Exploring space costs enormous sums of money. Some people feel that this money would be better spent on solving problems here on Earth. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Those who criticise space exploration make a powerful point. Millions of people still lack clean water, healthcare and education, and it can seem wrong to spend vast sums sending rockets to Mars while children go hungry. In theory, every rupee or dollar spent on a space mission could have built hospitals or schools. Critics also point out that the benefits of space missions are uncertain and may take decades to appear.

However, this argument overlooks two important facts. First, space budgets are far smaller than most people imagine. NASA, for example, receives less than one per cent of the United States federal budget, far less than is spent on health or defence, so ending space programmes would not solve poverty or disease. Second, space research directly improves life on Earth. Satellites provide weather forecasts that warn people of cyclones, power GPS navigation and collect data on crops, forests and climate change, while technologies first developed for space, such as improved water filters, are now part of everyday life. India’s satellite programme, for instance, supports communication and disaster warnings for millions of people.

In conclusion, while the needs of people on Earth are urgent, I do not believe space exploration is a waste of money. It costs relatively little and produces knowledge and technologies that help to solve the very problems its critics are concerned about.