The Future of Space Exploration
By, Garrett D. Walker
360-621-7466
Abstract:
Space exploration is the future of
the human race. Unfortunately this issue is not displayed to the general public
much. Since the “Space Age” in the sixties, many people have stopped caring
about space exploration. In this paper, I will be discussing the advancements
being made towards space exploration in regards to technological advancements,
political movements towards exploration and colonization, and the general
physics behind all of this. One day, sooner than we think, advancement into
space will affect all of us. I hope to inform and inspire.
The
future of human success is in space exploration, thus we must address the
possibilities within it. The question to be addressed is: Can humans and robots
explore and possibly colonize other planets and moons in our solar system and
beyond? Many scientists believe that we can. If we educate the general populous
about our future as a race and advancing into space, we can hopefully encourage
more young scholars to pursue careers in astronomy, astrophysics etc., as to
further the goal of exploration and colonization for the sake of science and
knowledge. I understand that most people don’t know a huge amount about this
topic, and I intend to address that. I plan on using work from NASA and
scholarly journals written by astronomers, engineers, and astrophysicists. I
hope to inform and inspire. Humans are naturally curious, and I believe that if
we wish to satisfy our hunger for knowledge we must be willing to look beyond
our planet alone. With the relatively new field of comparative planetology,
scientists are working towards discovering which planets are possibly habitable
for exploration by humans in the future. Malcolm Fridlund states in his article
entitled, “Future Missions to Search for Terrestrial Planets” that, “Planetology
[is the combination] of the fields of astronomy and astrophysics.” Therefore it
is undeniable that further knowledge of space will rely on the work done in
planetology. It is theorized that it would be more practical to send robots on
missions in the space of humans. In their paper “Planetary Exploration:
Scientific importance and future prospects” Narenda Bhandari makes remarks
about results found by robotic rovers, “…the sample-return missions have
brought back surface rocks and core samples from several locations on the moon,
making it possible to carry out trace element, isotopic and geo-chronological
studies. (Bhandari)” These results are evidence that even sending robots into
space, specifically to places that humans may not be able to reach still
provide us with results to help further our knowledge of the cosmos. After all,
robots are less likely to make mistakes, and human lives are not put in danger.
The common opinion is that he future will be run by the children of today. They
must be educated about astronomy and space to ensure the expansion of knowledge
in the future. The more we can educate our children, the more progress will be
made. Children in the United States are educated very well compared to many
other countries, therefore I believe we should take advantage of this, and
introduce our children to the science of the future at an earlier age if
possible. If we wish to thrive as a race, we
must attempt to expand our knowledge and maybe one day our existence beyond our
planet alone. If we wish to advance intellectually as a species, we must allow
for money and research to be put into the future of space exploration.
Politics is generally thought of as a worldly issue, but it also affects
space. Politics is now affecting human ability to travel beyond our planet.
Ryan Faith writes about the treaty signed in 1967 regarding the laws to govern
the exploration of space, “It is not unusual for the diplomatic community to
indulge in grandiose overreach with treaty arguments about potentially
contested territory. (Faith)” Faith is stating that the United Nations should
stay out of individual countries’ rights to explore the final frontier, and I
agree with him. If space is infinite, there can never be territorial control,
and therefore there cannot be control over the exploration of the frontier.
There are of course different views with respectable reasoning behind limiting
human involvement in space. Andrew Coates, author of “Limited by Cost: The Case
against Humans in the Scientific Exploration of Space.” For example believes
that because there are more important things that governmental funding should
go to, for the time being, we should stray away from space exploration. I
however, question that if we do this, how long shall we do it? Procrastination
is not, and cannot be the answer if we wish to thrive as an intellectual
species. Eventually we will need to expand into our universe for the sake of
knowledge and possibly survival, and while I sympathize that there are earthly
issues that should be taken care of, I believe that the longer we procrastinate
our exploration of the universe, the less of a chance we give ourselves to gain
this potentially necessary knowledge. We must accept that, whether our doing or
not, our planet one day will no longer be habitable, and having this potential
knowledge from space exploration may allow us to prepare for such an event.
