Is It Worth It? Evaluating the Impacts of Space Exploration

Remember from Grade 6

In Grade 6 you asked 'Is space exploration worth it?' and thought about space debris, light pollution and different perspectives. In Grade 9 you will evaluate impacts more carefully: sorting them into social, environmental and economic, using evidence, and making a decision you can defend.

A question to start

The James Webb Space Telescope, launched in December 2021, cost about US$10 billion. Canada built two of its parts: the Fine Guidance Sensor, which keeps it pointed precisely, and the NIRISS science instrument, and in return Canadian astronomers get a share of its observing time. Webb has photographed some of the most distant galaxies ever seen. Was it worth the money? Your answer depends on what you value and what evidence you consider. Today you'll learn to make that kind of judgment like a scientist and a citizen.

Social impacts

Positive:

• Inspiration and education. Missions inspire students to study science, technology, engineering and math. Canadians in space include Marc Garneau (first Canadian in space, 1984), Roberta Bondar (first Canadian woman in space, 1992), Chris Hadfield (first Canadian to walk in space, 2001, and first Canadian commander of the ISS, 2013), Julie Payette and David Saint-Jacques. Jeremy Hansen flew on NASA's Artemis II mission around the Moon in April 2026, becoming the first Canadian to travel to the Moon.
• Cooperation. The International Space Station is run by the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada, working together.
• Everyday services. Weather forecasts, GPS navigation, banking, and TV and internet in remote areas all depend on satellites.

Negative or debated:

• Who benefits and who decides? Most space activity is run by a few wealthy countries and companies.
• Dark skies. Large groups of bright satellites leave streaks in telescope images and add to the light that hides the stars, affecting astronomy and people who learn from the night sky, including many First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities who share star knowledge.
• Sacred places. Some observatories are built on mountains that are sacred to Indigenous peoples. For example, many Native Hawaiians have opposed building a new giant telescope on Maunakea in Hawai'i, a sacred mountain, which led to protests and an ongoing discussion about how astronomy should respect Indigenous rights.

Environmental impacts

Positive: satellites give us crucial data on climate change, wildfires, floods, sea ice and pollution (Lesson 14).

Negative:

• Space debris. The European Space Agency estimates there are more than a million pieces of debris larger than 1 cm in orbit. In low Earth orbit they travel at about 7 to 8 km/s, so even a small piece can damage a satellite or the ISS. Larger pieces are tracked, and the ISS has moved out of the way of debris many times.
• Rocket exhaust. Launches release gases and particles (such as soot) high in the atmosphere, where they stay longer than at ground level. Scientists are studying how much this matters as launches increase.
• Re-entry. Old satellites burning up add metal particles to the upper atmosphere; research on the effects is ongoing.
• Launch sites can affect nearby wildlife habitats.

Economic impacts

Positive: jobs for engineers, scientists and skilled trades; Canadian companies that build robotics, satellites and instruments; spinoff products (Lesson 15); reusable rockets have helped lower launch costs; satellite internet can connect remote and northern communities.

Negative: missions are expensive and can fail; money spent on space is not spent on other needs (this is called an opportunity cost).

Space debris and the Kessler syndrome

In 1978, NASA scientist Donald Kessler warned that if there were enough objects in an orbit, one collision could create fragments that cause more collisions, and so on, in a chain reaction. Some orbits could become too dangerous to use for a very long time. This idea is called the Kessler syndrome.

Ways to reduce the risk:

• design satellites to de-orbit (fall back and burn up) within a few years after their mission ends;
• track debris and move satellites out of the way;
• avoid tests that blow up satellites;
• develop missions to capture and remove large debris.

The Outer Space Treaty (1967) says space should be used for the benefit of all countries, but it was written long before thousands of satellites were launched. Countries are still working out rules for traffic, debris and resources in space.