Technologies Role in Space Travel

Technologies Role in Space Travel

By
William H. Brooks III
Park University
CS300: Technology in a Global Society
Summer Term
July 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION........1
2. SPACE TRAVEL & SURVIVAL ........................2

a. Lift-off to Live ...............3
b. The International Space Station.......4
c. The MoonBase........5
3. FUTURE SPACE TRAVEL AND MISSIONS........6

a. The Red Planet.......7
b. From a Colony to Colonization......8
4. CONCLUSION.........9
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this essay is to describe the role that technology plays in the arena of
space travel, the colonization of other planets, and the study / discovery of new distant
worlds. Today our space program has reached a very vital point from which technology
has sprung forward dramatically in a very short period of time. To sum it up todays
technology is like living inside of the movie Back to the future, where scientists
innovations opened up the worm-hole to other worlds and times. 15 Years ago it
required long periods of funding for NASA and other space agencies to send a
unmanned spacecraft to survey distant moons in our solar system, but now due to the
current engineering work and technology theres a emergence of independent space
travel companies such as Virgin Galactic and Star Chaser Industries who can routinely
provide long-distance space travel and even future colonization on distant planets.
Today technology has helped scientists to prove that the sun is the center of our
solar system and study many of our neighboring planets. In the beginning the dreams of
man traveling into space and exploring the universe were a simply pipe dream because
there was no technology to support it; however, today technology has provided a way to
fulfill that dream. Due to recent innovations and breakthroughs in technology the space
explorers of today will have better ships that are equipped with the latest navigational
systems which will play a vital role in our conquest to discover and colonize new worlds.
When the Wright Brothers discovered the intricacies of powered flight, this was the
ignition point of that mental rocket that propelled mans desire and interest to explore all
things above the earths surface. Since then man has achieved the once impossible, by
not only traveling into space, but also walking on the moon. There are many reasons
man has to explore the universe; such as a limited supply of natural resources, and the
overpopulation of our land masses.
SPACE TRAVEL & SURVIVAL