There are a ridiculous number of
technological needs for space exploration. And while we are making progress
every day, there is such a monumental amount that we must do to support these
space missions that we have no logical option but to invest time and money into
making these advancements. In their paper “Technology Needs for Future Space
Exploration,” Krishen Kumar is quoted saying “With the human Mars mission being
the first to such a distant planet, advanced technologies will be required…”
Humans are capable of traveling into space, and many humans are willing to
travel into space. The little we know about the universe is enough right now to
allow us to travel, however we are in need of the technology. There are
engineers who are theoretically able to design and build the necessary
technology, but without proper funding we will forever be trapped in a state of
ability without action. Like any other funding necessary, there are cases being
made for money to be granted for the advancement of technology to be used for
space exploration. A paper written by Ian A Crawford, “Towards an Integrated
Scientific and Social Case for Human Space Exploration,” notes his argument “I
will argue that an ambitious programme of human space exploration, involving a
return to the Moon, and eventually human missions to Mars, will add greatly to
human knowledge.” He expresses the point of view that space missions are
worthwhile. However while I agree with him in principle, I cannot help but
notice that he only mentions the moon and Mars. I believe this is where our
exploration will begin, but who knows where it will go? Human curiosity is
infinite and if we reach Mars, I believe that many will want to move further
and further out into the galaxy. The possibilities are infinite. The most
practical investment may be human and robot partnerships. Humans can build
robots to withstand much harsher conditions than we can. Robert Bogue writes
about an industrial robot being built to possibly remove certain human aspects
from space travel thus making it safer for us. We are already using
technological systems in space such as surrogate endpoints with Venus (Gelfand,
Hoffstad, and Margolis). And there are projects being worked o today to be used
in the hopefully near future. In an article written by Andrew Kahng, Bin Li,
Li-Shiuan Peh, and Kambiz Samadi, they discuss the recent progress of the ORION
2.0, “…early-stage estimation of NoC power has become critically important.”
Referencing this early stage model that could later (with development) is used
in future space travel. It’s being worked on now and is see as quite promising
for the future. Not many people know much of the ORION, but everyone has heard
of the Hubble Space Telescope. “…repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope made by
NASA astronauts last year were a spectacular success,” (Aurora and Kirk). When
NASA went up to the International Space Station last year, there was a lot
riding on their mission. The Hubble Space telescope is regarded by most as the
most important astronomical tool we have today (with the obvious exception of
the space station itself). This is clearly evident that we have the ability to
build the necessary technology to make advancements into space, but of course,
as it all has before, it all comes back to funding. Without money, the ideas
and abilities of these engineers is often wasted. The tools are here, but the
funds are needed.
Physics is the make up of the entire
universe. There is nothing smaller, nor bigger than physics. With a field like
this, there are always going to be subfields. The main subfields affecting
space exploration are astrophysics, experimental physics, biophysics, and
theoretical physics. These subfields along with astronomy have created
basically a love child called comparative planetology. This field is
responsible for the discovery of 22,000,000 habitable planets in our universe.
Knowing these planets are out there raises the question of if we can or someday
will live on one of these other habitable planets (Fridlund). Jared Greene is a
well respected physicist and author of the book The Elegant Universe in which he discusses superstrings, string
theory, and hidden dimensions in our universe. He is quoted calling relativity,
a theoretical framework for the make up of our universe as one of “…the
fundamental pillars that physics is based upon.” The problem here is that
relativity has not been proven or dis-proven. Along with Einstein’s string
theory. If one of these were to be proven, our knowledge of the universe would
expand so greatly that we would likely be able to navigate through space with
ease. These theories that govern physics may have provable results with our
expansion of knowledge. Knowledge that I believe can be gained by space
exploration. Physics deals with radiation, and radiation is always a concern in
space travel. In “Illuminating the Black Body” by Roland Lehoucq, hypotheses
about enduring radiation are discussed. If we wish to travel into space, this
issue of radiation must be solved. While radiation is a huge issue, some
physicists believe that our big star the sun may be a bigger problem.
Technology can advance in exponential bounds, but it is unlikely we will ever
have the technology to fly close to the sun. In DS Brown’s “Our Explosive Sun”
they describe the suns’s rays put off as “Hot charged gas (plasma) is trapped
on lines of magnetic force that can snap like an elastic band…” With dangers
like these, we must allow funding for astrophysicists to decipher how to safely
navigate around these problems. As physics progresses, everything else will
progress, but to progress, physics must have funds. The goal behind all of this
work would be eventually to colonize. To paraphrase Malcolm Fridlund, there are
many habitable planets; we must find which are most inhabitable and most likely
for us to be able to reach (Fridlund). Particle astrophysics are another form
of physics in smaller form as written about in Hallin and Hallman’s “The
Wondrous New World of Particle Astrophysics,” it is discussed that with the
advancement in experimental particle astrophysics, doors are being opened to
test astrophysical hypotheses, which if proven, would launch us exponentially
into the future of space travel. What many people don’t understand is that a
small discovery in physics means big results, and to move into the future we
MUST invest in particle astrophysics. Catanese and Weekes’ paper “Very High
Gamma Ray Astronomy,” discusses gamma radiation. Gamma radiation has been used
in popular comics giving humans superpowers, but the effects of gamma radiation
are quite real. For all we know about physics and the makeup of our universe,
there is so much more we don’t know. And if we wish to move on into our
universe, there is so much more that we must discover.
