Chapter 18

Chapter 18 is about understanding and using design principles. To use design effectively, you must understand design principles such as: balance, emphasis, placement, repetition, and consistency. You must design for a purpose and design for your readers. Help your readers understand the organization of the document. Make it easy for them to locate information and ideas, and help tem recognize the function (parts) of a document. And be sure to look at your genre and design to address its conventions. Some ideas for design elements are; fonts, line spacing, alignment, page layout elements, color, shading, borders, rules and illustrations like photos, charts or graphs, and tables. But use your illustrations for a purpose. Make sure to place the illustrations near the text they represent, and MAKE SURE to include a title or caption that identifies or explains said illustration. Design can make or break a paper. Some readers will give up if a paper doesn’t hold their interest, and design is a good way to avoid that problem. In addition to this, design is another way in which you are able to add your own personal feel to a formal paper, and possibly use this to connect with your readers more. 

Chapter 15

Chapter 15 is about using sources effectively. To use sources to accomplish your purposes as a writer, make sure that you introduce your idea or argument, contrast other ideas or arguments, and make sure to supply evidence for your arguments. Aligning your argument with an authority figure can provide some prestige to your opinion. Remember to define a concept, illustrate a process, and/or clarify a statement. When introducing your argument, remember to set a mood, provide an example, and amplify or qualify your point. When integrating sources into your draft, you must be sure to identify them. You can do this by using attributions and in-text citations or providing context. Paying attention to your quotes and place them strategically. Feel free to use partial quotes along with complete and block quotations. You can modify your quotations as appropriate, but be sure to remember to correctly punctuate them. You can paraphrase information, ideas, and arguments as well as summarize them. Other ways to display your information are the presentation of numerical information as well as the use of images, audio recordings, and animated sources. When documenting your sources, you must first choose a document style. Then provide in-text references and publication information, check for unattributed sources in your document, and distinguish between your ideas and ideas in your sources.

Beginning Rationale

           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 colonize other planets and moons in our solar system and beyond? I believe that we can. I wish to educate the general populous about our future as a race advancing into space, and hopefully encourage more young scholars to pursue careers in astronomy, astrophysics etc., as to further this goal of exploration and colonization along more quickly, as well as persuade readers of the importance of space exploration. This paper is intended for scholars, as well as anyone interested in the future exploration of our universe. It will be written in the format of a research paper as to inform readers of the issue from different points of view and practicality. 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.

                When people think about the future, they often think of space ships, and aliens and other science-fiction related things. What many fail to imagine is; what if we don’t make it to “the future”? Our planet won’t last forever, and if we [the human race] wish to make it to this alleged science-fiction future, we must accept that fact and work towards moving away from our dying planet and into the rest of this universe. Space exploration is no longer an idea of science-fiction; it is now an idea of the near future.

                Astronomy as a science dates back to pre-historical Europe. While they did not possess the tools we have now, it is human nature to be curious, and even in ancient times, people wondered what was beyond the stars. Humans need oxygen and water to survive, thus making many planets uninhabitable. There is also the problem of time taken to reach a planet (i.e. if you left on a rocket to Mars today, it would take you roughly 30 years to get there). The advancement of robotics however has enabled to branch further out than we currently could if we only used human pioneers. Astrophysics, biochemical physics, and aeronautical engineering are all making progress in hopes to further our existence into the universe.

In the 1960s, the United States of America, the Russian Federation, China, and India all began working towards traveling to Earth’s nearest terrestrial body: the moon. Throughout the 1960s, moon travels were all the rage. This decade came to be known by astronomers as the “space age.” After the hype of the first man walking on the moon however, the general public lost interest. There were still advances being made, but people didn’t seem to care. Because of this, financial, and political reasons, with the exception of the International Space Station, little work been done to move humans to terrestrial bodies other than our own. This is not to say that there are not men and women working every day in labs and in the International Space Station to make progress, but unfortunately due to it being seen as a luxury opposed to a necessity, funding for these programs has not been good. It is understandable of course. There are many Earthly problems that need funding to be attended to now, as to where space exploration can be attended to later, but later may be too late. If we do not put effort into expanding our existence now, we may never have the chance.

Beginning of Outline

Space Exploration Outline:

I)                   Introduction: I give a brief overview of topic, followed by my thesis statement:

a)      Humans need to expand to survive.

i)                    Future missions by NASA are planned to search for terrestrial planets. (Fridlund)

ii)                  It is thought that in today’s society it may be more practical to send robots on these missions. (Bhandari)

b)      How legitimate is the possibility of human survival on other planets?

i)                    Astronauts have died in missions before, but space travel in general is safer than viewed. (Burgess, Doolan, and Vis)

1)                          Much fewer astronauts have suffered from missions than have not. (Burgess, Doolan, Vis)

c)      Education of space exploration is imperative.

i)                    The more that people know about space, the more the issue of exploration will be able to be intelligently addressed. (Scarlatos)

d)     Thesis Statement: If we wish to survive as a race, we must expand our existence beyond our planet alone. We cannot put it off any longer. If advancement towards space exploration is not made, the human race will eventually cease to exist out of our own procrastination.

Chapter 16

            Chapter 16 is about writing with style. To begin writing with style, write concisely. Remove unnecessary modifiers, remove unnecessary introductory phrases, and eliminate stock phrases. Use active and passive voice affectively, and adopt a consistent point of view. Choose your words carefully. Think about things like formality, specialized language, and variety. You’ll need to polish your style, and to do that, try carrying your sentence structure, create effective transitions, introduce other authors effectively, avoid sexist language, consult a good handbook, and read widely. Every other has a different style, and that’s okay. Don’t be afraid to explore new styles, just pay attention to the audience you’re addressing and the necessary measure of formality. You want to connect with your readers, but you also want them to respect you, so you can’t forget to write formal and professional if necessary. Sometimes you can address an audience directly, sometimes you can write as one of them. Feel free to practice multiple types of style and see what works for you. There’s no reason you can’t change styles based on genre and topic. If instructed but your professor to write with a certain style, then you must stick to it, but if given free choice, take advantage of it.