Lift-off to Live
The first moon walk and the construction of the international space station are great
achievements, but there are still many challenges regarding space travel. These
challenges raise disturbing questions, such as; will man ever achieve prolonged space
exploration or colonization? One important thing that should never be overlooked is that
the human body is a delicate machine which was built and designed to survive on the
strict guidelines of this planet, so things like atmosphere and gravity, along with our
susceptibility to solar radiation will make it very difficult to achieve our space exploration
goals. One ray of hope is the recent discovery of propulsion technology which has
totally revitalized mans desire and ability to travel into space and to colonize the
heavens.
In 1609, Galileo Galilei pointed his newly invented telescope towards the heavens
and became the first of all men to see that there were other worlds beyond the Earth.
Years later, Nicholas Copernicus paved the way for the modern picture of the universe.
He came up with a theory of the solar system in which the sun is the central body and
other planets revolved around it. A whole new science was born. As a result, many
scientists focused on the planets making great discoveries. Astronomy ceased to
belong to the theologians and became an extension of geography. Only a few decades
after the first telescope was invented, a whole literature of space travel had emerged,
mixing fiction with newly acquired astronomical knowledge (Man and Space 9-10).
Today, there is no one who can predict just how fast humans will spread out across
the solar system or just how far we shall be able to explore it. New technologies such as
nuclear propulsion will make it easier to access other planets. Scientists predict that a
century from now, the planet Pluto will seem closer to our grandchildren than the Earth's
poles did to our grandparents. There is no doubt that the powers that are now coming
into our hands will be enough to reshape this solar system like we have already
reshaped the Earth (Man and Space 153).
In order to avoid extinction of the human race from cosmic catastrophes, mankind
must use scientific knowledge to protect ourselves. For humans to sustain long-term
survival, animal and plant and human populations must eventually be spread out to
other planets or space habitats. If we do not disperse life to other planets and our planet
is bombarded by giant cosmic catastrophes like those of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 that
slammed into Jupiter in July 1994, the probability of human survival would be very
minute.
The life on any planet will, however, eventually become extinct, if for no other reason
than the death of its own sun. Therefore, having multiple independent communities on
other planets as well as other solar systems will decrease the chances of the extinction
of all of mankind. (The End: Natural Disasters, Manmade Catastrophes, and the Future
of Human Survival 1-2). Therefore it is necessary to explore and colonize space to
ensure long term survival of the human race.
The International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest space project to date and the
most complex international scientific project in history. It is a joint a collaboration of 16
countries: United States (NASA), Russia (Russian Federal Space Agency - formerly
Rosaviakosmos), Brazil, Canada (Canadian Space Agency), Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency. ESA members involved
are Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland and United Kingdom. NASA uses the station to learn about living and
working in space.
The ISS is visited by a variety of spacecraft use docking ports to connect to the
space station. The Quest Airlock enables access for spacewalks essential to the
facility's continuing construction. Canadarm2 is a Canadian-built apparatus is a large,
remote-controlled space arm that functions as a crane and is being utilized for a wide
variety of tasks. The International Space Station travels around the Earth at an average
speed of 27,700 km/hr and completes 16 orbits per day.
The International Space Station consists of many parts called modules. These
modules provide living areas. Modules called 'nodes' connect other parts. Labs on the
space station let astronauts do research. Solar Arrays technology is used to collect
energy from the sun. It turns the suns energy into electricity. They are located on the
sides of the space station. Robot technology is also used; the station has robotic arms
attached on the outsides of it, they were used to help to build the space station and they
can also move astronauts around outside and to control science experiments. The
space station also utilizes Airlock technology on the space station doors. Astronauts use
these to go outside on spacewalks and the work that is done while in spacesuits utilize
similar technology when astronauts are adding to and maintaining the space station.
MoonBase
In 2006 NASA announced plans to construct a solar-powered outpost at one the
moon's poles. The lunar base is expected to be permanently staffed by 2024. The
outpost concept was chosen over a competing strategy similar to the 1960s and '70s
Apollo program a series of brief trips to the moon. The moon base will allow for
sustained human presence on the moon's surface and help the agency prepare for
future missions to Mars and beyond. The announcement was part of NASA's
congressionally mandated strategy to meet U.S. President George W. Bush's "Vision for
U.S. Space Exploration," a plan outlined in 2004. The Bush plan includes returning
humans to the moon no later than 2020. The goal is to take advantage of the moon's
resources and to establish a launching point for further explorations.
Moving away from the Space Shuttle program that has been in operation for nearly
three decades now, NASA has focused its efforts on developing a new spacecraft that
can bring passengers to the Moon and Mars, called Project Constellation. This program
will utilize private corporations to step up and oversee the development of the next loworbit vehicles that will take astronauts and civilians to the International Space Station
and the Moonbase. Virgin Galactic will serve as the anchor tenant at Spaceport America
and the company's mission control center and astronaut preparation facilities will be
housed at the spaceport, which opened in 2011.
It is expected that the spaceport will hold two WhiteKnightTwos, the carrier that will
launch the SpaceShipTwo into, well, space. The spaceport will hold five
SpaceShipTwos, suborbital space planes that will carry up to six tourists each willing to
pay $200,000 per seat. The spaceport will be utilized for missions to the Space Station,
the moonbase and beyond, it is protected from the extremes of the area's climate and
makes use of westerly winds for ventilation. On either side of an entry passageway
theres a series of earth tubes precondition the interior's air and a ground-source heat
pump helps reduce HVAC needs by a substantial 50-70%," according to Inhabitat. The
runway is 42 inches thick and designed to support almost every aircraft currently in
existence.
FUTURE SPACE TRAVEL AND MISSIONS

The Red Planet
The Human Exploration of Mars is set to begin by 2025, the United States may begin
a Manned Mars Mission or it may be an international effort, either way Mars is the next
logical place to explore after our own moon. Robotic exploration of the Red Planet
began in the 1960's and is continuing through the technology used in the Curiosity rover
to this date. Some questions that were answered earlier were: Why should humans
explore Mars? Will the journey be safe? Will it be affordable? And can private
enterprise maintain its leadership role in space exploration?
In the distant future Bases will be created and Mars and tourism will become viable
because cheap space transport has been developed and the necessary infrastructure
has been set in place. Many tourists of the future will want to visit some of the best
features of Mars like: Valles Marineres: A giant canyon system stretching over 5,000km
(3,100 miles) along the equator with an average depth of 6km. See if you can spot the
erosion channels that could reveal the planet's watery past. Olympus Mons: The largest
volcano in the Solar System. Reaching 27km (17 miles) high and 700km (435 miles)
across, but don't be afraid - this monstrous volcano is now extinct, so the visit will be a
safe one.
When the first human crews arrive at the red planet, they will be able to achieve
more than any automated missions due to the advances in technology, but for manned
Mars exploration to have sustained development, long term public and political support
must be set in place. Technologies such as supercomputers with true artificial
intelligence, lasers, holograms, avatars and other future technology will be used to
explore in detail places where humans cant go. These technologies will be used first for
future space missions to map out and examine in detail the planets of the solar system
before a human ever sets foot there as so has been the case with Mars.
Mars unlike the dead world of the Moon, the Martian landscape is filled with
possibility, but humans must be able to survive there. In the grand tradition of
successful explorers, many call for a travel-light and live-off-the-land approach to
Martian settlement. Today scientist can use present-day technology to send humans to
Mars; produce fuel and oxygen on the planets surface with its own natural resources;
build bases and settlements; and one day terraform or alter the atmosphere of the
planet in order to pave the way for sustainable life. The mission to Mars is definitely a
comprehensive plan to build life on a new world through the usage of todays
technology.
From a Colony to Colonization

