W2: Space Exploration

Space Exploration

Human spent centuries exploration marine to discover new lands, resources and possibilities. However, space exploration only been started for 8 decades. Space exploration is the investigation and study of outer space by space technology and astronomy. This includes the use of satellites, spacecraft, and space stations to explore celestial bodies beyond Earth’s atmosphere (Bains, 2022). The primary goals of space exploration are to understand the origin and structure of the universe, search for extraterrestrial life, study of planets, moons, and asteroids, and develop the technology necessary for humans to live and work in space. This field encompasses both robotic and human missions to space.

Indeed, although humanity has made some remarkable achievements in space exploration including the first moon landing to sending probes to edges of solar system, our understanding of space remains very limited compared to the extent of the universe. The factors that limits space exploration include technological and cost barrier. Although technology has advanced, space travel remains expensive and technologically challenging. The cost of launching spacecraft and maintaining missions limits the frequency and scope of exploration. Besides, human space travel poses significant safety risks including the dangers of space radiation to the physiological effects of long-duration missions (NASA, n.d.). Additionally, the increasing amount of space debris in Earth’s orbit poses a growing threat to both manned and unmanned missions.

The future of space exploration may include space tourism where space travel could become a part of the global tourism industry. Companies might offer orbital flights, moon visits, and even extended stays on space hotels. As space travel becomes more routine just like a normal vacation. Furthermore, humanity might have established permanent human settlement on the Moon and Mars. These colony would serve for scientific research, mining operations, and make preparation for missions deeper into the solar system. Technologies for sustainable living, such as habitats, foods and water, will be crucial to support these communities.

In order to achieve the next milestone, it is crucial to address the challenges faced. One of the ways to solve the problem includes developing scalable reusable rocket technology to reduce the cost of space missions significantly. This technology would involve rockets that can be launched, recovered, and relaunched with minimal reconstruction. The high cost of building rockets for single-use missions is a major barrier. Reusability has proven to cut costs dramatically, as demonstrated by SpaceX's Falcon rockets (Lionnet P., 2024). Thus, it is crucial in investment of R&D for advanced materials and engineering designs that enhance the durability and reliability of space vehicles. Governments and private sectors should have collaboration to facilitate and accelerate this development.

Space radiation is a critical danger to astronauts, especially on missions outside Earth's atmosphere. To address the safety concerns, new materials and technologies shall be develop for enhanced radiation shielding to protect astronauts during long-duration space missions. This development involves researching compounds and structures that can deflect or absorb space radiation more effectively. Effective shielding is essential to safeguard astronaut health and enable longer missions. Collaborate with universities, research institutions, and private companies to explore materials science research which focused on radiation protection.

As for resources issues, local resource utilization systems shall be implemented which focuses on developing robots or machines that can find and use local resources like oxygen, water and building materials directly from the environment of Moon or Mars. This approach is key for long-term bases on other planets, using resources already there rather than expensive supplies and transport from Earth. These robots will be equipped with tools for extracting and processing materials. Its capability shall be initially tested in environments on Earth which mimic the Moon or Mars. Successful tests will lead to missions to the Moon to validate these technologies, preparing for future missions to Mars without human power. This strategy reduces costs and increases the sustainability of human presence on other planets.

The keys point that had inspired me to explore about this topic is the victory of Donald Trump recent election. It has rekindled international competition in space exploration, particularly between the United States and Russia. Trump's govern has emphasized claiming American dominance in space which reignites competition with Russia. This competition serves as a significant motivator to push development of technological boundaries, driving both nations to innovate and advance their capabilities.


 

Reference

Bains, J. (2022). Has Mars become the new space Race? And are we able to justify space Exploration? REACH, 27–28, 100049. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reach.2022.100049

Lionnet, P. (2024, June 20). SpaceX and the categorical imperative to achieve low launch cost. SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/spacex-and-the-categorical-imperative-to-achieve-low-launch-cost/#:~:text=The%20inescapable%20thesis%20of%20Falcon's%20low%20launch%20cost&text=In%20the%20Eurospace%20model%2C%20the,9%20launch%20below%20%2430%20million.

Long-Term Challenges to human space exploration - NASA. (n.d.). NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/headquarters/library/find/bibliographies/long-term-challenges-to-human-space-exploration/

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