The United States federal government plans to cut federal funding for space exploration and NASA towards the end of the year. The “space race” began in the 1950s and 1960s when Russia successfully launched the first unmanned satellite named Sputnik into space. The American response was the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Meanwhile, the Soviets sent the first man into orbit, Yuri Gagarin. Then, in July 1969, the United States took the lead by sending the first men to the Moon aboard Apollo 11 (“Space Exploration 1”). Since then, space exploration has led to the discovery of much useful information that has allowed us to invent some of the greatest devices we use today. The United States must continue its space program and space exploration so that together, as a human race, we can continue to discover new and interesting facts and spark the curiosity of young people who dream of space. Space exploration has brought the nations of the world together. Space exploration dates back to 1609, when Galileo made significant improvements to the telescope, allowing humans to observe mountains and craters on the surface of the moon (Horowitz 1). This gave rise to the idea that humans could explore or inhabit different planets. Recently, countries have worked together to improve the information obtained through space exploration. In 1981, the Soviet Union, Japan, Europe, and the United States formed the Inter-Agency Consultative Group (IACG) to coordinate issues regarding the arrival of Halley's Comet in five years. The information exchanged between the five spacecraft was invaluable to the study of the comet. The joint Space Shuttle-Mir program is one of...... middle of paper...... very possible. If the space program ends by the end of the year, there is no hope for humanity to grow and expand. Space exploration is necessary for international unity, the expansion of human knowledge and the stimulation of children's curiosity. With the completion of the International Space Station, five world powers put aside their differences and created the greatest international and technological invention of all time. Thanks to space exploration, in the last ten years alone, 150 planets have been discovered beyond our solar system (“Space Exploration” 2). The ideas that space can bring to the mind of whoever lets it wander could lead to the creation of the next renewable fuel source, or even humanity inhabiting another planet. If the federal government shuts down NASA and halts space exploration, humanity's future survival could be jeopardized..