Space Development

　Space development refers to all the activities/carried out by humans in space.// It includes launching satellites and rockets,/constructing a space station,/and exploring planets and their moons.// Every year,/hundreds of satellites are sent into space.// These satellites are utilized for various purposes,/such as observing weather/and improving telecommunication on the earth.// The International Space Station,/which was built in 2011,/orbits about 400 km/above the earth now.// A variety of experiments are conducted/by the staff staying on the station.// Furthermore,/humans are exploring planets/far away from the earth.// For example,/in 2020,/the Japanese space probe Hayabusa2/successfully brought back rock samples/from the asteroid Ryugu/after its six-year trip.//
　Since there is great potential in space,/some countries are eager to explore this new frontier.// In particular,/the US, China, and Russia/are competing with one another.// As shown in the graph,/most of the rockets were launched/by these three countries/between 2019 and 2021.// India, the EU, and Japan/also launched rockets constantly.// The total number of rockets launched in the world/is growing year by year,/which demonstrates/that many countries have a strong interest/in space development.// This trend will continue in the future.//
　Although there are benefits/of promoting space development,/it can also cause some problems.// Space development is a controversial issue/in modern society.//



　Space development should be pushed forward/for our future.// There are at least three advantages/that should be noted.//
　First,/humans can obtain mineral resources and new substances/in space.// It has been found/that meteorites coming from space/sometimes contain minerals/such as iron, nickel, and platinum.// This fact shows the possibility/that humans can find these mineral resources/on other planets.// In addition,/a new substance/which does not exist on the earth/may be discovered.// With such a new substance,/it might be possible/to develop new materials and medicines.//
　Next,/space development can lead/to the advancement of technology.// For example,/to improve satellites, rockets, and the space station,/new technologies have been created.// These technologies have contributed/to making better solar panels, water purifiers, and calculators.// Advanced technologies for space development/are also useful/for peoples’ everyday lives.//
　Finally,/humans can understand the earth/more deeply.// It is said/that water and organic substances,/which are essential for life,/were brought to the earth/by meteorites from space.// However, the truth is still unknown.// The exploration of space may help solve the mystery/of how life began on the earth.//
　Because of these advantages,/human beings should prioritize space development/over all other things.//



　Space development should not be promoted.// The following problems need to be addressed.//
　First,/space development requires a huge amount of money.// Recently,/in Japan,/more than 300 billion yen has been spent/on space development each year.// Yet,/space development does not necessarily achieve/the desired results.// Some people argue/that their governments should spend money/for solving immediate problems/rather than investing in faraway space.//
　Second,/space development can damage the environment/in outer space.// Broken satellites and parts of rockets,/which are called space debris,/remain floating around the earth.// The amount of space debris has been increasing,/and scientists estimate/that nearly 20,000 pieces of debris are there.// If one of these pieces hits an active satellite or the space station,/it can cause a serious accident.//
　Third,/the present situation of space development is not fair/for developing countries.// Now,/only rich countries compete to exploit space/and to gain benefits.// Space does not belong to any country;/no single country should try to dominate it.//
　Thus,/space development brings nothing but disadvantages/for humans.// It must be stopped immediately.//