Without expansion into our solar
system, humans will likely struggle to live past the death of our sun. But that
is quite far into the future. Speaking for the world of today, we must expand
to quench our thirst for information of the universe. Physics must advance as
well as technology, but if properly funded, these advancements could be
furthered at exponential levels. We must fund these programs for the sake of
knowledge and possibly one day for our own safety. Space is frightening, and at
times so is progress. But we have a thirst for knowledge that I believe we can
fill through the furthering of space exploration. And if we ignore space
exploration, we as a race will never be able to gain the answers we truly
desire. So much time and money has gone into science already so it is
understandable that people may not see this as a priority. All that time and
money will be wasted if we do not continue to allow for advancement. People ask
questions and strive for knowledge, and I believe that the knowledge we desire
and the answers that we seek, may lie beyond the cosmos. We must allow funding
into our space programs and further our exploration.
Lit Review
The future is in astrophysics. Our planet will not last forever, and if
humans do not want to die out, we must further our existence into the universe.
While debated by science, religion, and scientology as to when, the general
populous agrees that eventually Earth will cease to exist, and to ensure human
survival, we must expand our knowledge on space exploration and colonization of
terrestrial planets. Sources for this project came primarily from online
databases ERIC and JSTOR, as well as books from multiple libraries written by
physicists, astronomers, engineers, and space scientists. Sources tend to fall
along certain lines, which are basically the politics and history of space
travel as well as its cultural effects, the advancement of aeronautical
engineering for future missions and exploration, as well as the bio and
astrophysics behind space travel.
Some sources
referred to the politics of space exploration. For example, Ryan G. Faith’s
“The Future Of Space,” published in a 20014 issue of World Affairs Journal.
Ryan Faith shows how the “Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of
States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including Moon and Other
Celestial Bodies” that was signed back in 1967, caused the United Nations to
set the worldwide consensus on the future of exploration of our solar system,
and the laws governing it. Ryan writes about this and other political issues
involving the advancement of space travel. I will use this source to reverence
the already mentioned treaty and other space related political acts to analyze
their validity and possible future effects on terrestrial exploration. An
opinion on space politics is given by astronomer Bhandari Narendra in his
article “Planetary exploration: Scientific importance and future prospects,”
published in an issue of Current Science in January of 2014. The astronomer
explains the importance of further planetary exploration, and the ability of
humans and human-made robots to explore planets in the relatively near future.
References to unmanned shuttles are made in addition to show that even without
the necessary technology for humans to survive, we may still explore space. I
will be referencing Bhandari’s arguments when backing up my suggestion that
further exploration into space is imperative. A historical account of culture
affected by space travel is Gerard J. DeGroot’s Dark Side of the Moon: The
Magnificent Madness of the American Lunar Quest, published by the NYU Press
in 2006. This book will help me gather information about the time period when
space exploration was on everyone’s mind. It will offer a unique insight to how
space travel affects culture, something I plan to address in my paper. In a
book by Francis French and Colin Burgess, Into That Silent Sea: Trailblazers
of the Space Era, 1961-1965, published by the University of Nebraska Press
in 2007. There are accounts of historical movements towards space travel of
both American and Russian advancement in the frontier, as well as the first
space launch, which I believe will be important to reference. Francis French
and Colin Burgess also wrote another title together, In the Shadow of the
Moon: A Challenging Journey to Tranquility, 1965-1969, published by the
University Nebraska Press in 2007. In which it reviews previous space
explorations which will be important to consider when thinking of future space
exploration. Space historian Colin Burgess’ Footprints in the Dust: The Epic
Voyages of Apollo, 1969-1975, published by the University of Nebraska Press
in 2008 recalls Apollo, the famous shuttle in the United States and around the
world. Colin Burgess is a historian who offers detail through interviews with
astronauts and cosmonauts, and knowing about the famous voyages of Apollo will
provide vital information about the explorers’ views throughout their missions.