Just as the first explorers set out to colonize the Americas todays modern man
seeks diligently to colonize outer-space. Consequently, intelligent beings capable of
interplanetary flight and nuclear technology have evolved by way of natural selection,
and as a result of life's prime motive, which is survival. It therefore seems evident that
intelligent beings capable of space flight and nuclear explosive technology may not
10
have evolved on this world, or possibly others, to just survive as a planet bound
species.
It is probable that people have evolved to occupy the niche that could perpetuate the
survival of evolved life by way of planetary protection and interplanetary dispersion. If
this is not the case, then the human race is destined for a planet-bound extinction,
either by its own doing or through some other disaster as has been the case for all of
Earth's previous dominant species. Eventually, another species more capable than
Homo sapiens will have an opportunity to develop, and the protection and dispersal of
life from this world may take place. If not, life will probably dead-end on this planet as it
might have on Mars.
It is necessary to explore and colonize space to ensure long term survival of the
human race. If we as a human race expect to survive for billions of years, we must
reach out into the vastness of space. We have to colonize and settle on other planets.
By dispersing humans throughout the galaxy, we are increasing the chances of long
term human survival. It is natural instinct for humans to survive. If no space colonies are
formed, the human race is doomed to Earth bound extinction. It is inevitable.
Conclusion
Without technology we could never colonize other planets, study them, or discover
new distant worlds. But thanks to the technology that fuels todays space programs we
have made giant leaps forward in a very short period of time. New innovations and the
11
emergence of independent space agencies have taken us beyond the days of the
unmanned spacecraft to the reality of building bases on distant moons and traveling
deep within our very own solar system. Current engineering work and technology
developments by independent space travel companies such as Virgin Galactic and Star
Chaser Industries has made it possible to routinely access long-distance space travel
and eventually achieve the colonization on distant planets.
Todays technology will help man travel into space and explore the universe; todays
technology has provided a way to fulfill that dream. Breakthroughs in technology have
provided a means to construct better ships that will utilize the latest navigational
systems and possess the capability to conquest and colonize new worlds. The limited
supply of natural resources and the overpopulation of our land masses are the primary
reasons that man must explore the universe. Technology of today is like the winds that
blew inside of Columbus sails on his conquest to find new lands. Technology will push
us on to our destination and help us to navigate through the depths of space; it will help
us to build something new on foreign soil, and finally it will provide a means of survival
for the future generations of all mankind.
12
Works Cited
Man and Space (Life Science Library) Library Binding June 1, 1981
By: Arthur C. Clarke (Author)
The End: Natural Disasters, Manmade Catastrophes, and the Future of Human Survival
[NOOK Book] By: Marq de Villiers
Origins of Space Flight, Retrieved Thursday, July 03, 2014 from
http://www.cosmicelk.net/originsofspaceflight.htm
Spaceport America: The Future of Space Travel, By: Nicholas Jackson
Nov 2 2010, 2:20 PM ET
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/11/spaceport-america-the-future-ofspace-travel/65597/
Inside the Space Station [VHS] (2000)
Liam Neeson (Actor), Pierre de Lespinois (Director) | Rated: NR | Format: VHS Tape
Future Space Travel and Missions
http://www.futuretechnology500.com/index.php/future-space-travel-and-missions/
13
Categories of Variables
Access/Mutator methods
Constants
Constructors
Being able to read code and determine output
Primitives and objects
Output using printf
operators
variable scope
objects, object reference, class, class reference
Built in classes/methods such as Math class and Scanner class
Helper methods
Overloading
Loops and nested loops
Access modifiers: public/private
Instance and class methods
Relational operators such as and/or/not
Decision structures
Concepts (terminology
and concepts that should
be memorized): relevant
learning outcomes 1, 6
Problem solving (technical

skills, critical thinking, and
communication):
relevant learning
outcomes 2, 4, 5, 7, 8
Multiple-choice and true/false questions that ask the

student about CS 151 concepts.
Short answer questions that ask the student to explain
various concepts and trace and debug code fragments
and/or programs.
For example questions, teachers should refer to the CS151
example exam, questions 1-20.
Given a problem description, produce a solution in the form
of a short program or a method(s).
For example questions, teachers should refer to the CS151
example exam, questions 21-22.
14

Technologies Role in Space Travel

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Technologies Role in Space Travel

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Technologies Role in Space Travel