When you tell someone you are working towards a degree in Space Studies, the
automatic response is usually, “Wow! So you’re going to be an astronaut?” While that would be an amazing career goal, that is not the only thing a degree in Space Studies can offer. Typically, astronauts are mathematicians, engineers, pilots, and doctors. The truth is I’m not smart enough for any of that! Luckily, I can love space, and still work towards my degree with the depth of options in the Space Studies field.
While I appreciate space, hence my writing on it, many don’t see it’s value in their daily lives, however, over the large scope of Space Studies, there is one area that stands out that we on Earth cannot live without, and that would not be possible without advancements in Space Studies—that is communication.
The early years of rocketry pitted the Soviets and the U.S. against each other in a space
race. A long story short the Soviets began the Space Age by launching Sputnik I into low-Earth orbit in 1957. The capabilities the Soviets displayed, drew major national security concerns for the U.S. and out of that fear, the National Astronomical Space Administration was established, and the U.S. launched Explorer I—their first man-made satellite into orbit. Rocketry to this day is still being perfected, with our advancements in space transportation systems we have been able to send humans to space, explore the depths of our galaxy and learn more than could have ever been imagined in those early years of rocketry.
#FUN FACT TIME: It was actually during John F. Kennedy’s presidency that the first communication satellite was launched into orbit in 1962. Telstar I was owned and operated by AT&T, and later caused an upset in the JFK administration, as to whether or not a commercial entity should be allowed to own a communications satellite.
Communication satellites have advanced our daily lives considerably–including Global Positioning Systems and Remote Sensing capabilities. We can call anyone from our cell phone from almost anywhere in the world, we can open up Google Maps and never be lost, and we can view Earth from space and track major storms that threaten coastal areas, and enable advanced warning to residents. Without the advancements we have in communication today, think of how primitive our world might still be, had we not reached for the stars.
The stars too, are another significant piece of Space Studies that is beneficial for us to
study and understand. The closest star to us is our Sun, a burning ball of hydrogen and helium with an attitude. There is a relationship very important in Space Studies when discussing space weather, and that is the Sun-Earth connection. The Sun is so hot that the gas that burns there, gets hotter and hotter until the state of the atoms break apart into plasma. Plasma is nothing more than electrically charged particles (protons and electrons) that have such a high energy they can escape the Suns gravity, this is called solar wind. The solar wind “blows” past Earth every day and can have a major effect on satellites and ground-based systems on Earth. The Sun has a few versions of solar storms, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections that explode outward and hurl enormous amounts of charged particles at Earth. Luckily, Earth has its own defense system called the magnetic field which deflects some of these charged particles. Some charged particles can make their way down the magnetic field lines towards the poles, and we can visibly see the Sun-Earth connection through the phenomenon commonly called, Northern and Southern lights or scientifically called aurora.
The Sun can be unpredictable, yet through constant observation and study, a pattern has been revealed, enabling us to prepare for solar storms, and equipping our satellites to survive them. Space weather has the capability to cause a world-wide blackout, knock out communications, and of course poses radiation threats to our astronauts. Imagine a world with no electricity and no communication, the human race would go insane.
The last note I would make outside of communication is on space policy. There is one
aspect I love most about Space Studies and that is the type of international cooperation you get through it. Space policy does have a lot of politics involved in it, however, majority of countries with a space program agree that space will not be weaponized and that it will only be used for research and the betterment of mankind. If you look at the relationship among some countries, they do not always agree, and things can be quite tense at times. Than look at their relationships across international space
programs, they are united across the board in research. Working together on the International Space Station (ISS) and undergoing several projects that are an international collaborative effort. The best part is, they know they would fail without one another.
#FUN FACT TIME: The ISS is a partnerships of 15 different countries, and has been visited by 17 countries in total.
Space is the thing that puts the world into perspective, because out in space we are all just from Earth, and we are all united. Sometimes, I believe through Space Studies, we can find international peace and unification world-wide. I need space, you need space, we all need space!
Image featured above is of the first communications satellite Telstar I, launched 10 July 1962. Image courtesy of Image via AT&T/ SuperStock/ Corbis/ NASA.
I Need Space 