In the recent century what used to be science fiction is quickly becoming a reality. Things like the space shuttle, super computers and robots are coming out of Hollywood and into the real world. The most recent projection is the space elevator project. It consists of a 62,000 mile long cable elevator to the stars. This project which was previously believed to be impossible and absurd is now on the fast track to success. This recent success can be attributed to both new technological developments and the fact that project barriers are being demolished.
First and foremost, when you decide to build something this size, in the most extreme environment possible, you must select your primary construction materials very carefully. In the case of the space elevator it’s not just wear and tear but the immense pull of earth’s gravity vs. the centrifugal force of the spin of the earth. These forces both work against the construction and maintenance of the elevator. The only material every dreamed up to survive this intense game of tuga-war is a carbon nanotube cable. These nanotubes were chosen to support the cable structure because they can withstand unearthly amounts of tension and stress. In concept, the massive cable will be stretched from an orbital platform down to an offshore sea platform thus creating the all important track that would guide the “elevator cars” up and down
With regard to constructing the “Elevator Car”, or climber mechanism, many ideas have been tossed around N.A.S.A. in the last 5 years. In addition, Space Forward challenged the world by asking private organizations to build there own mechanism and promised the wining team 4 million dollars for there work. As a result, the Space Elevator challenge began and th...
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... into space—make a trip to space much closer reality for my generation.
Despite, the fact that we appear to have all of the tools and engineered plans to make a space elevator a reality, unfortunately, right now humanity doesn’t have the man power or funds to take on such a project. With a Price tag over 40 Billion it would need to become not just a collaboration of the world powers but a directed world effort of every single space program on the planet. The planet would have to work together on the space elevator so that it could be used as a tool for the benefit of all humanity like the International Space Station. Without unanimous support for the space elevator project it will remain an “unadvanced” project and we will continue to allow our atmosphere to hinder our space exploration and to hinder our expansion into new areas “Where no man has gone before”.
Up to now, space entry has been one of America’s greatest accomplishments. As Neil Armstrong once said, it was “one small step for man, one giant step for mankind” (Anastasio 2). Space entry has made man capable of almost
“How about we use a pulley system with a weight at the end to push the car forward?” my team member suggested. “Or we could use a hammer launcher,” I proposed. We went back and forth, contemplating different methods. We faced trials, tribulations, and troubles in the design process. Building and perfecting our designs took weeks, but our coach guided us throughout the process and encouraged us to “Never give up!” We researched the effects of different factors that could potentially come in the way of our success and analyzed all of the device possibilities. Even when research got arduous and we couldn’t agree on something, we never gave up on our dream of placing in the regional competition. This was one of the hardest challenges I’ve ever faced in my Science Olympiad career, but our unfaltering dedication and our belief in success helped us persist in the face of setbacks. Once we finished our plan, we began to build the device. It was exhilarating to see our plan come to
With our world progressing so quickly in science and technology it is fascinating to look back at the literature that was the inspiration for these advances. It is strange that this genre, filled with such outlandish plot lines and characters, could influence the real world. In a way it’s beautiful. When these brilliant minds of mankind are able to grab an idea from the fictional world and work together to make it a reality. For hundreds of years, people have dreamed of what they thought to be impossible but to quote Star Trek, “Things are only impossible until their not.”
Space exploration needs advancing scientific research, more machineries and equipments which means that it would cost us a lot of
“Even though roller coasters propel you through the air, shoot you through tunnels, and zip you down and around many hills and loops, they are quite safe and can prove to be a great way to get scared, feel that sinking feeling in your stomach, and still come out of it wanting to do it all over again (1).” Thanks to the manipulation of gravitational and centripetal forces humans have created one of the most exhilarating attractions. Even though new roller coasters are created continuously in the hope to create breathtaking and terrifying thrills, the fundamental principles of physics remain the same. A roller coaster consists of connected cars that move on tracks due to gravity and momentum. Believe it or not, an engine is not required for most of the ride. The only power source needed is used to get to the top first hill in order to obtain a powerful launch. Physics plays a huge part in the function of roller coasters. Gravity, potential and kinetic energy, centripetal forces, conservation of energy, friction, and acceleration are some of the concepts included.
