Space technology

Space technology is technology developed by space science or the aerospace industry for use in spaceflight, satellites, or space exploration. Space technology includes spacecraft, satellites, space stations, and support infrastructure, equipment, and procedures and space warfare. Space is such a novel environment that attempting to work in it requires new tools and techniques. Many common everyday services such as weather forecasting, remote sensing, GPS systems, satellite television, and some long-distance communications systems critically rely on space infrastructure. Of the sciences, astronomy and Earth science benefit from space technology.[1] New technologies originating with or accelerated by space-related endeavors are often subsequently exploited in other economic activities.


The earth on which we live is a more-or-less spherical planet which orbits a medium-sized star, the Sun.[2] The Earth is one of the eight planets which orbit the sun. These planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. In his 1970 science fiction novel Ringworld, Larry Niven imagined a civilization that created a rotating wheel space within the habitable zone around its star that rotated sufficiently rapidly to maintain artificial gravity. Future space technology may well encompass similar concepts to allow human civilization to expand further into the solar system and beyond.


History of space technology

The first country on Earth to put any technology into space was Russia, formally known as the “Union of Soviet Socialist Republics” (U.S.S.R.). A satellite, Sputnik1, was launched on October 4, 1957, and put into an elliptical low Earth Orbit. The U.S.S.R. had several objectives for the satellite to accomplish to declare a mission success.[3]

1.      Test the method of placing an artificial satellite into Earth orbit

2.      Provide information on the density of the atmosphere by calculating its lifetime in orbit

3.      Test radio and optical methods of orbital tracking

4.      Determine the effects of radio wave propagation though the atmosphere

5.      Check principles of pressurization used on the satellites

Possibly the biggest mystery to mankind the mysteries that lie in outer space. The possibilities are endless and very curious to man. As a result, there has been technology developed in recent history in attempt to explore and gather information of outer space. The first satellite, Sputnik, was launched by the Soviets in 1957. The first living creature, a dog named Laika, was launched with Sputnik 2 a month after. The Americans followed suit in 1958, launching their first satellite, Explorer 1. These were important first steps in space exploration.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), began operations in October of 1958. NASA launched the first American into space, sending astronaut Alan Shepherd on a brief flight in early May 1961. To this day, NASA remains one of the top space programs in the world. However, it wasn't NASA who would send the first man into space. The feat was accomplished, again by the Soviets, by sending cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into orbit a month earlier.

The Soviets would continue to have more space technology success than the rest of the world. By 1961, in addition to sending the first satellite, living creature and man into space, the Soviets sent the first man made object to the moon, first man in space for a full day, and first woman in space. However, the Americans famously sent the first man on the moon with Apollo 11, as Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon in 1969. NASA would go on to send probes to study nearby planets Mars, Venus and Mercury in the subsequent years. Recently, probes have been sent to various places around our solar system, discovering moons of Jupiter and Saturn.

United States and Russia's battles in space progress was no coincidence. The space race was the competition between the United States and Russia, as part of the Cold War in the late 20th century. The two countries battled to be the first to use their technology for various aspects of space exploration. Today, other countries have joined in, as we continue to study and explore space with modern technology.

NASA's 1977 creation, Voyager 1, remains one of the most notable space technology creations. It is currently the furthest man made object from Earth. As of March 2018, it was over 13 billion miles away. It has discovered valuable information about cosmic radiation, stars, and more. Hopefully, in coming years, Voyager 1 will discover more in which man can only imagine.

Space technology has not been all positive. There have been a number of disasters involving spacecraft. NASA was responsible for the Challenger disaster in early 1986. Mere minutes after launch, a malfunction caused a fire that broke the ship apart, killing everyone on board. Another major disaster occurred in 2003. NASA's space shuttle Columbia had a minor mishap during launch, which was thought to be nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, upon reentry, it caused a gas leak which destroyed the shuttle, killing all 7 astronauts on board. Other smaller mishaps have occurred, including the death of Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov due to a parachute malfunction, and a hazardous gas leak with luckily resulted in no fatalities. These events show that there is still more work to be done in the research and development of space technology.

  • Space Disasters
  • The History of Space Exploration
  • America's First Satellite
  • Voyager 1
  • Space Race

Future space technologies

See also

References
  1. Hall, Loura (2015-03-16). "About Us". NASA. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  2. "Our Solar System". NASA Solar System Exploration. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  3. Administrator, NASA Content (2015-11-05). "Sputnik 1". NASA. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
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