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

  • A Rhetorical Analysis of Michael Lind's "Human Spaceflight Should End" by Wyatt Cheney

    886 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lind, Michael. "Why We Should Embrace the End of Human Spaceflight."Salon.com. N.p.: n.p., 2011. N. pag. Rpt. in NASA. Ed. Margaret Haerens. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.

    Read More

  • The FCRs of Johnson Space Center

    1811 Words  | 4 Pages

    When asked who was the first man to walk on the Moon most will not have a problem replying “Neil Armstrong.” He has become a household name not only in our Nation but across our entire planet. Many people are familiar with Armstrong’s accomplishments however most are unaware of the efforts invested into these missions by people here on the ground. This paper will focus on ground Flight Control Rooms (FCRs, pronounced "fickers") that contained the talented people who helped usher some of the most important spaceflight events in our current history. First, there will be a brief overview of the Missions Control Center (MCC) history. Next, a section will cover the description of each of the Flight Control Rooms (FCRs). Lastly a thorough assessment of each of the FCRs will explain how each room was and is used as well as for what purpose. This paper will serve as a testament of the history and achievement which had and is continuing to take place during each human spaceflight.

    Read More

  • 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

  • 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

  • What Is The History Of The Space Race Essay

    515 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Space Race was a competition between the Soviet Union and the United States of America for technology on space that happened from 1955-1972. This competition caused many amazing things: The first object in space, the first man in space, and the first man on the moon. The Space Race had started in the Cold War, an Arms’ Race between the U. S and the USSR.

    Read More

  • The Race to Space

    950 Words  | 2 Pages

    The tension that existed between the U.S. and Russia during the years after WWII was not only a time that both countries patiently tried to keep the world from another war, but was also a time of great rivalry in the exploration of space. As both counties diligently experimented with plans for creating a way to get into the vastness of space, spies on both sides were already in place to steal those ideas. And so the space race begun. Both countries wanted to be the first to succeed so millions were spent as the world watched as the U.S. and Russia went head to head in a battle that would change the world forever.

    Read More

  • Essay On Space Race

    1345 Words  | 3 Pages

    When one thinks about the space race one’s mind automatically envisions connotations of the cold war; the Soviet Union battling against the USA for technological supremacy in spaceflight capabilities. This was not only a strategic race for national defence reasons but was also seen to be a pivotal stand point of national superiority. This is also the main basis of the majority of space law still in force today. But the reality is there is a space race occurring right now in the present day, not for national supremacy but instead for commercial supremacy no longer is there a search for strategic advantage it is now a race for profit gain.

    Read More

  • America Should Spend More on Space Exploration

    2303 Words  | 5 Pages

    Wagner, R., & Cook, H. (2000). Designs on space blueprints for 21st century space exploration. New York: Simon & Schuster.

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Space Race On Modern Technology

    426 Words  | 1 Pages

    Hugh L. Dryden, Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said in 1963, "... the leadership finally decided to make the education system focused on STEM topics for the new generations of Americans who were now taken in by the space race. In a few short years, the race had impacted major advances in our knowledge of the universe and the system that we live in. Its results are seen in every aspect of our modern life such as electronics and communications, in new materials, in

    Read More

  • Essay On The Space Race

    875 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Cold War formed political, social, and economic struggles that impacted the two world superpowers, the United States and Soviet Union. The war began in 1947 at the end of WWII and lasted until the fall of the Soviet Union on December 26, 1991. During the 1950’s, the United States and USSR began their fight in space to prove who had better technology, military firepower, and also stronger social, political, and economic systems. Due to the political, social, and economic changes during the Space Race, the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union began to drift apart. During the Cold War both the United States and Soviet Union were so caught up in the war that they formed tension within their relationship. This led to the Soviet Union and United States space programs to work even harder in their voyage in the Space Race.

    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

  • Space Exploration Persuasive Speech

    1168 Words  | 3 Pages

    Specific Purpose Statement: I would like to inform and condense the topic of space exploration into two major branches. These branches are unmanned and manned spaceflight.

    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

  • 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

  • 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