Defending Manned Space Exploration

On The Space Review website this week (www.thespacereview.com) Dr. David Livingston writes an article arguing in favor of space exploration in general and human spaceflight in particular. Dr. Livingston is an economist and business consultant, as well as founder and host of The Space Show on radio (www.thespaceshow.com), which looks at the development of outer space commerce and space tourism, among other subjects.

Dr. Livingston argues in his TSR article that, from an economic perspective, manned spaceflight specifically, certainly through Apollo, has not only paid for itself, but has led to economic development, even long after Apollo ended. He also points out that a generation of scientists and engineers was inspired by the space program, and the efforts of those people have transformed America and the world.

The article is well worth reading, especially in this political year.