Space Exploration

From the dawn of man until very recently, humans have been Earthbound, unable to reach even the clouds – let alone space. It’s only within the last hundred years or so that the advent of manned flight and rocket ships has made the heavens attainable. In that time, we’ve sent people to the moon, rovers to Mars, and space probes deep into the reaches of our solar system. And advanced telescopes that orbit Earth and explore space are bringing even the most remote edges of the universe closer to home.

Space exploration has always captured the imaginations of people around the world. The advancements in technology, international collaboration, and private sector involvement have all contributed to an exciting era in space exploration. From the exploration of Mars to the potential of space tourism, the possibilities seem boundless.

International collaboration has become increasingly important in space exploration. Organizations such as NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, and the CNSA have worked together on various missions, pooling resources and expertise to achieve common goals. The International Space Station (ISS) stands as a shining example of successful cooperation in space exploration.

The involvement of private companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic has revolutionized space exploration. These companies are driving advancements in rocket technology, satellite deployment, and even the potential for commercial space travel. Their innovations have contributed to Space Agencies and making space more accessible and cost-effective.

Problems We Face

Takeoff – Gravity’s a drag
Propulsion – Our ships are way too slow
Space junk – It’s a minefield up there
Navigation – There’s no GPS for space
Radiation – Space turns you into a bag of cancer
Food & water – Mars has no supermarkets
Bone & muscle wasting – Zero gravity will transform you into mush
Mental health – Interplanetary voyages are a direct flight to space madness
Touchdown – Crashing is not an option
Resources – You can’t take a mountain of aluminum ore with you
Exploration – We can’t do everything by ourselves
Space is big – Warp drives don’t exist… yet
There’s only one Earth – Let’s not boldly go – Let’s boldly stay

International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS: Take a tour) is a research laboratory in low Earth orbit. With many different partners contributing to its design and construction, this high-flying laboratory has become a symbol of cooperation in space exploration, with former competitors now working together.

While the HDEV (High Definition Earth Viewing) experiment was operational, views were typically sequenced through the different cameras. The HDEV cycling of the cameras was sometimes halted, causing the video to only show select camera feeds. After HDEV stopped sending any data on July 18, 2019, it was declared, on August 22, 2019, to have reached its end of life. See the Final Report.

The High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) experiment mounted on the ISS External Payload Facility of the European Space Agency’s Columbus module was activated April 30, 2014 and after 5 years and 79 days was viewed by more than 318 million viewers across the globe on USTREAM (now IBM Video) alone. Highlights:

Currently, live video of Earth is streaming from an external HD camera mounted on the ISS. The camera is looking toward Earth with an occasional solar panel passing through the view.

Additionally, this Live ISS Stream includes internal views when the crew is on-duty and Earth views at other times. The video is accompanied by audio of conversations between the crew and Mission Control and is only available when the space station is in contact with the ground. At any other time, you will see only either a black or blue screen. Since the station orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes, it experiences a sunrise or a sunset about every 45 minutes. When the station is in darkness, external camera video may appear black, but can sometimes provide spectacular views of lightning or city lights below.

The JWST

The James Webb Space Telescope is a space telescope designed primarily to conduct infrared astronomy. As the largest optical telescope in space, its greatly improved infrared resolution and sensitivity allow it to view objects too early, distant, or faint for the Hubble Space Telescope. The JWST has four key goals:

to search for light from the first stars and galaxies that formed in the universe after the Big Bang
to study galaxy formation and evolution
to understand star formation and planet formation
to study planetary systems and the origins of life