Change
the Equation (aimed at mobilizing the business community to improve the quality of STEM
education in the United States), 100Kin10 (aimed to recruit and prepare 100,000 top-of-the-line
STEM teachers), and Maker Corps (aimed to build a larger network of makers, mentors and
community leaders in youth, ages 8-18, through open-ended, self-created projects)v.
With these new initiatives in place, the nation seems to aim to promote innovation: creative,
smart new ways to work and solve problems. Yet, if the countrys aim is to increase both the
performance and numbers in the STEM field as well as enhance student creativity to compete
with growing globalization, why not advocate for more exploration?
Exploration of unchartered territory epitomizes the ultimate limitlessness of curiosity and
creative thought. Likewise, a very strong background in the STEM field is absolutely necessary
to develop the technology in order to explore the lowest points of the oceans to the farthest
distances of the universe. In exploring uncharted areas, new discoveries tend to be revealed.
These new discoveries then initiate a chain of events which ultimately lead to advancements in
understanding and practice, affecting a variety of areas of life and contributing to the nations
overall growth and development.

Money Talks
However, with remarkable timing for
expansion of exploration today, the other
major factor for advancing these initiatives
involves funding for exploration programs.
Figure 3 shows that at the peak of the Apollo
program, the United States nearly devoted
4.5% of the federal budget to NASA related
programs. Now, the US only allocates
around 0.4% of the budget to NASA, which
is about the same amount it currently spends
on international aidvi. Although we do not
necessarily need to go back to the early
1960s where such a large portion of the
budget went to NASA, we have reached a
new low: the lowest that we have seen in
around 60 years.
Figure 3. NASAs Budget from 1962 2018,
OMB Historical Tables (2014).

On top of this historical low, we see an even

lower amount of funding dedicated to the
exploration of our own oceans something
that we have way easier access to explore.
According to Figure 4, the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
reports that the budget on ocean exploration
is around 1:150 the size of the already low
space exploration budget. This is bizarre to
witness as 71 percent of the Earths surface
is covered by oceans, but around 95 percent
of the underwater world is yet to be
explored. Plus, ocean life has a large impact
on the economy with 1 out of every 6 jobs in
the United States being marine-related and
over 1/3 of US Gross National Product originating in coastal areasvii.

Figure 4. Ocean vs. Space Exploration Funding, National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (2014).
This substantially low rate of funding reflects an assumption of the public perception of
exploration: it is not of high importance to people. This assumption stems from the cost-
effectiveness that comes from research and development programs in general: they dont provide
concrete proof that theyre going to be profitable. Essentially, there is a gamble that comes with
the science sector that the American people are saying they arent willing to invest in right now.
However, linking the perception of investing in science and exploration to a gamble that is not
likely to payoff is the misunderstanding of the American public. Devoting more of the federal
budget to the sciences and exploration in the present will allow for profitable progress in
the future.

What Profitable Progress Have We Seen?

In looking at profitable advancements that have come out of NOAA, more practical gains (as
opposed to new inventions that lead to monetary rewards) seem to be a trending theme. For
example, the administration has many other line offices such as the National Weather Service -
which relays weather forecasts, warnings, watches and advisoriesviii - and the National
Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service which helps us learn more about weather
patterns, climate issues, conservation efforts and other environmental aspects surrounding our
planetix.
In gaining more information through these specific branches of the NOAA, we can prepare for
future, potentially more detrimental economic hardships that would be faced by large-scale
natural disasters. We are also able to more accurately predict everyday weather patterns,
determine how to adjust the building of infrastructure in accordance to its geographical region,
help society understand many other weather-related concerns that arise like global warming, and
assist in any other issue in everyday life that is related to weather.
Explorations from the years 2001-2015
from NOAA have gave us great insight
about the vast wonders of the world
underneath by mapping out underwater and
discovering all new types of underwater
landscapes and organisms, including
different types of plants, wildlife, and other
living creatures as well as new
landscapes and ingredients that can be
put into medicinal products to help
fight cancer and other diseasesx.
Figure 5 displays the many benefits
that are provided to us from our oceans
even with the little knowledge we
currently have about the large volumes
of waters. Expanding knowledge of
these unknown areas can lead to Figure 5. What Our World Oceans Provide to Us,
advancements in areas of improving National Ocean Service of the NOAA (2014).
health, solving environmental issues, and
coming up with more efficient, cost-effective ways to travel across the waters.
But when examining the numerous payoffs from investing in space exploration, NASA provides
a whole series of publications that dates all the way back to 1976. Originally, NASA had a
publication titled Tech Briefs that informed the scientific community about NASAs available
technologies, which eventually led to the demand for the private sector to aid in development of
commercial products and services.
Eventually, spinoff products emerged from space technologies to which NASA decided to create
an attractive publication titled Spinoff that highlights the transfer of the administrations
technology to the private sector. Today, nearly 1,800 stories have been published, showing how
NASA technology has influenced modern technological inventionsxi.
Of the technologies most closely associated with exploration, some of the most notable include:
Modern firefighter gear originally developed for the U.S. Space program including
breathing apparatus, radio communications and other flexible, heat-resistant materials;
The NASA Structural Analysis Program (NASTRAN), which is a software program that
was originally created for spacecraft design and now has been used to design a variety of
structures from Cadillacs to roller coaster rides;
X-Ray Imaging Systems originally discovered from developments in studying celestial
bodies by measuring the x-rays they emit that now have been licensed to several
companies that have made useful applications in the medical field, airport and building
security (luggage inspection), and other types of inspections;
And water purification systems, which were intended to sustain astronauts living on the
International Space Station and future explorations to the moon, that allow wastewater
from sweat, respiration, and urine to be used as drinking waterxii.

