The outer space has been a mystery land for many centuries. The more and more it’s dug up, it gives us exciting and never seen before adventures. This curiosity of humans led to exploration of the space. During the twentieth century, people began to explore the outer space using high-altitude balloon flights. Then the exploration was continued using crewed rocket flights but their space journey was limited only to the moon and the earth’s orbit. But on the other hand, the uncrewed spacecrafts have reached almost all the planets in the solar system. Now with the soaring technological advancements, space exploration has got a beaming expansion.
“People just want to explore,
Trying to dig every mystery till the core.
The sky was looked upon, to find their way,
Now people see it and want to know whether they can stay”.
Today there are leading space agencies like,
- National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA)
- Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos or RFSA)
- China National Space Administration (CNSA)
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
- The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
- The European Space Agency (ESA)
These space agencies have the capacity to create, launch and recover satellites. They are finding new ways to unlock mysteries about the outer space. Also, the discoveries and innovations that has come from space exploration, plays a significant part in the modern world.
SPACE EXPLORATION AND ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES:
From the late nineteen fifties, artificial satellites had been part of the world. These man-made satellites are highly beneficial. They are launched into space using rockets and they orbit around the planets using their gravitational force. These satellites have lot of benefits.
- They are helpful to know about weather forecasting.
- They collect information about the planets, stars and meteorites.
- They are used to transmit television and radio signals and also used in the area of remote sensing, telecommunications and in Global Positioning System (GPS).
- They are also a helpful tool in communication, spying, geological studies and missile launch detection.
These man-made artificial satellites are operated by space agencies and are highly beneficial which is now a crucial tool in the modern society and came into existence with the advent of space exploration.
SPACE EXPLORATION AND SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENTS:
Space exploration programs have paved way for many innovations. These discoveries and innovations are a result of people trying to solve the problems of astronauts in the zero gravity of outer space. It made a huge impact in many fields. It has given a big breakthrough in the field of biology, medicine and physics. Phenomena’s like atmosphere, dynamics, gravity, fluid and many more are the result of space exploration. The tests and trials made for the space travel, has been applicable in different areas. All these space research programs had led to the development of
- Fire-resistant materials
- New precise thermometers
- Air purification systems
- Smoke detectors
- Scratch-resistant glass
- Solar panels
Space exploration have helped to introduce and test new technologies which are highly helpful for today’s world.
SPACE EXPLORATION AND MEDICAL INNOVATIONS:
Space exploration has a huge impact in the field of medicine which has been a boon for many medical problems faced by the humans in their body.
- Artificial human limbs were made more functional, comfortable and durable using the creations that was originally designed for space vehicles.
- Cochlear implants were made by Adam Kissiah using electronic sensing systems, telemetry, sound and vibration sensors. He worked in the Kennedy Space Center and was a hearing-impaired engineer.
- Scratch-resistant eyeglass lenses were a development of an abrasion-resistant coating which was used for space helmet visors and aerospace equipment.
- Insulin pumps were a result of the space team wanting to observe the astronaut’s vital signs in the outer space.
SPACE EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH:
The researches that could not be done on earth was conducted at the space stations in the outer space. This is possible due to the microgravity that is experienced in the outer space.
- New cancer treatment which could not be tested by doctors on earth, was tested by the astronauts.
- Medical treatments to fight muscle atrophy and bone loss was developed by astronauts.
- An experiment to grow muscles in mice using an implantable device was done in space which would be beneficial for people who are suffering from muscular conditions.
SPACE EXPLORATION AND AIM FOR PLANETARY NEIGHBOURHOOD:
The survival of human species in other planets has been the most exciting research. The reason behind this is the dynamic explosion of population around the world and increasing demand for basic survival needs. Hypothetically assuming, if earth becomes unsustainable to live or is unable to accommodate the beaming population, humans might need an alternative place to survive. So, the space explorations conducted on moon and the mars might lead to a planetary neighbourhood if self-sustaining outposts are successfully built for human existence on them. But only time will let us know whether we are going to have a planetary neighbourhood or not.
SPACE EXPLORATION AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES:
Now many countries are focussing on space exploration which might now increase the need of workers in the space sectors. Space exploration requires people who are trained in different occupations like scientists, engineers and technicians and media and communication workers.
- SCIENTISTS: Scientists focus on finding answers about outer space with their observations. They include Astronomers who observe objects in the outer space, Atmospheric scientists who observe the weather and climate and Plasma Physicists who study plasmas. They have all contributed to new discoveries.
- ENGINEERS: Engineers focus on building new rockets or designing hardware or strong materials or test the products. They include Aerospace engineers who build aircrafts and spacecrafts, Computer hardware engineers who develop computer systems and equipment and Mechanical engineers who create products to support space missions.
- TECHNICIANS: Technicians help to test the designs and determine whether the climatic conditions are suitable for launching the mission. They include Aerospace engineering technicians who help engineers to develop and test products, Avionics technicians who repair systems related to aircraft and space craft and Meteorological technicians who measure conditions related to weather and climate.
- MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS: They help the public to understand the importance of space work. They include photographers who document the achievements and progress of a space project, producers who are in charge of the budget in producing educational videos, Public relation Specialists who inform public about space discoveries and activities and technical writers who present information in a way the public can understand.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Space exploration is not only related to outer space, it plays an important and path-breaking role in the modern world. Many mysteries were solved due to space exploration and many discoveries led to unimaginable outcomes in today’s world. Also, the future might hold unexpected happenings due to space exploration. We must wait patiently to see how space exploration unveil the riddles of the universe.
By: Samyuktha R
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