The US federal government is planning to cut federal funding for space exploration and NASA later this year. The “space race” began in the 1950s and 1960s, when Russia sent the first unmanned satellite called Sputnik into space. The United States' response was the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. During this time, the Soviets sent the first man, Yuri Gagarin, into orbit. Then, in July 1969, the United States took the lead in the race by sending the first men to the Moon with 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 advance its space program and space exploration so that all of us, as a human race, can continue to discover new and interesting facts and stimulate the curiosity of young people who dream of space. Space exploration has brought nations of the world closer together. Space exploration can be traced back to 1609, when Galileo Galilei made major improvements to the telescope, allowing humans to observe mountains and craters on the lunar surface (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 from 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 within five years. The information exchanged between the five spaceships was invaluable for the study of the comet. The joint Space Shuttle-Mir program is one of the... middle of the paper... very possible. If the space program ends by the end of the year, there will be 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. Through space exploration, in the last 10 years alone, 150 planets beyond our solar system have been discovered (“Space Exploration” 2). The space of ideas it can bring to the mind of those who let it wander could lead to the creation of the next renewable fuel source, or even humans inhabiting another planet. If the federal government shut down NASA and halted space exploration, humanity's future survival could be jeopardized.