Many citizens of America question the importance of the United States Space Program. They ask why the government invests such great amounts of time and capital into a program that has shown almost no practical results for the 40 years that it has been active (Sleep 1). In March of 1958, the President's Science Advisory Committee also searched for the answer to their question: "What are the principal reasons for undertaking a national space program"" (qtd. in Needell 3) The U.S. Space Program is necessary to further the advancement of science, technology, military prowess and American pride.

One of the most beneficial aspects of space exploration to the human race is the enhancement of the development of medicine, medical devices and medical techniques. Biological materials can be created in the weightlessness of space that otherwise could never be manufactured within the atmosphere and gravitational pull of the Earth. These invaluable materials...