When people think of troubles that are related to space, they tend to overlook one of the most obvious and most important problems, financing. Money may prevent humans from leaving the very earth we stand on in the first place. Money can easily be the solution to a problem or the cause of one. In the supporting film, Stationed in the Stars, it was mentioned that in 1992, NASA spent 8 billion dollars without building a single piece of material. The money was spent on other things such as payroll and international conferences. The film also brought up the fact that every pound of water needed would cost up to 10 thousand dollars; therefore, 100 lbs. of water would cost 1 million dollars. This problem was later solved with the help of Russia in the creation of the closed loop system. But Russia has not always been so helpful. While Russia was working with NASA to help build a service module, they purposely delayed their efforts in order to receive more money from NASA, until NASA had enough and gave them a deadline to comply with. There are times when financing may prevent a project from being ventured into completely without even spending the money. For example, further servicing of the International Space Station would have cost upwards of 100 billion dollars. That is why that project is still uncompleted.
Lift is a simple concept to grasp, yet the reason it exists is a complex one. To this day there is still great debate over what is the cause of lift. There are several popular explanations given which are commonly found in student textbooks, and even pilot training manuals, yet these popular explanations do not stand up to serious physics analysis. The most common of these arguments is based off of Bernoulli’s Principle.
OTIS Elevators started out in 1853 by the invention of the “safety brake elevator.” Their core business is designing, installing and provide service within the industry of elevators, escalators and walkways. Today OTIS operates worldwide, with headquarter in the U.S. and different facilities located in European and Asian countries. Through this they have managed to become market leaders in their field.
Since we first sent rockets into Earths orbit, we have been pushing the technological boundaries in order to reach new heights. Space exploration has caused advances in almost every field imaginable. We have seen new technology in the fields of telecommunications, innovative new light-weight materials, rockets and aircraft material. Space exploration by nature causes innovation because the need for “increased performance in space… usually means getting more out of less” (Crusan & Neumann, 2011). These size and weight constraints on materials and equipment have lead to the creation of devices that we use everyday like water filters, scratch resistant lenses, and memory foam. The newest advancement in NASA’s long list of innovations is the International Space station (ISS). The ISS a long-term micro-gravity research station that helps us get closer to eventually making a journey to other planets. NASA has been doing the impossible for 55 years and is now in the process of handing over the reigns to the private sector. Companies like Virgin Galactic and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) have taken over wh...
In America, space travel is a controversial issue that many discuss. Although exciting, some people find it unnecessary and a waste of money. There are also many risks associated with space travel and many issues are more important than space travel that should be focused on. There are ethical, diplomatic, and economic issues that need to be considered before making decisions about space exploration.
In the past 100 years, we have made much advancement in all areas of society. The way people live has changed drastically just in the past century. Technology in particular has advanced more in these last 100 years then all previous time combined. For example, because of the research done by many innovative and dedicated individuals such as the Wright Brothers who were the first to sustain flight in a powered airplane, we are able to fly all over the world in a matter of hours in jet propelled pressurized aircraft. One hundred years ago, the thought of man flying in a machine was insane. The Wright Brothers helped to realize the dream of manned flight. Many years later, after the idea of manned flight becoming a reality, space exploration was the next step. In 1969, many people did not believe what happened. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. They posted an American flag, explored, collected space rocks and came back home. Many Americans did not believe that the technology existed to go that far. Today, several missions a year are launched using manned space shuttles that can be flown back to earth like gliders and reused on future space missions.
In today’s world, technology is transforming conventional methods of every facet of human life; from the way that we grow our crops, to the way that we communicate with one another. Technology has opened our minds to new ideas and even to new places, such as space exploration. Simply put, technology means applying science toward an objective and the outcome is advancement in modes of construction.
Most people think that the costly downside to funding space exploration is a reason to avoid spending money on sciences and instead spend it on problems here on earth, but such funding for space exploration actually promotes economical as well as scientific benefits. Space exploration is an important expenditure for the high cost because of the potential for numerous benefits such as the possibility to find useful resources to cultivate, space exploration and satellites produce many thousands of jobs in our economy, and it creates and discovers newer and better technologies through research and development.
Overall, the Astronomy conversation was a success. Sharing of information led to new ideas and a great discussion on the future of space travel. All participants learned something new about the future of space travel. Last, it was obvious that regardless of age, education, or professional background, people are interested and excited about the future of space travel.
The modern day space environment is no longer a mystery to humans. Yuri Gagarin of Russia was the first person to experience space adventure in 1961. Since then, technological advances have enabled space exploration, with new discoveries being made from time to time. Scientists have significantly contributed to the development of space tourism. Noteworthy inventions by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have transformed human life through increasing accessibility to space. The agency has made it possible for astronauts to go to the moon and also to walk around planet Mars with robotic automobiles. The invention of the tri-axis control design has had a significant influence on modern space explorations, helping astronauts to effectively focus their satellites on the target. This has been important in increasing efficiency and precision in astronomical discoveries (Birchard, 2003).