Space Exploration

Since the beginning of mankind, curious humans have gazed upward into the heavens, trying to understand the universe and our place within it. As astronomers made discovery after discovery, curiosity only grew, and new generations of scientists and explorers set out to discover the continuing mysteries of space.

 

During the Renaissance, scientists made major discoveries that helped fuel modern space exploration. These discoveries profoundly altered the way people viewed the skies. Copernicus and later Galileo challenged contemporary thinking by suggesting that the Earth revolved around the sun (not vice versa), and the skies, once seen as the domain of deities, suddenly became an open playing field.

 

It wasn't until the 20th century, however, that technological innovations allowed humans to step off of solid ground and begin exploring space itself.

 

There are many reasons for space exploration. Chief among them is the search for knowledge beyond what we know on our own planet and a desire to seek our place in the larger system. Space exploration has provided huge benefits, allowing us to explore the environments of other planets and attempt to discern how those atmospheres came to be.

 

We have also been able to use advances in space exploration to expand our aerospace capabilities, global information systems and satellites and to view our planet and its weather systems more comprehensively than ever before.

The first milestone in modern space exploration came with the advent of large rocket-engines that could propel objects much higher than ever before.

 

From there, the space race was on. The United States and Russia (then the USSR) were the frontrunners in this competition, which fueled the Cold War and fears of space spying.

 

On Oct. 4, 1957, Sputnik 1 catapulted into the atmosphere, becoming the first man-made object to be propelled into orbit around the Earth. The Soviet satellite weighed about as much as an adult male (180 pounds) and stayed in orbit for just under three months, disintegrating upon re-entry into the atmosphere.

 

 

These successes spurred the United States into more aggressive action. A few months after Sputnik, the United States unsuccessfully attempted to send its own satellite, Vanguard, into space. Its next try, the Jan. 31, 1958, launch of Explorer 1, was met with success.

 

It took a few years before manned flights were realized. On April 12, 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to orbit the planet. His trip took under two hours but had worldwide effects.

 

 

By this time, the gauntlet had been thrown down to take it one step farther: to the surface of the moon. President Kennedy made a full commitment to this goal, sharing his vision for space with the American people, and the U.S. space program stepped up its efforts even more.

 

In 1968, three astronauts were chosen for the first attempted moon landing mission:

These men made up the crew of the Apollo 11 mission, which launched from Florida's Cape Kennedy on July 16, 1969. After orbiting the moon, a lunar landing capsule containing Armstrong and Aldrin separated from the command ship and landed on the surface of the moon.

 

Armstrong was the first to set foot on the moon, uttering the immortal phrase: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Aldrin followed closely behind and the two astronauts spent over two hours exploring the surface of the moon and taking samples of the surface. All of these events were broadcast live, with over 700 million people tuned in to see the space landing.

Since then, only 10 other astronauts have walked on the moon. However, great strides have been made with another space project: space stations. The record for the longest stint in space belongs to Valeriy Polyakov, who spent 437 days aboard the Russian space station Mir from 1994 to 1995.

 

The only space station currently in operation is the International Space Station, which has been orbiting the earth for over nine years. In the latter half of the 20th century, as tensions between the former super power countries began to thaw, a new era of cooperation began that culminated in the building of the space station, which uses over 100,000 people on Earth from 16 countries to support the rotating crew of three.

 

The span of time the space station has been operational gives astronauts from around the world the opportunity to conduct long-term experiments such as the effects of weightlessness and the viability of growing food in space. With much more open communication and cooperation between nations, it is certain that space exploration in the 21st century will only lead to more amazing discoveries to add to the accomplishments of mankind.

 

 

NASA (2002). Human Space Flight – Space History. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from the NASA Web site: http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/history/.