"The "Space Race" of the 1960's between the USA and Russia was very expensive but it yielded a tremendous number of technological advances. These advances have provided many economic and humanitarian benefits. The benefits have more than paid for the effort and money spent during the Space Race and therefore the government should make allowances within the budget to pay for a manned Mars landing by 2020."

Discuss how well reasoned you ...........


The author is comparing the space race of the 1960 between USA and Russia with the planned manned Mars landing by 1920. The authors arguments that due to huge spending on Mars mission there will be technological advances thereby creating economic and humanitarian benefits is flawed on various grounds. The author does not mention anything about the type of economic & humanitarian benefit that was created due to number of technological advances during 1960 Space Race. If the author would have mentioned the benefits created, the argument put forth by the author would have strengthen and provided more reasons to support the authors conclusion.

The author has stated in his article that the 1960 Space Race was very expensive thereby he means to say that planned Mars mission is also going to be very expensive. The author does not mention anything about other way in economic & humanitarian benefit can be provided which could be less expensive than the proposed Mars Mission. As the overall budget is fixed making an allowance in the budget for Mars mission will thereby reduce the budget for other activities that might as well provide economic & humanitarian benefit in the present whereas planned Mars mission will provide it in the future.

The author does not mention anything about the other benefits that might accompany with the proposed mission. Mentioning those would have strengthen the author's argument and provided more logical base.