For thousands of years, we have looked up to the skies and wondered what lay above. Ancient mythology tells tales of gods and legendary creatures immortalized in a realm beyond the skies. Today, we have satellites and space stations orbiting our planet. Yet, our fear and fascination with space remain unchanged—and perhaps grow ever stronger.
Ancient Astronomy
As the earliest civilizations explored the land and sea, they studied the sky as well. Scientists and scholars who observed the sky realized that celestial bodies adhered to a consistent pattern of repetition. This became a way for ancient civilizations to attempt to understand time and predict the future. While great thinkers such as Homer and Aristotle mused about the cosmos, they were unable to study it with scientific accuracy.
Greco-Egyptian astrologer Claudius Ptolemy was one of the first astronomers. Circa 150 CE, he published the Almagest, a thesis on astronomy and the oldest-surviving astronomy text today. The scientific work presented astronomical models for predicting the past and future positions of planets as well as a star catalog. The book would become the authoritative text on astronomy for centuries to come.
Almost eight hundred years later in 964 CE, Persian astronomer Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi published the Book of Fixed Stars (Kitāb al-Kawākib al-Thābitah). Al-Sufi built upon Ptolemy’s star catalog and added over forty stars from his own observations. He also made the earliest known observation of the Andromeda Galaxy, the only other galaxy aside from the Milky Way to be recorded in text at that time.
Race to Space
As science advanced and we learned more about our planet, space became the final frontier for exploration. Ironically, it was politics instead of curiosity that propelled a flurry of space exploration in the mid-twentieth century. During the Cold War, hostile political superpowers the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States were engaged in fierce competition, and the space race became a show of technological muscle and superiority.
In October 1957, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to ever orbit Earth. The US satellite, Explorer 1, followed suit shortly in January 1958. In April 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to orbit Earth. The US would not repeat this feat until February 1962 when John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth.
Determined to win the space race, the US increased the budget of NASA by almost five hundred percent. In July 1969, The Apollo 11 space mission was launched and Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon on July 20. This “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” was more than a historic triumph of science. It boosted the patriotic sentiment of the American people and began an era of space colonization.
The Truth is Out There
Perhaps one of the most fascinating things about space is that we have no definite knowledge of what hides in its vastness. Scientists and conspiracy theorists alike have suggested that intelligent lifeforms may exist in nearby galaxies. We anticipate the possibility of finding alien lifeforms yet fear the ramifications of such discoveries. Hence, we scour space in search of life while leaving our marks in preparation for unknown eventualities.
The notion ‘claiming space’ has fueled the idea of space travel and colonization. Scientists now seek planets that can support human life with the view that we may one day live on them. Following the race to the moon, NASA and companies like SpaceX now have their eyes set on Mars. As Earth becomes increasingly inhabitable, the possibility of supporting life in space is a prospect that must be explored.
Meanwhile, many of us on Earth want to be part of the action too. Thousands of people around the world have bought the rights to name stars after themselves or their loved ones. Watches containing dust from the moon and steel from spacecraft have been sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even NASA has launched public outreach campaigns allowing people to have their names etched on microchips that are bound for Mars.
The Great Unknown
Ultimately, space is the last great unknown. We have explored the darkest swaths of the jungle and dived into the deepest trenches of the ocean. Curiosity and the urge to explore are built into our human DNA. With space expeditions costing billions of dollars, access is limited to very few. Until space tours are available to the rest of us here on Earth, we can visit a space art exhibition or a planetarium.
Our fascination with space has only grown with time. As we explore space, we are impressed by how much more there is to learn. Space has inspired countless developments in science, mathematics, and technology. Most of all, it has taught us to dream big; that the sky is not the limit. When we look to the stars, we see not just distant space rocks but hope and humanity’s iron will to survive and triumph.