Now is the Time

The American public is becoming more
and more aware of the need to invest
more money into exploration and the
space program. Figure 6 displays that the
percentage of Americans saying the US
spends too much on the space program is
at an all-time low since 1971 (30%) as
those who believe we spend too little are
at an all-time high since the same year
(20%). This trend indicates that public
support for the sciences are on the rise,
which gives the nation a great
opportunity to speak up and promote the
sciences.
Now is the perfect time to further push Figure 6. US Public Opinion on Spending for Space
the momentum that has been shifting in Programs, Roper Center Data (2013).

the American culture: to initiate a shift in the nations

investment towards the direction of science, exploration,
and technological development. Organizations like NASA
already have established the credible institutions and
resources to continue developing scientific expansions
all that the American public needs to do is promote
progression and support the investment for the future of
science.
And overall support from congress should come with
relative ease as Figure 7 shows that NASA is the number
2 most highly favored agency just behind the Centers for
Disease Control among Democrats, Republicans and
Independents as a whole.
There are also beginnings of progress starting to show regarding ocean exploration evolvement
as there was congressional push from the Ocean Exploration Act of 2009, sponsored by Former
Republican Senator Olympia J. Snowe. The Act states, The Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shallestablish
Figure 7. PEW Statistic on Party
a coordinated national ocean exploration program within
Favorability of Several Agencies, Pew the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Research Center (2015). that promotes collaboration with other Federal ocean and
undersea research and exploration programs.xiii Among
other measures, the Act calls for an ocean exploration and undersea research technology and
infrastructure task force as well as an appointment of an Ocean Exploration Advisory Board.xiv

Consequently, in July of 2013, NOAA and Aquarium of the Pacific hosted a national forum
which culminated in the release of its first plans for a National Ocean Exploration Program in
September of 2013. This mission will be the first national ocean exploration mission by the
United States. This program entitled Ocean Exploration 2020 outlines more detailed priorities
for underwater exploration, including ranking which regions to explore first based on geographic
areas, ocean features, and oceanic processes and phenomena.xv

Conclusion
In regards to investing in the future, America has seen from the Kennedy space exploration era
that allocating more money to science related programs incentivizes people to pursue higher
levels of education and maximize potential in STEM related fields. This observation is especially
true with the encouragement of national initiatives in a competitive global atmosphere. So in
light of todays efforts to promote the push of STEM fields in education to compete with rapid
globalization, the nation needs to continue taking steps in answering the question, What
happens next? We can educate people and give them the skillset to be innovative leaders for the
future, but the motivation to fully maximize potential comes with a personal incentive to
contribute to groundbreaking advances. The choices our nation makes now will effect Americas
future ideas, discoveries and inventions that make national headlines and change the way the
world works and thinks; what better way to make the most out of these advances than through
exploration and discovery?
Money is the key to putting these progressive ideas of exploration into motion. Although today
America as a whole doesnt place science high on its priority list, support is continuing to
increase for the development of science and exploration. The increase in legislation surrounding
future exploration as well as the current investments in educating students in the STEM fields
from a young age are laying the foundation for a prosperous future for the sciences. These
initiatives also serve a dual purpose in supporting efforts to compete with amplifying
globalization. Past discoveries and developments as a result of exploration provide great insight
to how investment in science can lead to a better understanding of the world around us, leading
to a better overall quality of life.
Now, with congressional favorability in exploration at high levels across party lines, support
from the American public is needed. This support can advance initiatives in areas of science and
exploration in order to further secure and progress the triumphs and innovations that are to come
for America. The time to initiate change for the future is happening. A change that not only
promotes boundless creativity and intelligent innovation, but also a change that allows for
maximization of personal, intellectual, and societal development.

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