Space An Introduction

Space Exploration  Space Exploration: is the use of astronomy and space technology to explore outer space.astronomyspace technologyouter space  Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft.human spaceflightsrobotic spacecraft  Astronomy, or the observation of objects in space set the stage for exploration, it was the development of large liquid-fueled rocket engines during the early 20th century however, that allowed physical space exploration to become a reality.

Rationale for Space Exploration Common rationales for exploring space include:  advancing scientific research  Uniting the world  ensuring the future survival of humanity  developing military and strategic advantages against other countries.

Historical Background  1 st space advances were made by German scientists during WWII while testing the V2 rocket  After the war, the Allies used German scientists & research to continue space research  Early exploration was driven by a “space race” between the USSR & the U.S. in the Cold War

Space Race  Cold War  Tension between the U.S. & Soviet Union  Each country wanted to prove their dominance in anything & everything… including space  This led to competition between the two countries in space which became known as the Space Race  A dangerous technological gap between the U.S. & USSR

Space Race Soviet UnionU.S.  Launch Sputnik Oct. 4, 1957  1 st man-made object to orbit Earth  Soviet 1 st ’s (led early)  1 st living being in orbit 1957  1 st human space flight (Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1) 1961  1 st spacewalk (Aleksei Leonov) 1965  1 st automatic landing on another celestial body in 1966  1 st space station (Salyut 1) in 1971  1 st scientific exploration from space = cosmic radiation experiment on a V2 rocket  1 st images of Earth taken from space followed the same year  1 st animal experiment saw fruit flies lifted into space in 1947  1 st moon landing by Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969

Sputnik 1

Yuri Gagarin – April 12, 1961 Russia The spacecraft completed one orbit around the globe, lasting about 1 hour and 48 minutes. Gagarin's flight resonated around the world; it was a demonstration of the advanced Soviet space program & it opened an entirely new era in space exploration: human spaceflight

Alan Shepard The U.S. first launched a person into space with Shepard’s suborbital flight.

John Glenn Orbital flight was achieved by the U.S. when John Glenn orbited the Earth on February 20, 1962.

Buzz Aldrin & Neil Armstrong 1 st men on the moon.

NASA  U.S. agency responsible for the nation's public space program  Established by the National Aeronautics & Space Act in 1958  A year after the Soviet’s launched Sputnik  NASA has led U.S. efforts for space exploration ever since, resulting in the Apollo missions to the Moon, the Skylab space station, and later the Space Shuttle

Pros/Cons of Space Travel?

Varying Viewpoints Regarding Space Exploration The Pros  International cooperation  Biological research benefits entire human race  Human achievement  Future colonization and tourism The Cons  Too costly  Environmental waste (space junk)  Problems on Earth need to be fixed first  Too dangerous

Should These Programs Continue?  NASA's 2007 budget was $16.25 billion. Let's put this amount in perspective: The department of defense budget in 2007 was $609 billion. The department of homeland security 2007 budget was $652 billion. The national budget in 2007 was $2,784 billion. The amount of this budget spent on NASA was 0.58%. A B-2 stealth bomber costs taxpayers $2.2 billion. The New Horizons mission to explore the dwarf planet Pluto will cost $650 million.

Task Force Questions  Political Issues:  1. Who do you think owns space?  2. Who should determine what goes on in space? Why?  Finance/Cultural:  3. Is it right to spend tax dollars on space? Why/why not?  4. Do we have the right to alter materials in space to meet our needs? Explain.  Environmental Issues:  5. Who do you think should be responsible for protecting space environments from alteration by humans? Why?  6. Who is responsible for cleaning up space junk? Why?  Safety Issues:  7. Who should be responsible for injuries caused to astronauts? Why?  8. Should safety of astronauts (as well as people on Earth) be a primary concern in space exploration? Why?