Space Exploration Essay Example For Students

Space Exploration Essay H By: Jigar Bhakta Space Exploration Essay: FROM THE PAST TO THE FUTURE Ever since the beginning of time, mankind has been fascinated with wonders of space. Before the mid-1900s, all mankind could do was gaze at the stars from Earth and wonder what it would be like to go into space. Man would look through telescopes and make theories on how the universe worked. During the mid-1900s, mankind finally was able to send a man into space and explore the wonders of space first hand. So why do humans explore space? Well, it is our fascination with the unknown. We will write a custom essay on Space Exploration specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now At first, all mankind did was look up and wonder how things became what they are now. We started to think that all celestial bodies revolved around the Earth, and the Earth was the center of the entire universe. Galileo Galelie later disproved this theory. Even with growing knowledge in the field, it was not until 1957 when the first Earth orbiter, the Soviets Sputnik 1, was sent into space and placed in orbit at an altitude of 1,370 miles and weighed 184 pounds. Later in that year, the Soviets sent Sputnik 2 into space with a dog named Laika. Laika was the first animal to venture into space. Then in 1985, the United States successfully sent their very own satellite into space. In 1960, the Soviets launched to dogs into space and successfully returned them to Earth. From this point started the space race. The space race was a challenge between the USSR and the United States to see who could land a man on the moon first. In 1961, the first man in space was cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin who was in space for 60 minutes before returning to Earth in Vostok 1 and was sent by the USSR. Astronaut Shepard flew the first manned sub-orbital space-flight by the Americans. The first true American orbital flight was by John Glen and he stayed in space for five hours in Mercury 6 in 1962. Then in 1963, the USSR sent the first woman into space; her name was Valentina Tereshkova-Nikaleva. They also had the first person to take a space-walk in 1965. In 1968, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA tested the first Saturn 5 rocket, which would be used for the Apollo missions. The first manned Apollo missions and the first flight around the moon took place in 1968. Finally, on July 21, 1969, the United States placed the first man on the moon winning the space race. The challenge for mankind at present is placing a human on Mars. We have already sent probes on to Mars and roamed some of its terrain with the rover known as Sojourner. Sojourner was taken to Mars on NASAs Mars Pathfinder and was the first wheeled vehicle to operate on another planetary surface. The Mars pathfinder sent photographs, atmospheric measurements, and a few other important data that will contribute to taking a man to Mars. While pathfinder sent data, Sojourner examined rocks and soil samples with a camera and Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer, providing useful data on chemical compositions and radiation bounced back from rocks and dust. The mission finally ended when the Pathfinder stopped responding to commands from NASA. NASA has sent two other probes to Mars, but both malfunctioned and were destroyed on impact on the Martian surface. The US and a few other countries have joined together and are constructing the International Space Station or the ISS. The ISS is scheduled to be completed in 2004 and will be continuously occupied by up to seven crewmembers. The space station is envisioned to be a world-class research facility in which scientist can study Earth and space, as well as explore the medical effects of long durations of weightlessness in space and the behavior of materials in a weightlessness environment, and the practicality of space manufacturing techniques. Now, the future of space exploration depends on many factors. Some of these factors are as followed: how much technology advances, how political forces change rivalries as well as partnerships with other nations, and how important space exploration is to the general public. .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890 , .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890 .postImageUrl , .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890 , .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890:hover , .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890:visited , .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890:active { border:0!important; } .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890:active , .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890 .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u70aae7260d66494fce7489c237220890:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Teenage peer pressure drugs and alcohol Essay NASA is working on a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle, but . Space Exploration Essay Example For Students Space Exploration Essay Ever since the beginning of time, mankind has been fascinated with wonders of space. Before the mid-1900s, all mankind could do was gaze at the stars from Earth and wonder what it would be like to go into space. Man would look through telescopes and make theories on how the universe worked. During the mid-1900s, mankind finally was able to send a man into space and explore the wonders of space first hand. So why do humans explore space? Well, it is our fascination with the unknown. At first, all mankind did was look up and wonder how things became what they are now. We started to think that all celestial bodies revolved around the Earth, and the Earth was the center of the entire universe. Galileo Galelie later disproved this theory. Even with growing knowledge in the field, it