Launching probes and even manned shuttles into space is extremely risky, expensive, and quite difficult to map out mathematically and physically. Luckily with the technological advances of the 21st century, spacecrafts seemingly projected into orbit on a regular basis. But it wasn’t always this way. Thousands of researchers from prestigious institutions around the world needed to calculate escape velocity and master rocket science to ensure the safety of the ship and its contents. Before the invention of computers, scientists solved, by hand, the hundreds of equations needed to launch the first craft into space. 

On October 4, 1957, The Soviet Union launched Sputnik, an artificial satellite, into orbit. However, this immense global achievement was overshadowed by political tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States during the Cold War. The United States felt threatened by the thought of the Soviet Union having higher technological capabilities. The “space race,” it was called, began. In November 1957, the Soviet Union launched another rocket known as Sputnik II which actually had living creatures aboard. The United States was not as fortunate; the government even employed former Nazi scientists to solve their problems after two failed missions. It’s crazy to believe that the primary motivation for the initial space exploration was to compete against the Soviet Union. Shortly later, the Soviet Union launched Yuri Gagarin into orbital flight for over an hour. The United States retaliated by sending Alan Shepard into suborbital flight. The formation of NASA around this point in time showed the citizens that space exploration was a serious endeavor. President Kennedy promised the American people that he would do everything in his power to put somebody on the moon. In 1969, Neil Armstrong would be the first person to walk on the moon and deliver the iconic phrase, “one step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Since then, countries around the world have exponentially accelerated their space exploration programs in hopes of landing on the moon. 

Image of Sputnik I

Computers changed the space exploration game. Soon, we were able to write algorithms that computed our key values and solved the important equations. What may have taken years to create we can do now in just minutes. NASA primarily uses IBM processors in their supercomputers that analyze trillions of bytes of data. But a new breakthrough that has caught the attention of engineers around the world is the introduction of quantum computing. Using principles of quantum physics, these computers are able to solve extremely complex problems very efficiently. Click here for more information on quantum computing. This idea could be something capable of immense breakthroughs within the space exploration world. 

The United States government has seen the value in space exploration and understanding the vast cosmos that we reside in. Our main purpose now is to launch a manned craft to Mars and return the astronauts safely. There are many challenges including the sheer time it takes to get there, the fuel capacity, and just the uncertainty of space. But just like researchers in the 1950s overcame impossible odds, eventually we will find breakthroughs in science that will propel us forward. Except this time, it won’t be for competition with another country.

Citations:

Air & Space Magazine. “60 Years since Sputnik.” Air & Space Magazine, Air & Space Magazine, 3 Oct. 2017, https://www.airspacemag.com/space/60-years-sputnik-180965102/.

Cassel, David. “The Hardware and Software Used in Space.” The New Stack, 22 Oct. 2020, https://thenewstack.io/the-hardware-and-software-used-in-space/.

English, Trevor. “A Rare Look at NASA Calculations before Computers.” Interesting Engineering, Interesting Engineering, 11 Mar. 2018, https://interestingengineering.com/rare-look-nasa-calculations-computers.

Fisher, Chris. “IBM: What Is Quantum Computing?” IBM Quantum, 2 Apr. 2009, https://www.ibm.com/quantum-computing/what-is-quantum-computing/.

NASA. “60 Years & Counting – Human Spaceflight.” NASA, NASA, https://www.nasa.gov/specials/60counting/spaceflight.html.

National Geographic Society. “The History of Space Exploration.” National Geographic Society, 10 Dec. 2019, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/history-space-exploration/.

Waxman, Olivia B. “The History of Neil Armstrong’s One Small Step for Man Quote.” Time, Time, 15 July 2019, https://time.com/5621999/neil-armstrong-quote/.