Many people have looked to the moon and wondered what it would be like to take a tripinto outer space. Ever since the space project began, traveling beyond Earth has been aprivilege for a select few, namely, astronauts. The rest of us have had to imagine what it wouldbe like, but that may soon change.Those who favor expanding space exploration feel that it is time to go beyond thegovernment-funded National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) program and tocreate opportunities for individuals and businesses to explore outer space. Imagine privately
financed research outposts in space, missions to Mars, and mining operations on the Moon. Thespace frontier could indeed be the next gold rush!

Imagine what it would be like to travel in space. Those who have been lucky enough tovisit space have all called it an amazing experience. The view of Earth and the stars must bespectacular, and the experience of living in "zero gravity" would be fascinating. The firstAmerican woman to visit space, Sally Ride, said that it was the greatest fun of her life. Imaginethe thrill of booking a flight for a weekend stay (or longer) at a space hotel. It turns out that aspace hotel would be much easier to design and build than the International Space Station; earlyestimates of the cost to build the hotels indicate that they would be less expensive if the orbitinghotels were built to accommodate large numbers of space travelers.

The space hotel and the other projects businesses might think up would allow people tosee what is happening in space with their own eyes. That may lead to more support of NASA
and its space research and greater appreciation of the funding that the space program nowreceives.Those who oppose expanding space exploration argue that the costs are overwhelmingand unrealistic. They point to the billions of dollars that would have to be raised throughconsumers or corporate sponsorship. In addition, civilian space travel is potentially dangerous,and there are many unknown risks involved. Who would determine the safety of commercialorbiting vehicles, and how would they be insured? Issues like this require time for discussionamong groups from many different businesses. Companies that specialize in manufacturing,travel, marketing, insurance, law, and finance would all have to be involved.Others believe there are simply too many unanswered questions to put civilians in spaceany time soon. There are also those who question investing in space exploration when there arewidespread problems like poverty and disease that need to be addressed on Earth. For thesepeople, commercial space travel will remain science fiction, at least for many years to come.

Required:
Write a multiple paragraph composition for your teacher that states your opinion aboutwhether you are for or against civilian space travel and why. Clearly present yourposition and use details from the passage to help you persuade your teacher of youropinion.