was not until 1957 when the first Earth orbiter, the Soviets Sputnik 1, was sent into space and placed in orbit at an altitude of 1,370 miles and weighed 184 pounds. Later in that year, the Soviets sent Sputnik 2 into space with a dog named Laika. Laika was the first animal to venture into space. We will write a custom essay on Space Exploration specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Then in 1985, the United States successfully sent their very own satellite into space. In 1960, the Soviets launched to dogs into space and successfully returned them to Earth. From this point started the space race. The space race was a challenge between the USSR and the United States to see who could land a man on the moon first. In 1961, the first man in space was cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin who was in space for 60 minutes before returning to Earth in Vostok 1 and was sent by the USSR. Astronaut Shepard flew the first manned sub-orbital space-flight by the Americans. The first true American orbital flight was by John Glen and he stayed in space for five hours in Mercury 6 in 1962. Then in 1963, the USSR sent the first woman into space; her name was Valentina Tereshkova-Nikaleva. They also had the first person to take a space-walk in 1965. In 1968, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA tested the first Saturn 5 rocket, which would be used for the Apollo missions. The first manned Apollo missions and the first flight around the moon took place in 1968. Finally, on July 21, 1969, the United States placed the first man on the moon winning the space race. The challenge for mankind at present is placing a human on Mars. We have already sent probes on to Mars and roamed some of its terrain with the rover known as Sojourner. Sojourner was taken to Mars on NASAs Mars Pathfinder and was the first wheeled vehicle to operate on another planetary surface. The Mars pathfinder sent photographs, atmospheric measurements, and a few other important data that will contribute to taking a man to Mars. While pathfinder sent data, Sojourner examined rocks and soil samples with a camera and Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer, providing useful data on chemical compositions and radiation bounced back from rocks and dust. The mission finally ended when the Pathfinder stopped responding to commands from NASA. NASA has sent two other probes to Mars, but both malfunctioned and were destroyed on impact on the Martian surface. The US and a few other countries have joined together and are constructing the International Space Station or the ISS. The ISS is scheduled to be completed in 2004 and will be continuously occupied by up to seven crewmembers. The space station is envisioned to be a world-class research facility in which scientist can study Earth and space, as well as explore the medical effects of long durations of weightlessness in space and the behavior of materials in a weightlessness environment, and the practicality of space manufacturing techniques. Now, the future of Space Exploration Essay depends on many factors. Some of these factors are as followed: how much technology advances, how political forces change rivalries as well as partnerships with other nations, and how important space exploration is to the general public. .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc , .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc .postImageUrl , .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc , .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc:hover , .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc:visited , .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc:active { border:0!important; } .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc:active , .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u30a987f63aec3ff2042dcc70b44233cc:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Yellow Wallpaper Gender Roles Essay NASA is working on a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle, but until it is until then, NASA plans to us the space shuttle fleet to the year 2012. . Space Exploration Essay Example For Students Space Exploration Essay Approaching the end of Apollo, my frustration often surfaced. No one in America seemed to care that we were giving up, surrendering the future of the next generation of young people with stars in their eyes. How I wished John F. Kennedy were still alive, challenging us to dare and to dream. I feel the same way today; the boldness and scope of his vision is not to be found today in our space program and in our nation. Entering the twenty-first century, we have an unimaginable array of technology and a generation of young Americans schooled in these technologies. With our powerful economy, we can do anything we set our mind to do. Yet we stand with our feet firmly planted on the ground when we could be exploring the universe. Three decades ago We will write a custom essay on Space Exploration specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Americans placed six flags on the Moon. Today we no longer try for new and bold space achievements; instead we celebrate the anniversaries of the past. Our work is unfinished Gene Kranz, Failure Is Not An Option Theres a certain something about science which is part of its appeal to me and to many others. Call it a willingness to dream, if you will. Sometimes a dream may be amusing, as with the molecular creations (dodecahedrane, cubane, superphane, basketane, and of course buckminsterfullerene) described in Designing the Molecular World by Philip Ball. Sometimes a dream may be visionary and bold, as with the dream to finally understand the physics that underlies our world. Theres definitely something interesting about the fact that the fundamental particles of the universe can be drawn in a chart on a T-shirt, or that the equations behind