Manned space flight has been one of the greatest achievements of humankind, but as we move into the next century we have to ask if there is still a need to put people in space.

Space exploration allows us to seek answers to some of the biggest questions in science and many believe that these questions cannot be answered without human presence in space. But it doesn’t come cheap and with robots that can do the job effectively for less, can it be justified? Are we really funding projects of scientific worth or just aiding political campaigns?

Advocators for UK space exploration argue that the benefits of putting people in space go way beyond science itself. In a country where interest in science education is at an all time low and nearly half the university physics departments have closed in the last 15 years should we not be endorsing manned space flight, which has been shown to be capable of encouraging students to pursue scientific careers?

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Philip Ball is a freelance writer and a consultant editor for Nature, where he previously worked as an editor for physical sciences. He writes regularly in the scientific and popular media on all areas of science and its history, and his books include H2O: a biography of water (2000), Bright Earth: the invention of colour (2001) and Critical mass: how one thing leads to another (2004), which won the 2005 Aventis Prize for Science Books. His most recent book is The Devil?s doctor: Paracelsus and the world of Renaissance magic and science (2006).

Kevin Fong is an anaesthetist and honorary lecturer in physiology at University College London. He chairs the UK Space Biomedical Advisory Committee and co-directs the Centre for Aviation, Space and Extreme environment medicine (CASE).

Kevin holds degrees in medicine and astrophysics and his background in these disciplines has led to his current special area of interest. In the past Kevin has collaborated with international space agency organisations and is currently working at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston investigating the effects of long-term space flight on the human body.

He has spent the last six years working with British National Space Centre in an attempt to further UK involvement in the international space programme.

Kevin is a NESTA Fellow and much of his current work is supported through this organisation.