Question added: shouldn't these funds be used for deeper medical security and poverty alleviation?

Tan Mei

Mulder Hoka replied:

1970, a nun working in Africa asked the same question. Ernst

Dr Stuhlinger, pioneer of space technology, wrote back to her as follows.

Dear Mary

Sister Jucunda:

I receive many letters every day, yours is just one of them, but your in-depth exploration and compassion are the most touching. I will try my best to answer your question.

But, first of all, I want to pay tribute to you and all the brave nuns, because you have dedicated your lives to the noblest cause: helping compatriots in distress.

In your letter, you asked me why countless children died of hunger in the world, and I suggested spending billions of dollars to explore Mars. I know you may want me to answer, "Oh, I really didn't know that so many children starved to death, but from now on, I will stop all space research until human beings solve this problem." In fact, I knew that the world was full of hunger before I demonstrated the feasibility of traveling to Mars. However, many of my friends and I still believe that exploring Mars is something we must start doing at once. I even believe that in the long run, this project will be more helpful to solve all kinds of problems we face in the world than those plans that we have debated year after year but have little effect.

Before describing in detail why our space exploration program will help solve the world's problems, let me tell a simple story that may help our differences. About 400 years ago, a jazz lived in a small town in Germany. He is a very generous man and spends a large part of his property on helping the poor. This is very valuable, because in the Middle Ages, poverty was everywhere, and plagues ravaged the whole country. One day, Jazz met a stranger. There is a small laboratory and workbench in his home. He always works hard during the day, so he can squeeze in a few hours to work in the laboratory at night. He always fiddles with different lenses and observes very small things with these tools. Jazz was deeply attracted by these tiny creatures that he had never seen before, so he invited him to move the laboratory into the castle and stay with Jazz's family. Since then, he has been a special employee of Jazz, studying this optical instrument full-time.

People in the town were very angry when they learned that jazz had wasted money on these useless gimmicks. "We are suffering from the plague," they said, "but he pays for that guy's boring hobby." But Jazz still insisted. "I have done my best to give it to you," he said, "but I will always support him and his research, because I know his research will bear fruit sooner or later!"

In fact, this study did produce a very good result: the microscope. As we all know, the microscope has made greater contribution to medicine than any other invention, and its birth made it possible to curb the spread of plague and other infectious diseases.

This jazz, with his huge investment in research and development, has made greater contributions to saving lives.

The problem we are facing today is similar to this story in some ways. The annual budget of the President of the United States is $200 billion, which is used for medical care, education, welfare, municipal construction, highways, transportation, international aid, national defense, accumulation, science and technology, agriculture and many other domestic and foreign affairs. This year, almost 1.6% of the budget was spent on space exploration. This project includes Apollo and other smaller projects, such as astronomy, space biology, planetary research, earth resources research and aerospace engineering. In order to support the space exploration program, American taxpayers with an average annual income of $65,438+$00,000 have to pay a tax of $30. The remaining income, $9,970, is used for survival, entertainment, savings, other taxes and some other expenses.

You may ask, "Why not spend $5, $3 or even $65,438+0 to help hungry children?" In order to answer this question, I must briefly explain how this country's economy works, and so do other countries. The government consists of several departments (internal affairs, justice, medical care, education and welfare, transportation, national defense, etc.). ) and different departments (National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, etc. These departments make budgets according to the established tasks every year. All departments need to defend the rationality of the budget in Congress, and at the same time bear the pressure from the budget department and the president. Only when Congress approves the budget can they use the funds as planned.

The budget of NASA can only be used for research closely related to space technology. If the budget is not approved by Congress, the funds will not be used for other projects, but will not be charged to taxpayers unless another project is approved to absorb the funds and increase the special budget. You should understand by now that only after the relevant departments have submitted their budget applications and obtained the approval of the National Assembly can they carry out activities such as international aid and helping hungry children.

You may ask me whether I personally support the government in such assistance activities. Of course, in fact, I don't even mind paying more taxes every year, as long as it helps hungry children, no matter where they are in the world.

My friends feel the same way, but we can't stop the Mars exploration program. On the contrary, I even believe that through our space research, I can make greater contributions to alleviating the serious problems of poverty and hunger in the world. There are two basic points to alleviate the food problem: food production and food distribution. In some areas, through large-scale management of agriculture, animal husbandry and fishing, the output can be effectively increased, but in other areas, the effect is minimal. For example, if we can pay attention to soil and water conservation, fertilization, weather forecast, soil testing, intensive cultivation and crop habits, we can make full use of large areas of land.

