You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Present a written argument or case to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topic:
As the population of the world is growing very quickly, the only long-term solution to the problem of overpopulation is for humans to settle on other planets. What benefits has the world got from space exploration? Do you think humans will ever live on other planets?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer
The world population has reached over 7 billion and the number is increasing every day. It is often cited that mother planet, Earth, will not be able to accommodate the overwhelming number of people in the future and we will have to settle on a different planet. If this is the case then space exploration is the solution to this issue. What we see as a plot of science fiction movie today will be a reality tomorrow and I believe that human will live on other planets in the future.
To list down the advantages of space exploration, we have to mention the knowledge we learn from it first. Space exploration has made it possible for us to understand the pattern of the universe and the solar system. Without knowing the universe, human will never be able to fully understand the Earth. Thus space exploration is an important part of knowing who we actually are. Knowledge acquired from space exploration has been proven to challenge our existing perspective of life and has enriched human capabilities. Many inventions and advancement in technology and theoretical science have been possible only because of our activity in outer space.
Secondly, it’s been around 50 years of human activity in outer space and this has improved the life on Earth. The first satellite was designed to study the space environment has opened the door of many possibilities like satellite communication, advancement in weather forecasting, global positioning and so on.
Thirdly, though space exploration we have learned many aspects of addressing global challenges. It also makes us better suited to prevent catastrophic events like asteroid strikes and similar events. The joint venture on space exploration increases diplomatic relationship among nations and increases the international preparedness to address any issue arises on Earth. The future exploration will surely bring many benefits towards the development of nations and even settling on a different planet.
The world population is already beyond the carrying capacity of our planet and the predicted global warming and meltdown of polar ice will diminish many highlands. This will only leave us one choice, to settle down on a different planet that can support life.