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« The Earth is the cradle of the mind-but
one cannot eternally live in a cradle».
K. Tsiolkovsky
Why Should We Explore Space?
People have gazed up at the night sky for thousands of years and wondered what the countless wandering points of light were. Improved technology means we can observe and explore further into the Universe. Just as ancient explorers travelled across uncharted lands and oceans to see what was there, modern explorers venture into space. By studying space, scientists can discover what is out there, find out how the Universe began, and learn more about Earth.
Space exploration is the ongoing discovery and exploration of celestial structures in outer space. While the study of space is carried out mainly by astronomers with telescopes, the physical exploration of space is conducted both by unmanned robotic probes and manned spaceflight. Spaceflight is also used in commercial activities like space tourism and satellite telecommunications, reconnaissance and other earth observation satellites. Space stations and manned spacecraft in orbit are also satellites. Many space missions are more suited to telerobotic rather than crewed operation, due to lower cost and risk factor. Outer planets such as Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are too distant to reach with current crewed spaceflight technology, so scientists suggest that telerobotic probes (landers and rovers) should be the only way to explore them.
There are many reasons for space exploration. The most important reasons are advanced scientific research, national prestige, unity of different nations, development of military and strategic advantages and the interest of humans to learn more about outer space. It is essential that space exploration should give people an opportunity to discover new, habitable worlds, which could allow our species to survive beyond the lifespan of this planet. Space colonization would be the permanent autonomous human settlements outside Earth on extraterrestrial objects such as Moon or Mars.
Space research has a long history and is based on the works of prominent scientists from all over the world. Galileo Galilei and Nicolaus Copernicus were the first who wanted to reach out for the stars. But only in the XX century thanks to the revolutionary works of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky people realized that interplanetary travel could be a possibility. Without ever launching a single rocket himself, Tsiolkovsky was the first to figure out all the basic equations for rocketry. His ideas were followed by a number of very important works in the field of astronautics, which in its turn resulted in creation of powerful spacecraft, capable of moving into and out of gravitational fields and even staying in the orbit for a long time.
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One of the most ambitious and successful project of this kind is the International Space Station (ISS) which has been in continuous use for 15 years. Its first component was launched into orbit in 1998. But before the ISS could serve as a home beyond Earth, it had to be built. ISS components were launched by Russian Proton and Soyuz rockets as well as American space shuttles. There were many interconnected parts from so many countries that it was impossible to predict how they would interact. It was also very important that all of these elements should fit together and work exactly as planned. The engineers managed to fulfil their task. The station works as if it was a unique complex assembly and serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which crew members carry out experiments in biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology, and other fields. The station is designed for testing space craft systems and equipment required for missions to the Moon and Mars.
You might ask, why do people spend so much time, investments and effort on space research when there are so many problems on Earth that haven’t been solved yet. It is because all the possible benefits outweigh the costs that governments and companies spend on this industry. Future space exploration could have a profound effect on humanity. A better understanding of our place in the universe could change long standing beliefs. Space mining could help replenish Earth resources or provide new minerals. Colonization of other worlds might even save humanity itself. So, in the end, we should commit ourselves to it, because it can benefit us, as individuals and as species, in unexpected ways.
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