#BattleFest2014: To boldly go - what is the point of space exploration?

When Neil Armstrong made his first steps on the moon on 21 July 1969, he was watched by over 500million people. Many stayed up through the night to witness it, and those who were children at the time often recall being woken up to see the momentous occasion. Today, numerous scientists, engineers, writers and others cite witnessing the moon landings as an inspiring moment that influenced their choice of career. While achieved by Americans, the positive reaction was international – there was a sense that what had been achieved was on behalf of all mankind, and had opened up a sense of unlimited possibilities.

But it is the moon landings’ backdrop of the Cold War space race that perhaps dominates how we view them today. Increasingly, we are given to viewing the Apollo missions as political, with dubious scientific merit – certainly, at least, some argue that the money could have been better spent on less glamorous but more worthy missions like probes or telescopes. Those who are even less charitable see the moon landings as a colossal vanity project, wasting millions that could have been spent alleviating problems here on Earth.

Today, the worth of manned space missions is under discussion again, with the Chinese Chang’e 3 lander seen as the start of a push to place taikonauts on the moon within a decade. India has followed suit, making its own plans for a manned landing. The Americans, too, have begun to talk again about returning to the lunar surface. More generally, manned spaceflight seems to be coming back into fashion, as exemplified by the rise to celebrity status of Canadian astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield.

Are we witnessing the return of the space race? Are these plans any more than just propaganda missions, aimed at projecting the power of rising countries like India and China? Do the missions have enough scientific merit, and should we celebrate them even if the benefits are slight? Should we have gone to the moon in the first place, or should we have been focusing on more earthly concerns?

Speakers
Professor Ian Crawford
professor of planetary science and astrobiology, Birkbeck College, University of London
Ashley Dove-Jay
PhD researcher, University of Bristol; programme member on NASA/ESA-related projects
David Perks
principal, East London Science School; author, What is science education for?; co-author, Sir Richard Sykes Review of school examinations and A defence of subject-based education
Dr Jill Stuart
visiting fellow, London School of Economics; editor-in-chief, Space Policy
Will Whitehorn
chairman, Transport Systems Catapult and Speed Communications; former president, Virgin Galactic
Chair
Craig Fairnington
online resources manager, Institute of Ideas