(featuring an appearance from a special guest blogger!)

In the last few days, we’ve started to see pictures from the Huygens space probe as it landed on Titan, the biggest moon of Saturn. This is part of the broader Cassini mission, which according to CNN, costs US$3.3 billion. The question is often asked as to whether the cost of space exploration is worth it, given the many pressing needs on Earth (a galactic version of the ‘charity begins at home’ argument I suppose), especially when a lot of space technology has a military focus.

I wanted to write a piece about why space exploration is actually a good investment of large amounts of money. However, given that I failed Chemistry and scraped through Physics at High School, I thought this would be a good time to try out something I’d been thinking of for a while – the special guest blogger!

I asked someone who understands science way better than I do to do a brief piece on why we should spend megabucks on space missions – they have provided the following:

Q: WHY SPEND MEGABUCKS ON SPACE MISSIONS?

There are practical reasons, of course. The technological advances. The benefit it would be to Australia, as a small but developed country, to have such industries and expertise. Most people have heard these arguments. They have merit, but I will not re-iterate them here. Because, for me, the really basic down-deep answer is:

Because we can afford it, and because it's fun. (or, as Joseph Campbell would say, "Follow your bliss.")

Perhaps I should deal with the question of affordability first. It's true that space exploration costs megabucks. So do all society-wide activities. Of course, there are some activities which are basic priorities: like education, health-care, livable incomes for all. But, as a society, we also spend enormous amounts on non-essentials: the National Institute of Sport springs to mind, or orchestras or operatic troupes or art galleries and museums.

I'm not arguing against any of these things. In fact, I am wholly in favour of us, as a society, spending our money on what gives us joy, what we find fun. I'm just making the point, that spending on astronomy and space missions falls in the same category. If we have money to spare (and I don't believe for a moment that money saved from space exploration would be spent on increasing the unemployment benefits), then spend some of it on space.

Just look what we get in return:

• If you click here, you'll see actual pictures of an actual other world. I'll repeat that - an actual ‘you-can't-get-there-from-here place’, and pictures that are not artists' impressions or special effects but a true record of the actual universe. Even if you think it dearly bought, that is awe-inspiring.
  
  
• And it leads me on to another picture taken from space. You can see it at this site and many other places. It was taken during the Apollo 11 mission, a classic example of a political/ideological goal, masquerading as science. But perhaps all that money was worth a photo like this. It shows our world as finite, beautiful and fragile. I think the modern environmental movement owes much to the fact that people saw photos like this one.
  
  
• The universe gives no quarter. Space exploration is hard to do well. So it teaches some humility. But, when it succeeds, it celebrates our abilities as humans as well as the immensity of the cosmos. It's vicarious exhilaration.

Not for you, perhaps you say. You get no thrill from these pictures, or the stories of the hard work and success. That's OK. You can cheer our athletes from the National Institute, or admire the artistry of our Symphony Orchestras. I'll do that too, but sometimes I'll also stare up at Saturn, a dot in the sky, and think "we've been there."

The above piece was written by Dr Marissa Bartlett (yes, relation). She has a PhD in something to do with Physics. This doesn’t make her a rocket scientist, (although she is married to one), but I figured I could more easily tell her if I didn’t like her piece then a total stranger. I also knew she was capable of writing a brief, but highly learned piece on the various complicated but vital technological, economic and environmental benefits and opportunities which space exploration provides. Instead, she wrote a bloody touchy-feely thing about the wondrousness of it all and how good it is for the human spirit!!! Bah.

If you want to read pieces in other blogs which also ignore the economic and technological opportunities and just wallow in the majesty and fun of it all, you could try some of the following:

• Barista’s Tralfamadorians hiding over horizon
  
  
• about the last 6 posts on The news from Tharsis
  
  
• To the Moon (of Saturn)! from the Betamax Guillotine
  
  
• The King's Blog draws attention to the amazing story of a Swedish radio engineer named Boris who apparently is responsible for us being able to see any pictures from Titan at all
  
  
• and this piece from prakope.com