The world is fast advancing. Limitations which once plagued previous generations no longer apply. For thousands of years, the concept of flying had fascinated humankind -- until the begininning of the 20th century, when we accomplished it. The speed of sound was an impenetrable barrier -- until we broke through it in October of 1947. And in 1969, only sixty six years after we took our first tentative steps off the ground, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon. Someday, surely, we will discover how to travel faster than the speed of light. We will colonize worlds. Perhaps we will even meet a few neighboring civilizations. If, that is, we don't forsake those ideals which have propelled us thus far.

There were a number of motivations for our going to the moon. One was simply to beat the Soviets. Another was to fulfill John F. Kennedy's promise to reach the moon within the decade. Scientific advancement was certainly a factor as well. Many of the reasons the United States pushed itself to the moon were selfish. However, it is difficult to deny that the benefits gained from the space program have stretched across the globe. There are primarily two groups of people who promote advancement: those who wish to serve themselves, and those who wish to serve others. Those who don't feel obliged to serve anyone seldom cause ripples. Unfortunately, the advancement caused by those who wish only to serve themselves seldom lasts, either. Therefore, if advancements are to be made, then they should be made by those who wish to serve not only themselves, but others as well.

As fate would have it, the space program virtually came to a halt after we made our point to the world in 1969. There were a few more trips to the moon; there was SkyLab; there was even the Russian space station Mir, and the development of the Space Shuttle. On the whole, however, little progress has been made since then. For one thing, it costs a lot. After the 1986 Challenger explosion, the nation was afraid to travel to space, for fear that it may happen again. Many excuses have been used, and humanity is suffering as a result.

When a people accomplish something great, it gives them a sense of pride; a feeling of unity. When a people cease to accomplish, they lose that pride. They have no sense of purpose -- no sense that there is something greater. They lose their vision. We are seeing this effect globally. Countries are in chaos. Economies are unstable. Our own country is stretching its ability to keep itself under control. People serve themselves by filing pointless lawsuits to gain money; by muscling their way into the echelons of power for nothing more than a car or a house or a pair of shoes; by killing some innocent passerby for their shoes.

Humanity needs purpose. We need not a goal, but a series of goals. When one thing has been accomplished, there is something else right there, waiting to be done. And what humanity finishes, it needs to finish together, for the good of everyone. An international effort to expand humanity into space would reap unimaginable rewards. Think of the medical procedures and discoveries which could take place in zero gravity, which can't on Earth. Think of the knowledge we could gain from establishing a permanent station on the moon. Think of the economic growth which would occur, given space-based industry. Here's an idea: an internationally funded and manned expedition to the asteroid belt takes place. A large asteroid is picked out -- rich in ores and minerals -- and hauled back to Earth. The waste material from the rock itself is used in conjunction with a theoretical device called a mass driver to propel it. It is placed in orbit around Earth, where it is mined. There are literally trillions of dollars of ore trapped inside. When the asteroid is hollowed out, we have the perfect platform on which to build a very large, stable space station.

Next, think of security. The issue of whether or not intelligent extraterrestrial life exists has been a hot one for a very long time. Regardless of personal beliefs, it is hard to deny the possibility that we may not be the only intelligent creatures in the universe. Given that, then it is possible that there may be other intelligent life, and that one day they may show up on our doorstep. Perhaps they would be friendly; perhaps they would be hostile; perhaps they would consider us inferior enough not to bother with, and move on. In any case, what better way to meet space travellers than in space itself. The more exposure people have to a thing, the more accustomed to it they become, and the more comfortable they are in dealing with it. If we establish ourselves in space and become accustomed to it, we would be in a much better position. Should the unthinkable happen and we were forced to defend ourselves, we would stand a much better chance. If a friendly alien race showed up and we didn't even have a space station, we may lose their respect.

To accomplish these goals, it will take a huge effort on the part of all humanity. It needs to be embraced by society, as the cause of cleaning up Earth's environment has been. Then and only then will humanity truly flourish. By no stretch of the imagination am I saying that if all of humanity bands together and marches into space, all of our problems will be solved. On the contrary, I'm sure that many new difficulties will come up. However, if anything can help to create a sense of pride and unity on a global scale, this is it. This is something which transcends country borders or ethnic groups. This goes beyond the boundaries of Earth's atmosphere; beyond the pull of its gravity. This is our future.