The Space Race

1012 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: the physics of robotics

I wish I were born in the 1940's to sprint the space race. Humankind cannot thank enough for the legacy this bustle has left in science and technology. During my initial visit to George Mason University, I met Dr. Gerald Cook and we talked at length about his work in control systems and robotics and the type of research work I could do with him. Soon I learned that Dr. Cook had worked for the Apollo program early in his career and at that instant, I could see it clear that I wanted to work with him. My entire career has been in the field of robotics and controls, starting from my junior year project where I developed an obstacle avoiding robot with a PLL based IR range sensor interfaced to a micro-controller. During my final year project our team developed a speech recognition control system for the robot. This used the LPC model to process voice samples and a Dynamic Time Warping distance estimator to match the sample to a pre-recorded database. During my graduate education, I continued to focus on robotic control and helped my advisor model an image feature recognition algorithm called Scale Invariant Feature Transforms, to detect features from a stereo camera mounted on a vehicle. For my formal graduate research I developed a preview controller for a lane tracking wheeled mobile robot. Preview control utilizes future information on external disturbances such as path curvature, to improve the performance of a tracking system. My thesis focused on comparing the performance of several types of control algorithms to the preview controller. Currently, I work for Orbital Sciences Corporation as a Guidance Navigation and Control Engineer and my work primarily involves the design and analysis of control algorithms for spacecrafts. I ... ... middle of paper ... ...t is to connect the foundations I have learned, to a practical application. Improving on this skill will prepare me for initiating research work especially in the field of space robotics. I consider a doctoral program as the framework for harnessing your desire to find and solve complex problems. I am aware of the kind of dedication, perseverance and resolve I need to have for a fruitful career in research and teaching. I am certain that the distinguished faculty and the individualized nature of the doctoral program at George Mason will definitely bring out the best in me. I would like to reiterate that I possess the background, the ability and the momentum to make a significant contribution to Control Systems. I hope you will take a favorable decision regarding my admission to the PhD program in Electrical Engineering and I cannot wait to return to my Alma Mater.

Show More
Related

  • Lost Space Race

    1465 Words  | 3 Pages

    The feud between the United States of America (USA) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) lasted from the end of World War II until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The fuel that powered their feud was the desire to be the greater superpower. After World War II ended, the USSR gained control of Eastern Germany. On the night of August 13, 1961, a wall was constructed that divided the already separate East and West Berlin. This wall would become what was known around the world as the Berlin Wall. It stood as a barrier to freedom from the East Berliners. The Berlin Wall in Germany caused the USSR to lose the Space Race to the United States in 1969 because the USSR was communist, they alone had control of East Germany, and the United States was tough competition. With the Berlin Wall making tensions high in Germany during the 1960s, the USSR had a lot more business to take care of than they had thought.

    Read More

  • The Space Race

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    After World War II both the United States and the Soviet Union realized how important rocket research would be to the military. So they each hired the top rocket scientists from Germany to help with their research. After they hired them both sides were making a lot of progress. The Space Race began in 1955 when the Americans announced that they would start launching satellites into orbit. The Soviets took the US announcement as a challenge and established a group whose goal was to beat the US in putting a satellite into orbit. Even though the United States started the competition the Soviets still won because they launched the first successful satellite into orbit, put a dog into outer space and also put the first man into outer space. Some might say that the United States won because they put the first man on the moon, which was a huge feat made by the Americans. So for winning many missions against the U.S. the Soviets won the Space Race.

    Read More

  • Space Race Research Paper

    615 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1957 the Soviet Union sent a satellite into space, this made the United States want to surpass the Soviet Union. This competition between the Soviet Union and United States is what we know as the Space Race. Each country wanted to have the best technology and be the first to get a man in space. Humans were very skeptical of going into space, so instead they sent animals into space to test if it was safe for humans. The monkeys weren’t forgotten, even after the first humans reached space in 1961.

    Read More

  • Space Race

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dale Earnhardt once said, “finishing races is important, but racing is more important.” The 35th president of the United states, John F. Kennedy, also portrayed this in his Moon Speech. This speech was delivered on September 12, 1962, with the object of entering the space race for improvements, discoveries, along with becoming the first in the world. Through his words, John F. Kennedy, uses ethical appeal, logical appeal, and lastly the audience’s sympathies to persuade that the race space is only a challenge intended to be won.

