Evaluation should include the effect on the following:
- the relationship between governmental and commercial space enterprises
- planetary and space environment
- U.S. political relationships
- travel, tourism, and recreation industries
- employment and the economy
- technological development (e.g., spinoffs).
Teacher Resource:
The Future, NASA
Process/Skill Questions:
- How has space exploration benefited humankind?
- How might the privatization of space travel affect NASA’s operational goals?
- How does the balance of funding for space exploration compare with the funding of projects to benefit the public here on Earth? Should more be spent in one area or the other?
- How might space travel change over the next 50 years?