Space Exploration
Space Exploration
Space Exploration
exploration.
So can you tell me what is space technology?
Space technology is the use of space science, engineering, and
technology. It includes communication satellites, weather satellites,
navigation satellites and other Earth observation satellites, such as sensors
for observing earth’s natural environment. Let’s dive deeper into this
subjetct of space technology to fully understand how this technology can
take us into a new age.
“Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one can’t live in a cradle forever.” It is
the natural instinct of the human brain to explore, to discover and to
unravel the mysteries of this universe. We humans have a strong curiosity
to know what lies beyond the earth and this galaxy. We have a strong urge
to know, to witness and then believe.
So, it is the human element inside us that tells us to stretch out the vision
and look for what actually the universe contains and therefore, for this,
man created space technology.
The space industry is buzzing. Thanks to huge leaps in technology, we can
now go further into the galaxy to explore uncharted territory, and
potentially even uncover new phenomena. With renewed investment in
government space programmes and the expansion of viable private space
travel, our aspirations and achievements are even beginning to surpass
what we once watched in films.
Can any one tell me a type of space technology?
Space telespoce
Fly-By
A fly-by does exactly that—it flies by. This type of spacecraft does this
without getting captured by the gravity of an object and entering its
gravitational orbit. Fly-bys pass by planets or other bodies in space and are
equipped with additional instrumentation to gain information. Once a fly-
by passes its target, there is no return. Fly-bys have only one opportunity
to gather the information the scientists want.
Some examples of a fly-by familiar to most are the spacecraft Voyager 1
and Voyager 2. Voyager 1 was launched in 1977 and did a fly-by of two gas
giants, Saturn and Jupiter. Beyond that, it has since surpassed the
boundaries of the solar system as of 2012. Voyager 1 is equipped with
imaging, spectrometers, telescopes, and other systems to gather
information. Voyager 1 also has information on it about the human race.
This was done knowing that one day the fly-by would surpass the
boundaries of the solar system. Scientists hope that if another life form
ever encounters the Golden Record on Voyager, they will be able to
decipher its meaning.
Orbiter
An orbiter orbits a body in space to make observations and gather data
without landing on the surface. Orbiters are used to make a more
comprehensive study of a planet than a fly-by. One example of an orbiter
is the Galileo mission. Launched in 1989, Galileo was the first spacecraft to
orbit another planet, orbiting Jupiter for over eight years. It also did fly-bys
of several asteroids and observed a comet crashing into Jupiter's
atmosphere. It orbited Jupiter in its entirety thirty-four times. Galileo was
crushed by tremendous pressure upon entering the atmosphere to take
readings at the end of its mission. Similar to the fly-bys, Galileo was
equipped with imaging, spectrometers, and other systems to gather
information.
Lander
A lander spacecraft is something that will land on the surface of a body in
space to observe and gather information about it. It does not travel
around and remains where it lands. One such example is the Viking 1 Mars
Lander which landed on Mars in 1976. Viking 1 was constructed with the
combined technology of part orbiter and part lander. Instruments on the
lander allowed it to take pictures, record the weather and temperature,
and take samples of the soil and give readings of their chemical signatures
through a built-in gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. The lander was
in operation until 1982.
ROVERS
Landed spacecraft can make detailed observations of a planet's surface.
However, these observations are restricted to a small area. To obtain
coverage over a wider area, spacecraft can carry robots that are able to
rove over the surface. Crewed missions or robotic rovers provide not only
mobility but also the capability to do complex tasks and make intelligent
and selective observations.
Apollo 11, U.S. spaceflight during which commander Neil Armstrong and
lunar module pilot Edwin (“Buzz”) Aldrin, Jr., on July 20, 1969, became the
first people to land on the Moon and walk the lunar surface. All told, 24
Apollo astronauts visited the Moon and 12 of them walked on its surface.
Additional NASA astronauts are scheduled to return to the Moon by 2025
as part of the Artemis space program.
Roman cousin once said: “What was most significant about the lunar
voyage was not that man set foot on the moon but that they set eyes on
earth.”
Now i am going back to that topic of the importance of space technology
improving our day-to-day lives:
Many people aren’t aware of how many everyday inventions are the result
of space exploration. Long before astronauts blast off to leave the
atmosphere, hundreds upon hundreds of hours go into developing new
technologies designed for the unusual environment of space.
The global positioning system (GPS) was originally developed by the
military for precision navigation and weapon targeting purposes. The GPS
developers probably did not foresee how this technology would transform
almost every industry, as well as day-to-day life, on a global scale. Using
maps and travel atlases and stopping to ask for directions are now largely
old-fashioned.
Did you know that a NASA-sponsored algae research led to the creation
of baby formula? I didnt know this and i was suprised.
The technologies behind inventions like portable vacuum cleaners,
blankets, invisible braces, and many more, were first discovered by NASA
solely for space exploration. Other technological advancements pioneered
by space research include cardiac pumps, artificial limbs, the Internet, and
the camera sensors.
But it is not all flowers and rainbows is it?
Can you tell me any disadvantage that the space technology can
have?
Mars colonization
SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket – collectively referred
to as Starship – represent a fully reusable transportation system designed
to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.
Starship will be the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed.
This is an exemple of how incredible space technology is. This is actualy
changing the world and our lives.
Truth is space technology can end up saving humanity and the space
exploration may be the answer to a lot of our problems. And imagine what
the future technology will be able to achieve in this field.
Space technology not only adds zeal to humanity but also ensures its
survival and in this way provides a great common purpose to mankind as a
whole.
To finish up my presentation i would like to show you a Nasa simulator
where we can explore exoplanets, the solar system and mars landing.