Most space enthusiasts would agree that no explanation for human space exploration is necessary: space is our destiny. Traditionally, short-term technological and scientific rationales have been used to support space endeavors; but, these alone cannot justify the urgency of human space exploration.

As our population increases (about nine billion are expected to exist by 2050) , the biosphere is being burdened beyond sustainability and natural resources are becoming scarce. The threat of unforeseeable or unmanageable environmental hazards such as asteroids and global warming is real. Ultimately, human space activity creates the potential to obtain resources in the face of overpopulation and avoid natural or manmade disasters.

Conventionally, Earth has been viewed as a closed system. It is critical that we stop regarding space as a foreign and hostile environment. It is imperative that we open up our ecosystem to encompass space and the rest of the Universe. Tsiolkovsky expressed the essence of this notion with the following statement, "Earth is the cradle of humanity; one cannot live in the cradle forever" (Tsiolkovsky, 1954).

Even with our advanced technologies, it is apparent that humans are still in the infancy of space exploration. However one might also add that if we remain in our cradle for too long, it might become our grave. Human space exploration is therefore an investment in the future of our species.

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