    Read More

  • The History And Impact Of The Space Race

    808 Words  | 2 Pages

    On May 25, 1961, just two weeks after the US had successfully got an American into space, John F. Kennedy gave a speech addressing it and exclaimed, "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project...will be more exciting, or more impressive to mankind, or more important...and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish..." (Kruse). The Space Race became an important event for all of humanity during the 20th century because it improved our knowledge of space, improved and inspired new technology, and improved our education. It sparked a mix of both friendly and non friendly competition between the Capitalist United States and the Communist Russia (USSR) from the launch of Sputnik in 1957, all the way to the Apollo-Soyuz project that ended the race in 1975 .

    Read More

  • Space Exploration: The Space Race

    687 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Space Race began in or around the late-1950s, during the Cold War. The United States and Russia were both anxious to become the country to explore space. Unfortunately for the US, Russia launched the first artificial satellite and man-made object to orbit Earth, Sputnik. The launch of Sputnik surprised the United States, and we rushed to get our own space craft into space, and to beat Russia to anything else space related.

    Read More

  • The Space Race

    1927 Words  | 4 Pages

    Wingo, Walter. “The Scramble into Space.” The Science News-Letter 84, no. 22 (30 November 1963): 341-43. JSTOR. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3946565.

    Read More

  • Azhar Khaderi

    548 Words  | 2 Pages

    My passion for controlling mechanical systems can be pinpointed to when I exposed to a Legos Mindstrom kit back in middle school. Since then I have had a diverse undergraduate career where I tried to pursue many different field but I’ve found the field of control systems to be the most interesting. The Given my undergraduate and work experience I believe that graduate school will be the next logical step on the path to become an engineering leader in this field.

    Read More

  • Space Exploration

    642 Words  | 2 Pages

    People have been venturing out into the universe for many years now. In addition to satellites, both women and men astronauts have traveled into space to collect data about the universe. The first human being, the first animal, and the first spacecraft in orbit, were all achievements of the Soviet Union.

    Read More

  • NASA and Space: The Final Frontier

    953 Words  | 2 Pages

    Human fascination with the stars is as ancient as Babylonians and has been suggested to be older than Stonehenge. From “be fruitful and multiply” to “live long and prosper,” the instinct to protect and propagate the species has manifested in religion, art, and the imaginations of countless individuals. As human understanding of space treks out of the fantastical and into the scientific, the realities of traveling through and living in space are becoming clearer. Exploring, investigating, and living in space pose an expansive series of problems. However, the solutions to the problems faced by mankind's desire to reach beyond the horizon, through the night sky, and into the stars are solutions that will help in all areas of life on Earth.

    Read More

  • Statement of Purpose for Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering

    838 Words  | 2 Pages

    People travel miles in search of their true passion; some find them early in their life and I consider myself lucky enough to be one among them. I found my true calling at the age of 12 on a field trip to a milk factory. It seemed like the Disneyland of science with huge machineries, conveyer belts running all around, and instruments working about in their own rhythm with sheer intricacies and perfection. As a kid, I was eager to understand the mechanics behind this magical rhythm. The desire of gaining in-depth knowledge about Control System and Automation eventually led me to choose Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering as my undergraduate study.

    Read More

  • The Future of Space Exploration

    1530 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Sheltered as we are by Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field, which deflect lethal radiation from space, we are like coddled children who have never ventured into a tough neighborhood” (Folger 2). Humans have been fascinated with space since the beginning of our time. Just like children and rough neighborhoods, we have tackled obstacle over obstacle to make it home again. In the end, we have a better knowledge and strength than before. The future of space exploration can assist us in answering the everlasting question of how the universe came to be. The more we explore the infinite galaxies, the more we can scientifically discover and create new technologies as science advances. As we continue to discover, we can create new fields and occupations for aspiring young students like myself.

    Read More

  • The Future of Space Travel

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    To prepare for the conversation, research was conducted to make sure there was enough information about the future of space flight; and that people of different ages and educational and professional backgrounds could engage in the topic. Two weeks before the conversation, twelve possible participants were emailed and asked to participate in the conversation. One and a half weeks before the conversation, an agenda, research resources, and the promise of food and drinks were emailed to the accepting participants.

    Read More

  • Statement of Purpose for a Masters in Computer Science

    644 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... challenging education. It has been my long cherished dream to become a researcher and eventually come out as a good Computer Science engineer, equipped enough to contribute to the larger community. To gain expertise, I wish to undertake my graduate study at your prestigious University. I feel invigorated looking at the program offered at your university, the way it is taught and several research options provided that enable a student to gain knowledge on the program to its fullest.

    Read More

  • Space Tourism

    945 Words  | 2 Pages

    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).

    Read More

More about The Space Race

Open Document