Up to now, the practical benefits resulting from space research have included the development of new methods and skills, new processes, new services, new products, and even new companies created to make use of what has been learned through space travel.

         Of all the benefits resulting from space travel, none has been more significant than the view it has given us of the planet on which we live. One of the rewards of travelling into space is the beautiful view it affords of the earth. The thousands of photographs taken by the astronauts have shown that beauty to the world’s inhabitants. What is even important is the fact that the astronauts’ photographs have revealed many things not evident at close range.
         Pictures taken from space show the change that both natural and human forces have brought about on the earth’s surface. Thanks to advanced technology in photography, the images are sharp and can be enlarged many times without becoming less clear. These pictures have proved to be of great value to the industrialized countries, where there is concern about pollution of the air and water. They are of equal value to the developing countries, where industry has less effect, and the emphasis is upon planning. Natural resources may be the principal wealth of a country that has not yet developed industry, and the future of such a country could depend upon using those resources properly. One picture can provide information for an area-wide report that would require much more time and expense to prepare from information collected on the surface.

                                  Dr. Virginia French Allen, Progressive Reading, Series Book 8