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 exoplanets 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 understand 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 Wonderous 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.

Annotated Bibliography

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, cause the UN to set the worldwide consensus on the future exploration and laws of our solar system. Faith writes about this and other political issues involving the advancement of space travel. I will use this source to reverence the afore mentioned treaty and other space related political acts to analyze their validity and possible future effects on terrestrial exploration.

Faith, Ryan G. “The Future Of Space.” World Affairs. World Affairs Journal. Sep/Oct. 2012. Web. 1 Jan. 2014.

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 help me see the likelihood of making these technological advancements, and how long it would take to accomplish them.

Krishen, Kumar. “Technology Needs For Future Space Exploration.” IETE Technical Review 26.4 (2009): 228-235. IETEjournals. Web. 1 Jan. 2014.

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 exoplanets. 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.

Fridlund, Malcolm. “Future Space Missions To Search For Terrestrial Planets.” Space Science Reviews 135.1 (2008): 335. EBSCOHost. Web. 1 Jan. 2014.

Astronomer Narendra Bhandari 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.

Bhandari, Narendra. “Planetary exploration: Scientific importance and future prospects.” Current Science 94.2 (2008): 189-200. Researchgate. Web. 1 Jan. 2014.

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.

Kahng, Andrew B., Bin Li, Li-Shiuan Peh, Kambiz Samadi. “ORION 2.0: a fast and accurate NoC power and area model for early-stage design space exploration.” The Conference of Design, Automation and Test in Europe. Abstract. Web. (2009): 423-428.

Greene is a well-respected physicist, and in his book 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 understand of astrophysical problems in regards to space travel which I will use in my paper when addressing the issues of space exploration.  

Greene, Brian. The Elegant Universe. New York City: W.W. Norton Company, Inc. 2003. Print.

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.

Degroot, Gerard J. Dark Side of the Moon: The Magnificent Madness of the American Lunar Quest. NYU Press, 2006. Print.

I plan to use this book to reference historical movements towards space travel. There are accounts of both American and Russian advancement in space, as well as the first space launch which I believe is important to reference.

French, Francis, Colin Burgess. Into That Silent Sea: Trailblazers of the Space Era, 1961-1965. University of Nebraska Press, 2007. Print.

This book picks up where the last one left us and will like it’s prequel offer a look at previous space exploration which will be important to view when thinking of future space exploration.

French, Francis, Colin Burgess. In the Shadow of the Moon: A Challenging Journey to Tranquility, 1965-1969. University Nebraska Press, 2007. Print.

Apollo is the famous shuttle in the US and around the world. Colin Burgess is a pace historian who offers detail through interviews with astronauts and cosmonauts, and knowing about the famous voyages of Apollo will be a good reference in writing my paper.

Burgess, Colin. Footprints in the Dust: The Epic Voyages of Apollo, 1969-1975. University of Nebraska Press, 2008. Print.

This 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.

Gainor, Chris, Alfred Worden. To a Distant Day: The Rocket Pioneers. University of Nebraska Press, 2010. Print.

Skylab is a huge feature in space exploration. 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.

Hilt, David, Owen Garriott, Joe Kerwin. Homesteading Space: The Skylab Story. University of Nebraska Press, 2008. Print.

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.

Dubbs, Chris, Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom. Realizing Tomorrow: The Path to Private Spaceflight. University of Nebraska Press, 2011. Print.

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.

Burgess, Colin, Kate Doolan, Bert Vis. Fallen Astronauts: Heroes Who Died Reaching the Moon. University of Nebraska Press, 2003. Print.

This article discusses early education about space and the solar system. Teaching kids about space early can inspire interest and lead to future astronomers, astrophysicists, astronauts, and cosmonauts which would further our possibilities of space travel.

Scarlatos, Tony. “SpaceSafri.” Educational Technology Systems 41.1 (2012-2013): 35-44. Abstract. ERIC. Web. 6 Jan. 2014.

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.

Lehoucq, Roland. “Illuminating the Blackbody.” European Journal of Physics 32.6 (Nov. 2011): 1495-1514. Abstract. ERIC. Web. 6 Jan. 2014.

When people think of space, they often think of the sun. 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.

Brown, D. S. “Our Explosive Sun.” Physics Education 44.1 (Jan. 2009): 20-26. Abstract. ERIC. Web. 6 Jan. 2014.

In space exploration, the key role is physics, but more specifically 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.

Hallin, Aksel, Doug Hallman. “The Wondrous New World of Modern Particle Astrophysics.” Physics Teacher 47.5 (May. 2009): 274-280. Abstract. ERIC. Web. 6 Jan. 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.

Aurora, T.S., Michelle Kirk. “Eye in the Sky: Science with the Hubble Space Telescope.” Physics Education 30.3 (May 1995): 163-170. Abstract. ERIC. Web. 9 Jan. 2014.

Gamma-Ray radiation is an important part of studying astrophysics and this article will present to me an account of the current findings on y-ray astronomy, and its effects on observatories.

Catanese, Michael, Trevor C. Weekes. “Very High Energy Gamma Ray Astonomy.” Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 111.764 (Oct. 1999): 1193-1222. Abstract. JSTOR. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.