classical electromagnetism can be scribbled on a scrap of paper. For some 400 years, scientists have dared to dream that they can understand and explore the universe, ever since Galileo peered into the night skies with a simple telescope. I read a large amount of books and magazines; in addition to the science books that fill my bookshelf, I subscribe to Scientific American and Discover and several other scientific magazines. They all are, in some way, connected with the dreams of science, whether it be the dreams of the past (scientific history) or dreams about the future of science. How excited I was when I saw the March 2000 issue of Scientific American, which at the top had the words Special Report: Sending Humans to Mars! How incredibly nifty. However, I was considerly less enthusiastic when I actually read the articles inside. In the article How to Go to Mars, George Musser and Mark Alpert mention, In all the proposals for sending humans to Mars, the crucial first step is launching the spacecraft into a low Earth orbit (200 to 500 kilometers up). The basic problem is that any manned craft using present-day propulsion technologies will need a huge supply of propellant to get to Mars and hence will be extremely heavy: at least 130 metric tons and possibly twice that much. Thats fine. No one ever said that attaining dreams was easy. But I was absolutely shocked when I looked at the chart on the following page. This chart is one of the most dismal and saddening things Ive ever seen. Its a horizontal bar chart divided into two parts: an upper one labeled Existing Launch Vehicles and a lower one labeled Proposed Launch Vehicles; the bars in each part are different colors to emphasize which vehicles currently exist and which are proposed. The horizontal scale reads Lift Capacity (metric tons to low Earth orbit) and goes from 0 to 100. Yes, thats rather distressing already. The existing launch vehicles, the Titan 4B and the Space Shuttle, we are told by this chart, can lift 22 and 23 metric tons, respectively. The proposed launch vehicles, the Delta 4 Heavy, the VentureStar, and the Magnum, can lift 23, 25, and 80 metric tons, respectively. The Magnums bar is obviously emphasized, being almost four times longer than the diminutive bars above it. Wow. 80 metric tons to low Earth orbit. The caption to the side, reads, Current launch vehicles cannot meet the needs of a human mission to Mars. .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807 , .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807 .postImageUrl , .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807 , .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807:hover , .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807:visited , .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807:active { border:0!important; } .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807:active , .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807 .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2a118edecf65ebef5096ab2b42e9b807:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Communist Manifesto Essay Paper Boosting a 130-ton Mars craft into low Earth . Space Exploration Essay Example For Students Space Exploration Essay On May 25, 1961, John F. Kennedy delivered one of the most memorable State of the Union addresses in the history of the United States. I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the earth (http://www.cs.umb. edu/jfklibrary, President John F. Kennedys Special Message to the Congress on Urgent National Needs). With those words, Kennedy launched a new era of Space Exploration Essay in the United States. Although the National Aeronautics And Space Administration was created in 1958 by the National Aeronautics and Space Act (http://www.hq.nasa. gov, Key Documents), and the Russians already launched the first satellite into space in 1957, the US was still at a stand still on the subject. What the country needed was a wake-up call, and that is exactly what it got from one of the most celebrated speakers in its history. The new era promised much, but expected little. From USAs struggle to be the dominant world power in the Cold War Era, to the careless depletion of natural resources in the Information Age, space exploration and astronauts were and will be the real keys to the new millennium and beyond. Before looking into the future, or even evaluating the present, one must look in detail at the history of the space project. The missions that gave scientists and engineers the necessary data and experience to make new, safer, more reliable and intricate equipment were launched long before there was realistic talk of sending probes to Mars. We will write a custom essay on Space Exploration specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The astronauts that helped shape the training programs, took the beatings of primitive flight tests, and died in order to serve their country were born before World War II. And even the Russian Space Program was crucial to what the space program is today. It fueled competition, and provided more resources for American engineers. Until Apollo 11, they were ahead of the Americans in almost everyway, with their launch of Sputnik, a unmanned satellite in 1957, and their countless firsts in orbiting and space walks. Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space. Although most of the missions that have been launched have been important in their own ways, some missions just stand out, whether it was the first step on the Moon, or the first mission to Mars. NASAs first high profile program was Project Mercury, an effort to learn if humans could survive in space. It was the prelude to the later missions, and it gave NASA the necessary data to build better, and more comfortable ships for humans to stay in space for extended periods of time. The first launch of the Mercury program was the LJ-1 on August 21, 1959. At thirty-five minutes before launch, evacuation of the area had been proceeding on schedule. Suddenly, half an hour before launch-time, an explosive flash occurred. When the smoke cleared it was evident that only the capsule-and-tower combination had been launched, on a trajectory similar to an off-the-pad abort (http://www. ksc.nasa.gov, Mercury: LJ-1). The first mildly successful spacecraft launch occurred September 9, 1959. Although the BJ-1 ship experienced some problems, and the timing on some of the separation procedures was off, the capsule made it back to earth some seven hours after lift-off. The capsule orbited the earth for approximately thirteen minutes (Mercury: BJ-1). Mercury mission MA-5 was the first to carry live organisms into sub-orbit. Although Enos a chimpanzee, was not a perfect substitute for a human, he served as a good test for the environmental controls of the capsule. He orbited the earth in total weightlessness for over three hours and upon landing was in perfect physical condition (Mercury: MA-5). On May 5, 1961, Freedom 7 was the first launch to carry humans into space. Alan B. Shepard, Jr. .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd , .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd .postImageUrl , .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd , .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd:hover , .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd:visited , .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd:active { border:0!important; } .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd:active , .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ucfd38ada86fad34bc4a10ba248a0a7dd:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Tuesdays With Morrie Essay was the only crewmember, and the successful mission lasted for over 15 minutes (Mercury: MR-3). More manned flights from the Mercury series followed, highlighted by the Friendship 7, where on February 20, 1962, John Glenn was the first American in actual orbit, and he orbited the earth three times for a little under five hours (Mercury: MA-6). The last mission from the Mercury project came on May 15, 1963, where L. Gordon Cooper was in orbit in the Faith 7 for over a day. Total weightless time was over thirty-four hours, and the mission was celebrated and deemed more than successful (Mercury: MA-9). Gemini missions followed which built on the success of the Mercury flights, and basically followed the same outlines, except with a crew . Space Exploration Essay Example For Students Space Exploration Essay People have been venturing out into the universe for many years now. In addition to satellites, both women and men astronauts have traveled into space to collect data about the universe. The first human being, the first animal, and the first spacecraft in orbit, were all achievements of the Soviet Union. In 1958 a group known as The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was founded. The first probe to escape Earths gravity was the Soviet LUNA 1, launched on Jan. 2, 1959. It passed the Moon and continued into interplanetary space. The U.S. probe Pioneer 4, launched two months later, followed the same path. Later Soviet probes either hit the Moon or passed it and took photographs of the hidden far side, relaying them back to Earth. The first man to travel to space was Yuri Gagarin. History was made on April 12, 1961, when he successfully orbited the earth in the Votsok 1. His flight lasted one hour and 48 minutes and as he circled the earth, his speed was about 17,000 mph on the Votsok 1. Following this mission, Gagarin was killed in a test airplane crash . Neil Armstrong was the first person to ever land on the moon. Born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, he graduated from college in 1955 and joined the NASA team. We will write a custom essay on Space Exploration specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now In 1962, he became the first civilian to enter into an astronaut training program. In 1969, Armstrong headed the Apollo 11 mission, becoing the first human being to set foot on the moon. Other astronauts the accompanied Armstrong on this mission were Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., and Michael Collins. In 1971, Armstrong became a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati. Valentina Vladimora Nikolayeva Tereshkova was the first woman to enter into space. She joined a Soviet training program in the year 1961 and two years later she successfully orbited the earth 48 times in the Votsok 6. The Sputnik 1 was the first artificial satellite to orbit the earth. It was an aluminum sphere, 58 cm (23 in) in diameter, weighing 83 kg (184 lb). Its orbited around the earth lasted 96.2 minutes. At the end of 57 days the satellite returned to earths atmosphere and was destroyed by aerodynamic frictional heat. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were both spacecrafts that were launched to Jupiter. Voyager 2 was launched on August 20, 1977, and Voyager 1 was launched 2 weeks later on September 5, 1977. Voyager 1 made it to Jupiter before Voyager 2 because it took a shorter and quicker route. Photos Voyager 1 and 2 took proved a couple of new facts about Jupiter. One of them is that Jupiter has a ring around it, and also that Jupiters moon has a giant active volcano that spits out sulfur compounds. The moons around Jupiter were found to be icy, rocky balls, with fractures and craters. When Voyager 1 and 2 were heading back they got a few pictures of Saturns rings. These pictures proved that instread of the 3 or 4 rings that were orginally thought to be around Saturn, there are actually thousands of concentric ringlets. The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous, also known as NEAR, is a spaceship whose mission it is to explore an asteroid