To the Moon!
Rockets were first developed in the 11th century. The Chinese can be credited with the development of gunpowder-filled rockets mounted on arrow sticks. From the point rocketry spread rapidly throughout Europe. In the 17th century English Scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, laid the foundations for modern rocketry.
His three scientific laws explain how rockets work both on earth and in the vacuum of outer space. These laws are as follows:
1. A body in motion tends to stay in motion and a body at rest tends to stay at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
2. Force = Mass X Acceleration.
3. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction which has the same force but is opposite in direction.
In the early 20th century great strides were made in the development of rockets. World War II caused a dramatic surge toward the development of rockets as weapons and propulsion systems for manned air and space craft. In 1947, test pilot Chuck Yeager was the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound.
On October 4,1957, the Soviet Union (Russia) stunned the world by sending the 1st artificial satellite, Sputnik I, into space. Thus began the race for space. America scrambled to catch up with the Soviet Union.
However, in April of 1961 the Russians again bested the United States by sending the first man, Yuri Gagarin, into space aboard Volstok 1. This event prompted President John F. Kennedy to declare a national goal of sending a man to the moon and returning him safely. In May of 1961 the United States sent the first American, Alan Shepard, into space. In 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit earth aboard Friendship 7. And so the race to get to the moon first became intensified.
In 1969 the United States won the race to the moon. Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins (right) made this historic voyage aboard Apollo 11. This mission required the landing of a lunar module (Eagle) to set down on a section of the moon’s surface known as the Sea of Tranquility. When the lunar module touched down on the surface, the astronauts radioed back to Earth, “Tranquility Base: The Eagle has landed.” It was after this landing, as the whole world watched on TV, that Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the surface of the moon, proclaiming “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
(16 JULY 1969) --- APOLLO 11 LIFTOFF VIEW The huge, 363-foot tall Apollo 11 space vehicle is launched from Kennedy Space Center, July 16, 1969. Onboard were astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin, Jr. Apollo 11 is the United States first lunar landing mission. Astronaut's Armstrong and Aldrin will descend in the Lunar Module "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the Moon, while astronaut Collins remains with the Command and Service Modules "Columbia" in lunar-orbit.
Subsequent lunar missions paved the way for space experimentation and the exploration of other planets and celestial bodies. Space laboratories were developed by both the United States and the Soviet Union. In 1973 Skylab, a U.S. space station, was put in orbit but problems caused it to fall out of orbit in 1979. Most of Skylab burned up upon reentry into the atmosphere but some parts actually hit the Earth.
The Soviet Union placed space station Mir into orbit in 1986. This space station remained in orbit for 15 years performing many valuable scientific experiments and testing human endurance and effects on the body. Mir’s usefulness became the inspiration for a combined effort, by many countries, to develop another space station.
To explore space and conduct procedures more efficiently, it became necessary to develop a more advanced and economical method of transporting people into space. To meet these needs, NASA turned its attention to the development of the Space Shuttle. The Space Shuttle is a reusable space vehicle that is “piggy backed” into space upon an expendable launch vehicle. The Space Shuttle is able to reenter the Earth’s atmosphere and land to be used again. The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, began its maiden voyage in 1981. Many other successful shuttle missions were to follow and many important experiments and technical procedures were conducted. In 1983, astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman in space. However, on January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff killing all seven crew members including the first civilian, a teacher named Christa McAuliffe. Afterward, the shuttle program was put on pause until 1988 while NASA addressed the problems within the system. The shuttle program got back on track and soon a fleet of shuttles (Discovery, Enterprise, Atlantis, Endeavor) was again transporting people and equipment into space.
The space shuttle program has resulted in many notable achievements. The Hubble Space Telescope, which can take deep space pictures, was sent into orbit aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1990. Years later, it was repaired by the crew of another shuttle mission. Shuttle crews have also successfully accomplished the rescue and repair of many disabled satellites. Finally, the shuttle has allowed us to conduct international missions promoting good will and unity among all people.
Recently 18 countries began construction on the ISS (International Space Station). A total of 37 space shuttle missions are scheduled to assemble, outfit, and begin research use of the station from 1998 to 2005. Now with a permanent human presence in space aboard the International Space Station, the practical benefits to mankind are almost infinite. Not only will there be new advances in space technology, but there will be a chance for all types of different scientific fields to have new theories tested and experiments completed in microgravity. The space station research will bring knowledge and insight about the far reaches of space down to Earth. For instance, studies of the Sun's effects on Earth will improve forecasts of events ranging from the temporary disruption of telecommunications to the long-term alterations in climate. This unique venue offers the opportunity to pursue investigations into solar studies, cosmic rays, the physical and chemical composition of the space environment, as well as the presence of dark matter in the universe.
Many of the new engineering technologies being developed on the International Space Station will lead to improved commercial space communication systems for personal phone, computer and video use. Also, they will lead to improvements to energy use efficiencies, air and water quality capabilities in private and commercial buildings, and to improvements in automated maintenance functions and new lower-cost building construction techniques. Advancements in space technology will significantly enhance the quality of life on Earth and will help make the utilization and exploration of space safer and more affordable.
The ability to understand the Earth and its environmental response to natural and human-induced variations such as air quality, climate, land use, food production as well as ocean and fresh water health are some of the benefits expected from Earth science research aboard the International Space Station. The astronauts work and the instruments used will provide a "window on the world", enabling scientists to monitor and understand the factors affecting quality of life.
The End!
