Essay On Earth Satellites And Essay On Outer Space Traveling

Essay On Earth Satellites

Only a few years ago earth satellites seemed destined to remain in the realm of science fiction for a long time to cone. It was not until July. 1955, when the American Project vanguard was to lunch before the end of 1958 a few small satellites weighing about ,20 lbs. Since 1955 the Van guarded programme proceeded in the full glare of publicity; the design, details, the success and the setbacks were spread by a host of spokesman. both authorised and self- appointed. In contract little was known about the Russian plans beyond the bare statements that satellites would be launched during - 1957-58 and that they would reach higher altitude than the Vanguard. Most people outside Russia were taken by surprise when on the evening of October 4, 1957.

The first Sputnik, nearly ten times as heavy as the proposed Vanguard satellite, began circling the earth. The Russians were congratulated from all sides on their fine achievement. Stronger superlatives were need on November 3. when a second and much heavier Sputnik appeared and the presence of a live dog inside attracted public interest, astonished the scientists. and dismayed the dog-lovers.

Whereas the Sputnik I filled the whole world with admiration for Russia's technical and scientific advancement, the launching of the Sputnik II startled the world. The second Sputnik was much bigger than the first one. it weighed about half a ton (the first one was 183 lbs) and was circling the glove every 102 minutes at an altitude of 930 miles. The first Sputnik circled the world every 96.2 minutes. The longer time required by the second Sputnik was not due to any slower speed (it had the same speed of 18.000 miles per hour as the first one), but due to its higher orbit. Another significant thing about the second sputnik was that it was carrying a living being a dog named Laika, who it was hoped, could be brought down to earth.

The Russian scientists who wete responsible for launching It the Sputniks, said that Sputnik I had two principal purposes; to give 1 accurate measurement of the destiny of the atmosphere of high ; altitude above the earth and to obtain information about meteoric streams in outer space. Sputnik II was intended to prove about the effect of cosmic rays on living beings and to study the spectrum. The second satellite was equipped with a refract or which splitted the spectrum into separate colour and enabled the scientists to study the Sun's rays unaffected by atmosphere.

It was on February 1, 1958. that the United States also launched its first earth satellite, named the "Explorer". The launching of the first American satellite, came exactly 17 weeks after the. Soviet Union sent up her first "Sputnik" into space. The "Explorer" weighs 30.8 lbs and its speed is between 18,000 and 19.400 miles an hour It circles the globe in about 123 minutes. It is in firm orbit so perfectly on course that it may remain aloft as long as ten years. It contains instruments to measure cosmic rays, meteorites and temperatures, and two radio transmitters, to broadcast this information to earth. President Eisenhower announced that any information received from the U.S. satellite would be made available to the scientific community as a whole. He said that the launching was "part of our country's participation in the international geophysical year".

The Soviet Union is well as the U.S.A are going ahead with the .programme of launching further satellites into space. the U.S. army launched a second "Explorer" on March. 5, 1958. Russia launched her third Sputnik, the largest man made satellite so far, on May 15. 1958. It is 18,0000 lbs heavier than the half-ton Sputnik II. which carried the space-dog Laika. It is especially designed to land again intact. • The extra weight suggests that a special heavily protected cone has been created in an effort to solve the problem of its re-entry through the earth's atmosphere without being burned up -- as the previous Sputniks were.
'The Russians say that, within ten, years, unmanned rockets should have been sent to Mars and Venus. I am quite prepared to believe this. though getting the rockets back will be tremendously difficult. Within about 15 years manned rocket flight should have been achieved. Men should have made trips round the Earth above the atmosphere. and returned safely.

"If all goes well, this should lead on to an actual flight to the Moon. '['he first trip will be in the nature of a reconnaissance. The outward journey will take only five days or so and. allowing another five days for return and a certain period on the Moon itself, the total expedition \ill not be a long drawn-out affair. The pioneers will leave equipment on the Moons surface, both to continues transmitting information .and for the use of future parties. If all goes well--and I want to stress this qualification -- the first man should have landed within 25 years. A successful first expedition will lead to others and the establishment of a true lunar base.

"The future indeed is intriguing. Within our own lifetime. we have already seen the first artificial satellite. We shall almost certainly see unmanned vehicles reaching the moon. There is at least a good chance that we shall see the first journey from one world to another. And we may even see the beginning of lunar colonisation. It is not too much to say that we are living in the most exciting period in the whole history of mankind".
Already programmes are a fort in Russia and the U.S.A.for launching progressively bigger and more complex scientific satellite in the coming year which would be but "the prelude to the drama to follow" -- maimed flight into outer space.

Recently leaders of the United States satellite programme have recommended to the Administration a long range programme of space research looking toward exploration of the moon and planets and manned space flight. In their report they stated: "The interests of human progress and our national welfare now demand that a long-term programme of space exploration be formulated and pursued by the United States with the utmost energy'. Although there will inevitably be benefits from such a programme, the basic goal of this exploration must be the quest of knowledge about our solar system and the universe beyond. It is impossible to predict at present how , quickly • man himself will follow his exploring instruments into outer space, the ultimate culmination of his efforts will be manned space flight and his landing on the nearer plants. It is clear that he can develop the ability to do this. and it is hard to conceive of mankind stopping short when such a tempting goal is within reach".