By Tanvi Allada, Undergraduate Lab Affliate
Often when people think of space exploration, the first thing that comes to mind is Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon. Although this was a remarkable achievement, space exploration also results in scientific advances that regularly make a positive impact right here on earth. Many of the discoveries we learned about in grade school, products we could not live without, and new careers we hope to work in all have their roots in space exploration. Whether people believe it or not, space exploration is an integral part of bettering human lives. This blog post will detail how space exploration has evolved and made significant contributions to this world. This post will also emphasize how space exploration and space technology can help improve human lives.
Space exploration started during the Cold War when the Soviet Union and the United States actively competed in a “race” to get people into outer space. In 1957, the Soviet Union became the first country to successfully send a satellite into Earth’s orbit. This satellite called Sputnik opened the eyes of many people and transformed space exploration. Space technology developed rapidly following sputnik and by the 1970s, navigation and telecommunications satellites were in daily use.
By the early 1980s, space technology had already begun capturing images of Jupiter’s moons and Saturn’s rings, which led to discoveries in science and technology. Today, missions to space help answer fundamental questions about our place in the Universe and the history of our solar system. Moreover, space exploration has opened up new avenues in the study of physics that have helped advance fields as diverse as medical science and computer science.
Over the past 20 years, space exploration has been and continues to play a role in the development of scientific discoveries and theories. For example, modern research on climate change can partially trace its roots back to space exploration. Director-General of the European Space Agency Headquarters, Jan Woerner, in speaking on the subject identified how space exploration found global warming on Venus and how the science involved in studying the climate of another planet led to a deeper understanding of the Earth’s climate. Woerner also explained how people can use another planetary neighbor, Mars, to understand how wasting natural resources and not preserving life on Earth can eventually lead to a desolate, dry, and barren planet.
It might also be surprising to learn that space exploration has helped people further study diseases like cancer, asthma, heart disease, alzheimer’s and parkinson’s disease. [BA2] Missions to the International Space Station (ISS) have collected data on human cells, proteins, and organoids with and without the influence of gravity. This has helped scientists to better understand their properties and behaviors which has led to more and/or improved treatment methods.
Medical researchers have also studied how the development of protein clusters can lead to neurodegenerative diseases like alzheimer’s and parkinson’s. Researchers also found out how the growth of endothelial cells can prevent tumors and blood clots from forming because they help supply and regulate blood flow in the body. They found out that Endothelial cells grow better in the space station environment than on Earth. This has led to new and improved cancer treatments. All of this indicates that space exploration provides new and exciting information to help fight deadly and rare diseases that impact people in different world regions. It is a faster and more efficient way to study and seek treatments for certain diseases people have been trying to find a cure for many generations.
Beyond major scientific discoveries, space exploration has also helped humankind as a result of spinoff products. Many of the products we use today played a role different space missions. One spinoff product that is utilized worldwide in a variety of mediums is memory foam. Memory foam was created by NASA researchers to keep astronauts and pilots secure and cushioned during missions. People now use it in bed mattresses, pillows, shoes, etc. Perhaps one of the biggest contributions of space research is the creation of the Global Positioning System (GPS).
In the 1990s, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California created software to fix the errors within the global network. GPS enabled devices can connect with satellites with a high degree of accuracy. Today, this technology has location accuracy within fifteen meters. GPS technology is embedded into many products such as cell phones, vehicles, and smartwatches. It has reduced the need for hand-held maps, which makes travel and trade more convenient and efficient.
Beyond finding our way using GPS, space related technologies have also led to improved water purification. Drinkable water is essential for human survival. However, many people lack access to clean water. Transitioning the advanced technology used in space flight, developing countries now have access to water filtration and purification systems that reduce disease. Furthering the transition of space-related technology to terrestrial use, space exploration agencies like NASA continue to work closely with nonprofit organizations such as Concern for Kids to integrate water purification systems into areas that lack sufficient clean water supply.
The president of Concern for Kids, Todd Harrison, worked alongside NASA engineers to provide clean water to developing countries using the water filtration technology embedded in the space station. The NASA engineers used cutting-edge technology to recycle air and water and create drinkable water for the people living in areas without clean water. This humanitarian project demonstrates that collaborations between space agencies and humanitarian organizations can contribute to global needs and positively impact humankind.
Almost anywhere you look, space exploration continues to impact the lives of humans in ways we could not imagine to be possible. Exploring the vastness of space has helped people better understand who we are and where we are going in the future. Space exploration and technology will continue to enable discoveries and result in new spinoffs that benefit humanity in the years to come.