In the past three or four decades humanity gradually came to realize that boundaries of our home are not limited by the backyard, city, state, or country we live in. Not even by the planet we inhabit. People accumulated enough knowledge to start perceiving themselves as children of the universe, rather than "domineering center of life on Earth" (Grouchov 147). .
Modern technology makes it possible today to explore our newly discovered home and start utilizing its resources. One cannot disagree that there has been a lot of progress made in this direction in the past ten years. Just a little over a decade ago researchers have been discussing a "cornucopia of possibilities" space exploration offers strictly for scientific disciplines, such as Earth sciences, solar system space physics, astronomy and astrophysics, fundamental physics and chemistry, etc. (Waldrop 162-163). Today we are talking about the benefits space exploration spin-offs bring to our everyday lives on Earth. "Spin-offs" is a general term used for "the application of space technologies in commercial or industrial process" (Hardersen 17). They can be found in more products and places than we realize. Fire preventing and fire fighting equipment, medical instrumentation, home appliances, computers, sports gear, "spin-offs are an important and beneficial byproduct of space exploration efforts" (Hardersen 17). .
With the International Space Station currently under construction in Earth's orbit, space exploration becomes more real than ever. NASA calls ISS "a home in space an orbiting research park a stepping-stone to other worlds- But most importantly ISS can become a symbol of international cooperation in space and prove that "space exploration offers the nations of the world the chance to leave the history of warfare behind and work together toward a new, peaceful age" (Garver vii).