And the most effective tool to realize these is undoubtedly the artificial earth satellite. Satellites running in a specific orbit can monitor a large area in a short time and observe various factors affecting crop yield, such as soil, drought, flood and snowfall. At the same time, it can send this information back to the ground for other in-depth research. It is estimated that even a medium-sized satellite equipped with various agricultural sensors can increase the grain output equivalent to billions of dollars of agricultural production every year.

The distribution of food is a completely different problem, not just the freight, but the international cooperation. People in power in small countries may be reluctant to accept food aid from big countries because they are afraid of the subsequent import of foreign forces. I'm afraid this problem will not be alleviated until the gap between countries narrows. I don't think space research can create miracles overnight, but space research is undoubtedly making unremitting efforts in the right direction.

Let's introduce the accident of Apollo 13. When the astronauts were about to return to Earth, the former Soviet Union cut off all Russian radio frequencies in conflict with the Apollo program to prevent interference, and Russian ships were moored in the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean for rescue. When the return capsule landed near the Russian ship, the Russian side immediately launched a search and rescue, as if the Russian astronaut had just returned from space. If the same emergency occurs in Russia's space program, the United States will not hesitate to take the same measures.

Increasing food production through investigation and evaluation and optimizing food distribution through international cooperation are two examples of the impact of space plan on life. I want to give two more examples: the stimulating effect of scientific and technological development and the renewal of scientific knowledge.

The moon landing project requires high precision and reliability for spacecraft, which is unprecedented in engineering. In order to meet these strict requirements, we have the opportunity to discover new materials and methods, invent new technical systems, improve processing procedures, increase the service life of equipment, and even discover new natural laws.

All these new technologies can also be applied in real society. Every year, thousands of new technologies developed by the space program are applied to real life, bringing better kitchen utensils and farm tools, better sewing machines and radios, better boats and planes, more accurate weather forecast and storm warning, smoother communication, better medical equipment and better daily tableware. Presumably, you may ask me: Why can't we establish a reliable remote body monitoring system for heart patients and give priority to developing the moon landing program? The answer is simple: the solution of major technical problems is often not smooth sailing, but a challenging goal is set first, and the realization of the goal requires strong imagination, unremitting efforts and full cooperation.

The space program undoubtedly served this purpose. Exploring Mars can't directly solve the food crisis, but it will produce various valuable new technologies.

In order to effectively improve people's living standards, in addition to the demand for new technologies, a large number of basic scientific theories are needed. We need more in-depth knowledge of physics and chemistry, biology and physiology, and newer drugs to deal with various problems that threaten human survival: famine, disease, food and water pollution and environmental pollution.

We need more young people to devote themselves to the cause of science, and we need to better support these outstanding scientists who carry out fruitful research. There are many challenging goals to be achieved, which need adequate support. Space research is expected to make progress in the fields of the moon and planets, physics and astronomy, biology and medicine, and inspire people to observe spectacular nature and keep exploring.

Of all the activities managed and funded by the U.S. government, space exploration is undoubtedly the most striking and controversial. Although it only accounts for 1.6% of the annual budget and 3‰ of the gross national product (less than 1%), its incentive effect on the research of new technologies and basic theories is incomparable to other activities. In this regard, we can even say that space exploration has replaced the role of the past three or four thousand years of war to some extent.

Imagine how much suffering mankind can avoid if the competition between countries is replaced by the competition between bombers and warships. Such competition brings outstanding scientific and technological achievements, not conquered hatred. Technology has brought a better life, while hatred has spawned revenge and new wars.

Although our space program seems to take us away from the earth and turn to the moon, sun, planets and stars, I believe that no celestial body attracts scientists' attention more than the earth. The earth will become better, not only because of the new technologies and theories we have applied to real life, but also because we have learned to know more about the earth and human beings in the process.

The photo in the letter was taken during apollo 8's flight around the moon on Christmas Day 1968. So far, the space program has made many achievements, and this photo may be the most important one. It shows us that the earth is so beautiful and precious in the endless universe that we have nowhere to go except this blue planet embedded in endless nothingness. People have never felt how limited the earth is and how dangerous it is to destroy the ecological balance. After the publication of this photo, people are increasingly concerned about various serious problems faced by contemporary human beings, including pollution, hunger, poverty, urban living environment, food problems, water resources, overpopulation and so on. In the space age, we look at the earth from a better perspective for the first time, and more tasks need to be completed urgently.

Fortunately, the space age not only allows us to know ourselves better, but also brings us new technologies, new challenges, new motivation, optimism and self-confidence to overcome these difficulties. I believe that what we got from the space program completely confirmed Albert.

Albert Shi Huaizhe said: "I am full of worries about the future, but I am also full of hope."

Sincerely bless you and your children.

Ernst Stuhlinger /

Deputy director of science

1May 6, 970