called Eros. The journey time to Eros is approximately 35 months and the cost for launching and building is $122 million. Four years of this operation will cost $40 million. Eros was picked for a couple of reasons and one of them was that it might help solve the mystery of why most meteorites do not resemble their bigger brothers in space. In the years to come, NASA will continue to launch new satellites and explore the great unknown. Some of these satellites will be so big that theyll have to be assembled in outer space. There is still lots more to discover. . Space Exploration Essay Example For Students Space Exploration Essay On May 25, 1961, John F. Kennedy delivered one of the most memorable State of the Union addresses in the history of the United States. I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the earth (http://www.cs.umb. edu/jfklibrary, President John F. Kennedys Special Message to the Congress on Urgent National We will write a custom essay on Space Exploration specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Needs). With those words, Kennedy launched a new era of Space Exploration Essay in the United States. Although the National Aeronautics And Space Administration was created in 1958 by the National Aeronautics and Space Act (http://www.hq.nasa. gov, Key Documents), and the Russians already launched the first satellite into space in 1957, the US was still at a stand still on the subject. What the country needed was a wake-up call, and that is exactly what it got from one of the most celebrated speakers in its history. The new era promised much, but expected little. From USAs struggle to be the dominant world power in the Cold War Era, to the careless depletion of natural resources in the Information Age, space exploration and astronauts were and will be the real keys to the new millennium and beyond. Before looking into the future, or even evaluating the present, one must look in detail at the history of the space project. The missions that gave scientists and engineers the necessary data and experience to make new, safer, more reliable and intricate equipment were launched long before there was realistic talk of sending probes to Mars. The astronauts that helped shape the training programs, took the beatings of primitive flight tests, and died in order to serve their country were born before World War II. And even the Russian Space Program was crucial to what the space program is today. It fueled competition, and provided more resources for American engineers. Until Apollo 11, they were ahead of the Americans in almost everyway, with their launch of Sputnik, a unmanned satellite in 1957, and their countless firsts in orbiting and space walks. Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space. Although most of the missions that have been launched have been important in their own ways, some missions just stand out, whether it was the first step on the Moon, or the first mission to Mars. NASAs first high profile program was Project Mercury, an effort to learn if humans could survive in space. It was the prelude to the later missions, and it gave NASA the necessary data to build better, and more comfortable ships for humans to stay in space for extended periods of time. The first launch of the Mercury program was the LJ-1 on August 21, 1959. At thirty-five minutes before launch, evacuation of the area had been proceeding on schedule. Suddenly, half an hour before launch-time, an explosive flash occurred. When the smoke cleared it was evident that only the capsule-and-tower combination had been launched, on a trajectory similar to an off-the-pad abort (http://www. ksc.nasa.gov, Mercury: LJ-1). The first mildly successful spacecraft launch occurred September 9, 1959. Although the BJ-1 ship experienced some problems, and the timing on some of the separation procedures was off, the capsule made it back to earth some seven hours after lift-off. The capsule orbited the earth for approximately thirteen minutes (Mercury: BJ-1). Mercury mission MA-5 was the first to carry live organisms into sub-orbit. Although Enos a chimpanzee, was not a perfect substitute for a human, he served as a good test for the environmental controls of the capsule. He orbited the earth in total weightlessness for over three hours and upon landing was in perfect physical condition (Mercury: MA-5). On May 5, 1961, Freedom 7 was the first launch to carry humans into space. Alan B. Shepard, Jr. .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412 , .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412 .postImageUrl , .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412 , .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412:hover , .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412:visited , .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412:active { border:0!important; } .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412:active , .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412 .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2cca7caf3eb94925a9a958723da2b412:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Lost Boy Essay was the only crewmember, and the successful mission lasted for over 15 minutes (Mercury: MR-3). More manned flights from the Mercury series followed, highlighted by the Friendship 7, where on February 20, 1962, John Glenn was the first American in actual orbit, and he orbited the earth three times for a little under five hours (Mercury: MA-6). The last mission from the Mercury project came on May 15, 1963, where L. Gordon Cooper was in orbit in the Faith 7 for over a day. Total weightless time was over thirty-four hours, and the mission was celebrated and deemed more than successful (Mercury: MA-9). Gemini missions followed which built on the success of the Mercury flights, and basically followed the same outlines, except with a crew .