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Space Exploration: A Dream and Potential Reality | Darren Liebhart | TEDxYouth@Lincoln


when I was seven years old my parents

when I was seven years old my parents purchased a department store telescope

purchased a department store telescope

purchased a department store telescope for my birthday

for my birthday

for my birthday we made the long trek out to our

we made the long trek out to our

we made the long trek out to our driveway and I peered through it and I

driveway and I peered through it and I

driveway and I peered through it and I looked up at the moon and I saw that

looked up at the moon and I saw that

looked up at the moon and I saw that distant object as filled so many with

distant object as filled so many with

distant object as filled so many with awe before I thought of the manned

awe before I thought of the manned

awe before I thought of the manned missions that must be taking place

missions that must be taking place

missions that must be taking place astronauts walking the lunar surface I

astronauts walking the lunar surface I

astronauts walking the lunar surface I was devastated when I found out there

was devastated when I found out there

was devastated when I found out there are no more moon missions NASA the

are no more moon missions NASA the

are no more moon missions NASA the government agency that pioneered the

government agency that pioneered the

government agency that pioneered the Apollo space program and American space

Apollo space program and American space

Apollo space program and American space travel hasn’t sent an astronaut to the

travel hasn’t sent an astronaut to the

travel hasn’t sent an astronaut to the moon since 1972 NASA moon landings

moon since 1972 NASA moon landings

moon since 1972 NASA moon landings telescopes what do you think of when I

telescopes what do you think of when I

telescopes what do you think of when I say these words do you think of the

say these words do you think of the

say these words do you think of the possibilities of NASA like sending

possibilities of NASA like sending

possibilities of NASA like sending humans to Mars or even around another

humans to Mars or even around another

humans to Mars or even around another star these are possibilities but there’s

star these are possibilities but there’s

star these are possibilities but there’s a chance it may never happen why NASA

a chance it may never happen why NASA

a chance it may never happen why NASA does not receive adequate funding to

does not receive adequate funding to

does not receive adequate funding to accomplish these goals our nation has

accomplish these goals our nation has

accomplish these goals our nation has chosen to neglect the benefits of space

chosen to neglect the benefits of space

chosen to neglect the benefits of space exploration right now

exploration right now

exploration right now NASA receives about half of 1% of the

NASA receives about half of 1% of the

NASA receives about half of 1% of the annual US budget to put that into

annual US budget to put that into

annual US budget to put that into perspective the US military receives

perspective the US military receives

perspective the US military receives about 54 percent of the annual u.s.

about 54 percent of the annual u.s.

about 54 percent of the annual u.s. budget with the cost of the Navy’s

budget with the cost of the Navy’s

budget with the cost of the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier around thirteen

