Why Space Essays - Space Policy, Spaceflight, Apollo Program

Why Space? How does space exploration and an organization like NASA (National Aeronautical and Space Administration) benefit the United States? The formation of NASA to monitor and explore space has served the United States by supplying us with advancements in medicine, military defense, consumer products and the citizens of all participating countries a sense of pride in their countries. Space exploration has evolved from being a source of bragging rights during the cold war to a tool to develop faster ways of communication and scientific breakthroughs that are used to cure and/or prevent diseases. The United States has become a world power by using NASA to develop ways to defend the USA as well as benefit the inhabitants of the world. Early History After the end of W.W.I the United States did not think much about space travel. But as soon as the USSR launched Sputnik I in 1958, the first artificial satellite to orbit the earth, the USA quickly began to attempt to create a satellite of their own. Before the United States could create a satellite, the Soviets announced that they made and launched their second satellite named Sputnik II, it was the first biological spacecraft. After the launching of Sputnik II the US felt tremendous pressure to launch its first satellite. The United States quickly launched Explorer I, the first American satellite in space, Explorer was created to measure cosmic rays and micrometeorites in earth's atmosphere. The US then launched another satellite named Vanguard I to measure the amounts of radiation in outer-space. The launching of satellites by both the US and USSR would soon lead to manned space travel. After the launching of Vanguard I by the USAF, the US realized that they would need a federal organization to regulate space travel. In 1959 the US government created NASA to maintain and expand the United State's interests in space travel. Not long after the creation of NASA, the organization quickly experiment with space suits and space vessels to prepare for sending a man into space. The Soviets soon announced that they launched a satellite called Luna II that was meant to take the first close-up pictures of the sun. It was the first rocket to leave the earth's gravitational field. The US continued to work on their goal of sending a man into space by selecting and beginning to train seven men in May 1959. These first seven American astronauts were named the Mercury 6. While the United States was selecting astronauts to start their space program the Soviets were already taking pictures of the moon and planning to get ready to send a man to the moon. 1961-1970 Freedom 7 was launched on May 5, 1961 carrying a Mercury 6 astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr.. The rocket climbed 302 miles into the air making the ship and Shepard the first American astronaut to fly into space. The United States briskly went to work, trying to sent another American into space. John Glenn was selected as the Mercury 6 astronaut that would orbit the earth. On February 20, 1962 the US was ready to surpass the USSR in the field of human space exploration. John Glenn successfully was launched into orbit around the earth, becoming the first human to do so. He completed three orbits around the earth in his Friendship 7 spacecraft. The mission was extremely successful for the US and NASA. After the mission the United States became the leading country in the field of space exploration. The US started to get ready for further missions into space by reaching new breakthroughs in space suit technology. The manned orbiting laboratory suit of 1963 was an Air Force refinement for the Gemini spacecraft missions. The manned orbiting laboratory was designed to carry two or more astronauts into space at the same time for an extended period of time. The suit was supposed to allow the astronauts to be able to move around the Gemini spacecraft freely. However the suit was made obsolete when the Project Gemini lightweight suit was developed in 1965. The space suit was designed to be easily removed during flight to aid to the astronauts comfort, making it easier for the astronauts to tolerate long journeys. These suits were of great value to the Apollo missions. The Apollo missions were meant to eventually land a man on the moon. While Soviet space program was faltering because the government refused to allocate the needed funds to support the Soviet Cosmonauts, the United States was getting ready to send a man to the moon. The first ten Apollo missions were to survey the moon and the gravity fields around it to make planning