Space Exploration

Exploration of outer space began in earnest halfway through the 20th century. Until that time, neither the technology nor the funds had been available to devote to space exploration; technology obviously because it was not quite advanced enough, and funds because, having been embroiled in two world wars, the most powerful nations of the world couldn't spare expenses from military. But with the end of WWII, both new technology and available funds made exploration of space an option. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first satellite, Sputnik, into outer space. Sputnik took only a 98 minute orbit around the Earth, but it began a new age in both technology and politics; the age of space exploration, and the beginning of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Only a month after the launch of Sputnik, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2. This mission carried Laika, a husky-terrier mix, who became the first dog - and animal - to travel into space. The purpose of Laika's mission was to test whether living creatures would be able to survive the journey into space. Many scientists believed humans wouldn't be able to survive - in outer space, or even merely through the initial launch. Since de-orbit technology had yet to be invented, Laika's survival was never expected, and she did in fact pass away while in outer space. But her mission pioneered technology that allowed the successful launch of humans into space, and knowledge that helped keep them alive while in orbit. Laika has been honored in Russia with a monument near a military research facility in Moscow, and with an appearance on the Monument to the Conquerors of Space, also in Moscow.

January 31st, 1958 saw the launch of the first American satellite, Explorer 1, (officially named Satellite 1958 Alpha), into outer space. The launch of Explorer marked an important political turn in 20th century space exploration. In the midst of the Cold War, the USA and USSR were competing for dominance on Earth, and in the skies; the launch of the first American satellite demonstrated that technology comparable to Soviet technology used to launch Sputnik and Sputnik 2 was available in nations other than the Soviet Union. Also important in the space race during July of that year was the creation of NASA.
On Explorer 1, "a cosmic ray detector designed to measure the radiation environment in Earth's orbit" (nasa.gov/mission_pages/explorer/explorer-overview.html) revealed new knowledge about radiation belts and cosmic ray counts in Earth's magnetic field.

Just as the USSR had beaten the USA to put a living creature - Laika - in space, so did they succeed in putting the first human in space. In April of 1961, Yuri A. Gagarin completed a 108-minute orbit of the Earth. After being selected for the Soviet Space Program, Yuri was chosen from the "Sochi Six," an elite training group from which he and another colleague were selected for the first launch. During his launch, Yuri's casual "poyekhali!" (Russian: "let's go") and whistling of Shostakovich's "The Motherland Knows" served as rallying cries for Soviet nationalists. Yuri was a great source of pride for the nation, and was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union - the highest distinction a Soviet citizen could receive.
Not to be outdone, the USA sent Alan Shepard into space a mere month later. They conducted water landings for their rockets, rather than terrestrial landings as the Russians had attempted, which made for a far more successful landing - Alan remained in the craft during the landing, whereas Yuri had landed separately from his craft. Despite this, the USSR can claim to have sent both the first dog and the first man into space - as well as conducting the first spacewalk - keeping them one step ahead in the space race.

Though the Soviet Union could claim those achievements over the United States, the USA gained lasting fame by putting the first humans on the moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the moon in 1969, fulfilling President John F. Kennedy's goal to put a man on the moon - and return him home safely - by the end of the decade. Armstrong and Aldrin left an American flag on the moon, flaunting their accomplishment; even though it was a "leap for mankind," it was really a leap for American mankind in the space race with the USSR.

Though many motivators for space exploration were rooted in government - increasing national prestige and power, asserting technological advances and wealth, providing new technologies like satellite communication to citizens - a genuine scientific curiosity in what was out there in space also drove the age of space exploration throughout the latter half of the 20th century. From proving the existence of various celestial phenomena - and disproving the existence of others - to exploring our neighboring planets, space travel has provided humanity with a knowledge completely unforeseen when Galileo and Copernicus were looking through their telescopes.

One recent discovery (1995) has ignited the imaginations of science fiction fanatics everywhere - the discovery of exoplanets. Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars outside our solar system; just as Earth, Venus, etc. orbit the sun, these exoplanets orbit stars/suns of their own. In 2015, another more exciting discovery regarding exoplanets was made. Kepler-452b, Earth's "bigger, older cousin," aroused the possibility of additional life in space, something humans have fantasized about forever.  NASA has begun more research on these exoplanets with a focus on searching for life, even as they are exploring our own solar system for additional signs of life.

An even more recent milestone in deep space exploration are the journeys of the Voyagers 1 and 2. Launched by NASA in 1977, the primary mission of the spacecrafts was to explore Saturn and Jupiter. After success with discoveries on these two planets - the discovery of active volcanoes on Jupiter's moons to exploring Saturn's rings - the missions of the Voyagers were extended. Voyager 2 went on the explore Neptune and Uranus, and is still the only spacecraft to have explored these outermost planets of our solar system. The Voyager 1 has gone one step further; 35 years later, during August, 2012, the Voyager left our solar system and is now exploring interstellar space. As of 2015, the Voyager 1 is 12,161,300,000 miles from Earth (http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/interstellar/en/). Being the first craft to exit our solar system, Voyager 1 has made scientific history, and will continue to help scientists learn more about interstellar space through actual observation rather than conjecture.

Also in interstellar space, in the Boomerang Nebula, temperatures have nearly reached absolute zero (-460 degrees Fahrenheit). Absolute zero, the temperature at which the motion of all matter ceases, has long been considered by scientists to be unreachable. The Boomerang Nebula, as well as additional experiments in recent times, have shown temperatures that approach absolute zero; the Nebula's temperature is a balmy -457.7 degrees, as measured from the Atacama desert in Chile.

The most recent of all the discoveries here occurred in 2015. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter sent data back to NASA that liquid water intermittently flows on Mars.  In the search for life in other places in our solar system - and the universe as a whole - this finding has been revolutionary. Life as we know it requires water to support it, and the finding of this life-force on another planet indicates to scientists a high possibility of finding some sort of life, perhaps even closer in the future than we can imagine.

With the continuing improvement of technology, our means to explore outer space have multiplied exponentially since Sputnik's first orbit in 1957. We can surely look forward to a number of amazing discoveries by NASA and others in the decades to come.

Sources

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http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/

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