newest aircraft carrier around thirteen

newest aircraft carrier around thirteen billion dollars NASA could have built

billion dollars NASA could have built

billion dollars NASA could have built and launched 52 Voyager one probes 23

and launched 52 Voyager one probes 23

and launched 52 Voyager one probes 23 Maryna Tim probes twenty-eight space

Maryna Tim probes twenty-eight space

Maryna Tim probes twenty-eight space shuttles and eight Hubble Space

shuttles and eight Hubble Space

shuttles and eight Hubble Space Telescope’s NASA can do a lot more with

Telescope’s NASA can do a lot more with

Telescope’s NASA can do a lot more with a little more funding for example with

a little more funding for example with

a little more funding for example with more funding the International Space

more funding the International Space

more funding the International Space Station could have been at least twice

Station could have been at least twice

Station could have been at least twice as large capable of supporting more

as large capable of supporting more

as large capable of supporting more scientists more cargo ultimately leading

scientists more cargo ultimately leading

scientists more cargo ultimately leading to more discoveries space exploration

to more discoveries space exploration

to more discoveries space exploration projects like probes and telescopes

projects like probes and telescopes

projects like probes and telescopes could be finished in less than half the

could be finished in less than half the

could be finished in less than half the time they are now

time they are now

time they are now with more funding we could put humans on

with more funding we could put humans on

with more funding we could put humans on another planet within our lifetimes

another planet within our lifetimes

another planet within our lifetimes there was a time when NASA did had a

there was a time when NASA did had a

there was a time when NASA did had a have adequate funding during the Apollo

have adequate funding during the Apollo

have adequate funding during the Apollo space program NASA received four percent

space program NASA received four percent

space program NASA received four percent of the annual u.s. budget and with four

of the annual u.s. budget and with four

of the annual u.s. budget and with four percent of the annual u.s. budget

percent of the annual u.s. budget

percent of the annual u.s. budget NASA put six manned missions on the

NASA put six manned missions on the

NASA put six manned missions on the lunar surface twelve men walked the moon

lunar surface twelve men walked the moon

lunar surface twelve men walked the moon the same moon we look up and see at

the same moon we look up and see at

the same moon we look up and see at night the same moon that’s two hundred

night the same moon that’s two hundred

night the same moon that’s two hundred fifty thousand miles away had 12 men

fifty thousand miles away had 12 men

fifty thousand miles away had 12 men walk on it with four percent of the

walk on it with four percent of the

walk on it with four percent of the annual u.s. budget however after the

annual u.s. budget however after the

annual u.s. budget however after the fall of the Soviet Union

fall of the Soviet Union

fall of the Soviet Union NASA funds began to drop drastically and

NASA funds began to drop drastically and

NASA funds began to drop drastically and that’s because we lost interest in NASA

that’s because we lost interest in NASA

that’s because we lost interest in NASA during the Apollo space program we had

during the Apollo space program we had

during the Apollo space program we had visions of astronaut men and women

visions of astronaut men and women

visions of astronaut men and women walking on distant moons mining

walking on distant moons mining

walking on distant moons mining asteroids for minerals and even the idea

asteroids for minerals and even the idea

asteroids for minerals and even the idea of settling another planet however one

of settling another planet however one

of settling another planet however one that public became on interest in NASA

that public became on interest in NASA

that public became on interest in NASA it moved to the backburner and both the

it moved to the backburner and both the

it moved to the backburner and both the politicians and the public’s mind

politicians and the public’s mind

politicians and the public’s mind politicians had no incentive to campaign

politicians had no incentive to campaign

politicians had no incentive to campaign for increased funding for NASA

for increased funding for NASA

for increased funding for NASA therefore NASA loses funding so why

therefore NASA loses funding so why

therefore NASA loses funding so why should you be interested in NASA what

should you be interested in NASA what

should you be interested in NASA what are they doing now

are they doing now

are they doing now first of all NASA protects earth NASA

first of all NASA protects earth NASA

first of all NASA protects earth NASA releases data on climate change every

releases data on climate change every

releases data on climate change every single year that helps us make decisions

single year that helps us make decisions

single year that helps us make decisions based on the future we can look at these

based on the future we can look at these

based on the future we can look at these data that’s available to the public and

data that’s available to the public and

data that’s available to the public and make plans for how we can counteract the

make plans for how we can counteract the

make plans for how we can counteract the climate change nASA has also mapped over

climate change nASA has also mapped over

climate change nASA has also mapped over 1,400 asteroids to have the potential of

1,400 asteroids to have the potential of

1,400 asteroids to have the potential of hitting earth and has plans in place to

hitting earth and has plans in place to

hitting earth and has plans in place to intercept these asteroids should they

intercept these asteroids should they

intercept these asteroids should they ever pose a threat so what NASA protects

ever pose a threat so what NASA protects

ever pose a threat so what NASA protects Earth why do we need the telescopes why

Earth why do we need the telescopes why

Earth why do we need the telescopes why should we go to the moon again Mars

should we go to the moon again Mars

should we go to the moon again Mars well nASA has a profound ultimate goal

well nASA has a profound ultimate goal

well nASA has a profound ultimate goal and that goal is to enable humans to

and that goal is to enable humans to

and that goal is to enable humans to live elsewhere besides Earth whether

live elsewhere besides Earth whether

live elsewhere besides Earth whether that be the moon Mars or Venus if we can

that be the moon Mars or Venus if we can

that be the moon Mars or Venus if we can spread out around the cosmos we ensure

spread out around the cosmos we ensure

spread out around the cosmos we ensure our chances of sir

our chances of sir

our chances of sir nuclear strikes imminent asteroid

nuclear strikes imminent asteroid

nuclear strikes imminent asteroid collisions a nuclear war aren’t science

collisions a nuclear war aren’t science

collisions a nuclear war aren’t science fiction these are real risks there’s a

fiction these are real risks there’s a

fiction these are real risks there’s a common saying never put all your eggs in

common saying never put all your eggs in

common saying never put all your eggs in the same basket I say don’t put all your

the same basket I say don’t put all your

the same basket I say don’t put all your humans on one planet of course this

humans on one planet of course this

humans on one planet of course this isn’t something that happens right away

isn’t something that happens right away

isn’t something that happens right away but it is possible within the next

but it is possible within the next

but it is possible within the next century

century

century if it wasn’t for one limiting factor

if it wasn’t for one limiting factor

if it wasn’t for one limiting factor funding I want to emphasize that the

funding I want to emphasize that the

funding I want to emphasize that the greatest risk to us becoming an

greatest risk to us becoming an

greatest risk to us becoming an interstellar and interplanetary species

interstellar and interplanetary species

interstellar and interplanetary species is a lack of funding brought on by a

is a lack of funding brought on by a

is a lack of funding brought on by a lack of interest

lack of interest

lack of interest we don’t need smarter engineers or

we don’t need smarter engineers or

we don’t need smarter engineers or physicists what we really need is your

physicists what we really need is your

physicists what we really need is your interest in NASA and its capabilities

interest in NASA and its capabilities

interest in NASA and its capabilities classical scientists like Galileo and

classical scientists like Galileo and

classical scientists like Galileo and Copernicus laid the groundwork for our

Copernicus laid the groundwork for our

Copernicus laid the groundwork for our observation and understanding of our

observation and understanding of our

observation and understanding of our universe later generations lay the

universe later generations lay the

universe later generations lay the groundwork for exploration and exploring

groundwork for exploration and exploring

groundwork for exploration and exploring the solar system and now it’s our turn

the solar system and now it’s our turn

the solar system and now it’s our turn to lay the groundwork for the settlement

to lay the groundwork for the settlement

to lay the groundwork for the settlement of our solar system and our galaxy so I

of our solar system and our galaxy so I

of our solar system and our galaxy so I challenge you you all of you reach out

challenge you you all of you reach out

challenge you you all of you reach out to your representative get interested in

to your representative get interested in

to your representative get interested in the cosmos we live in right

you

you [Music]

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