While private
spaceflight is not something the general public can afford, it is still
something to consider because it does allow for people to go into space. Though
I don’t plan on spending a huge amount of time on this subject, it will
important to refer to
Space travel,
like any other adventure is dangerous. While I completely support it, it would
be unfair of me to not mention the negatives that have resulted from attempted
space travel, and this book will help me do so. Chris Dubbs and Emeline
Paat-Dahlstrom’s “Realizing Tomorrow: The Path to Private Spaceflight”, published
by the University of Nebraska Press in 2011. This article discusses early
education about space and the solar system. Teaching kids about space early may
inspire interest and lead to future astronomers, astrophysicists, astronauts,
and cosmonauts which would further our possibilities of space travel.
A major
obstacle in space exploration is technological advancement, and many sources
address this. For example Kumar Krishen's "Technology Needs for Future
Space Exploration," published by IETE Technical Reviews in 2009. This
article reviews how the goal of space exploration is to open the frontier of
space. Discussed in the article are the necessities in knowledge of the natural
processes of space and the necessary advancements in technology that would need
to be made for human expansion into space. This article will allow me to
in-vision the likelihood of making these technological advancements, and how
long it would take to accomplish them. Another reference is Andrew B.
Kahng, Bin Li, Li-Shiuan Peh, and Kambiz Samadi's "ORION 2.0: a fast and
accurate NoC power and area model for early-stage design space
exploration," published by the Conference of Design, Automation and Test
in 2009. This article will give me information about the technology being
worked on today for the future advancement of space travel. It’s important to
consider the technology, including the possible technology as discussed in this
article. Skylab is a huge feature in space exploration, as noted in David
Hilt, Owen Garriott, and Joe Kerwin's Homesteading Space: The Skylab Story,
published by the University of Nebraska Press in 2008. With the
advancement of Skylab, humans are slowly but surely moving further out into
space. Using this book, I will have the information I need about Skylab to
consider its future uses in space travel. Another useful tool in learning about
the technology involved in space exploration is T.S. Aurora', and Michelle
Kirk's "Eye in the Sky: Science with the Hubble Space Telescope,"
published by Physics Education in 2014. The Hubble Space Telescope is
famous for observation. This article will present it’s accomplishments, as well
as describe how it is used, how it was made, and actions that have been made
upon the telescope since.
Physics is the
breakdown of everything in our universe. Ideally, humans will eventually be
able to travel to other planets in where we may live, however not all planets
are inhabitable. Malcolm Fridlund discusses the relatively new field of
Comparative Planetology with a main focus on exo-planets in his "Future
Space Missions To Search For Terrestrial Planets," published by Space
Science Reviews in 2014. I will use this article to help me examine the ratio
of known habitable planets to inhabitable planets, and the likely hood that we as
a race will be able to reach them. David Greene is a well-respected
physicist, and in his book, The Elegant Universe, published in
2003, he discusses superstrings, hidden dimensions, and other
astrophysical processes and theories which would affect theoretical space
exploration. I will use this book to dive deeper into my understanding of
astrophysical problems in regards to space travel which I will use in my paper
when addressing the issues of space exploration. Chris Gainor and Alfred
Worden's To a Distant Day, published in 2010 is the perfect book
for my project. It is used by professors at the University of Nebraska in space
exploration courses. It addresses the ideas of future space travel and its
origins. Another useful article was Roland Lehoucq "Illuminating the
Blackbody," published by the European Journal of Physics in
2011. This article discusses the concepts of the blackbody. Being one of
the baseline elements in astrophysical studies, it will be important to address
and understand as to correct for error in possible travel in regards to
blackbody radiation. When people think of space, they often think of the
sun. D.S. Brown addresses this in their "Our Explosive Sun,"
published by Physics Education in 2014. While the sun allows us to survive, it
causes major issues with space travel, and this article will help me address
that in my paper.
In space
exploration, the key role is physics, Aksel Hallin and Doug Hallman's "The
Wondrous New World of Particle Astrophysics," published by Physics Teacher
dives into the more specific astrophysics. If we wish to explore and colonize
the universe around us, we must (at least relatively) understand it. This
article will offer insight into recent progress in particle
astrophysics. Gamma-Ray radiation is an important part of studying
astrophysics and Michael Catanese, and Trevor C. Weekes’ article "Very
High Energy Gamma Ray Astronomy" will present to me an account of the
current findings on y-ray astronomy, and its effects on observatories.
Space travel
has many issues, but many more possibilities. While it may seem like science
fiction right now, sooner than expected it will be a necessity for survival.
There are men and women working every day to further our existence into space
and maybe one day, we will have no limits.
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