Exploring Our Curiosity

They say curiosity killed the cat. However, did they know that
satisfaction brought it back? It is an age old con ict, the conversation
about whether us humans should continue to explore the outer
space. This is no surprise to anyone, since humans are, in their innate
state, bundles of raging curiosity that is almost bursting at the seams.
Exploration is thus in our blood, where the vast unknown is de ned
by space. Over the years, many technologies were developed through
this very exploration where society has prospered signi cantly.
Personally, I believe that we must explore space for a plethora of
health and safety reasons

The rst important reason to explore space is that it helps

earth’s health care immensely. During space travel, astronauts are
affected by microgravity, radiation and isolation. Some of the changes
in their bodies are similar to health problems associated with aging or
a sedentary lifestyle. Thus, science experiments performed on
astronauts in space improve our understanding of medical conditions
on Earth. For example, Canadian technology on the International
Space Station has allowed for innovations in operating rooms. The
expertise that powered Canadarm, Canadarm2 and Dextre, Canada's
space robots, was used to create surgical robots such as neuroArm, a
highly precise robotic arm capable of performing brain surgeries that
would otherwise be impossible, and Modus  V, a second-generation
robotic digital microscope that helps patients with a variety of brain
and spine conditions. This technology is allowing neurosurgeons to
perform dif cult brain surgeries with greater safety and ef ciency.
Also, exploring space helps keeping our hearts healthy. The heart
pumps blood through the arteries, providing oxygen to our cells
throughout the body. The absence of gravity in space disturbs this
process. To shed light on how the human body adapts to
weightlessness, the Canadian science experiments in the Vascular
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 series examine space-related changes in astronauts' blood vessels
before, during, and after their missions. Studying the responses of the
cardiovascular system in space better equips us to understand heart
failure and how our arteries age here on Earth
Thanks to their expertise in modelling uid ow through rocket
engines, space engineers helped design heart pumps. These pumps
keep people in need of heart transplants alive by enabling blood to
circulate through their body until a donor heart becomes available.
Not to mention, exploring space helps in treating bleeding after
childbirth with pressure garments. Spending long periods of time in
weightlessness weakens the body's natural adaptations against the
effects of gravity, and greatly reduces heart rate and level of physical
activity. When returning to Earth, some astronauts wear a g-suit, also
called an antigravity suit, to apply pressure to the legs and torso in
order to reduce symptoms of cardiovascular deconditioning such as
lightheadedness, fatigue, nausea, and fainting. A Canadian study tested
several g-suit models to assess their effectiveness in preventing these
symptoms in returning astronauts. Using g-suit technology, non-
in atable pressure garments are being used on Earth to treat women
suffering from postpartum hemorrhage by applying external pressure
to a woman's entire lower body to stop bleeding after childbirth. This
affordable solution is saving lives around the world. Thus, space
exploration must be supported, for it pertains to many health
bene ts. Thus, I believe that exploring space is indispensable for our
health and -as such- must be continued

Another reason to sustain space exploration is that it enhances

our safety on earth. In fact, exploring space is great in warning us of
impending natural disasters. Satellites help save lives by gathering data
that can be used to predict natural disasters such as hurricanes. This
information helps people on the ground by giving them time to
prepare or evacuate while enabling the quick deployment of adequate
rescue teams. Also, space exploration helps search and rescue teams
nd people in distress. For, when aircraft, ships or backcountry hikers
in distress activate emergency beacons, satellites are used to detect
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 and locate the signals through the International Cospas-Sarsat
Programme, which is an international satellite system for search and
rescue. Between 2012 and 2016, an average of six  people per day
were rescued by teams using this system. Besides, exploring space
supports emergency relief efforts. The International Charter "Space
and Major Disasters,” is an international effort to put space
technology at the service of emergency responders in the event of
oods, hurricanes, earthquakes, wild res, tsunamis, volcano eruptions
and other disasters. Where, since 2000, the Charter's members have
made satellite images of devastated regions available to support relief
efforts. With reliable information, response teams are better equipped
to save lives and limit damage to property, infrastructure and the
environment. Making buildings and bridges earthquake resistant with
shock absorbers is another bene t to space exploring. Spacecraft and
launch pad equipment undergo extreme stress due to vibration
during rocket launches. To make sure that they remain functional in
space, shock absorption technology was designed to protect the
spacecraft. During earthquakes, buildings and bridges undergo similar
stress. That is why the same shock absorption technology used for
spacecraft is now used to strengthen buildings and bridges in
earthquake-prone regions. Hence, space exploring aids immensely in
keeping us safe, so it must be further implemented and supported

All in all, space is an enigma that encompasses our every desire. If

we decide to halt our innovation, aspirations, and curiosity, we will
remain perpetually the same. With that, we will become as ancient as
the dust of the past, con ned by our own consensus of ignorance.
Indeed, space is an intelligible world of possibilities, that opens our
world to endless opportunities. Henceforth, I vehemently believe that
we must continue to explore outer space for many health and safety
reasons.
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