Question: next month is the last launch for the space shuttle...how is it helpful to us if there is no more development on such research about the universe and the life outside it?

Jen Gupta answered on 24 Jun 2011:

Hmmm, this is actually quite a difficult one. I think for most astronomers, we would rather that money was spent on telescopes and spacecraft to be sent to other planets and things like that, rather than on sending people into space. However, I’d imagine planetary scientists and Earth scientists would tell you that you can’t beat having someone physically there on the Moon for example to pick up samples and look around and bring stuff back to be analysed!

A lot of the experiments that go on on the International Space Station aren’t actually astronomy experiments so someone like Emma might be better placed to tell you how useful it is to have plants on the ISS. Astronauts will still go into space though, everyone just has to get a lift from the Russians now! And hopefully the US will soon have new spacecraft and also India and China I think are planning manned space missions. I think that it’s a bit silly if we don’t send people back to the Moon and to Mars and things like that because I think it’s important to explore the universe that we live in but I think that’s more my opinion as a human, rather than my opinion as a scientist! What do you think?