Perhaps 'because it is there' is not a sufficient reason.

"I'm hardly in a position to disagree."

’NGC 891 is an edge-on unbarred spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. It was discovered by William Herschel on October 6, 1784. The galaxy is a member of the NGC 1023 group of galaxies in the Local Supercluster. It has an H II nucleus.’ 

At the Welcome Habitat they look for bio-signatures such as Phosphorus. They play an essential role in life as they know it.

"And what is it you seek?"

"Nothing, I enjoy a sense of moral superiority in my ignorance"