On the Air with Ray Sinclair
That's One Small Step For Man,One Giant Leap For Space Journalism
Computational Journalism (photo: NASA)
Space Race
The Future of Space Journalism
The cost of space exploration runs into the 100s of millions. Planet Earth is facing major future challenges. Is the climate warming? How many people can the planet sustain? Is the money better spent on improving life on Earth?
The thirst for knowledge and adventure turns increasingly to other planets and galaxies far beyond our own. From the first observations by Galileo in 1610 to present day plans to put humans on Mars, Outer space is the last frontier. With technological advances in launching humans into space, exploration of the cosmos and a safe return to Earth has emboldened the endeavors to go where no one has gone before. When ever there's a success or failure, journalism is riding inside every rocket that leaves Earth’s atmosphere.
"War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing," lyrics from British band Frankie Goes to Hollywood whilst the sentiments expressed in the lyrics in many respects has validity, exception being when it comes humankind’s achievement's in outer space. The predecessor to modern day rockets used in space exploration by the United States and the Soviet Union was the V-2 Ballistic Missile developed by Germany as a weapon of war during World War II. (Logdson, 2018)
On October 4, 1957,the Soviet Union was first of the mark with the launch of the first artificial satellite Sputnik 1. The United States were caught unawares and thought themselves technologically superior due to the countries post war economic boom. Concerned the Soviets could launch ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads, the race was on. (Howell, 2018)
Sputnik, Muttnik And Two Monkeys
Animals in Space.
By the mid-1950s and fueled by the threat of a nuclear arms race a new conflict had begun the Cold War, communist Soviet Union and capitalist United States emerged powerful after World War II both in respective of politics and military. (History.com.Editors , 2010)
Soviet Union caught the United States asleep at the wheel , with the Sputnik 1 satellite launch and again with Sputnik 2 and the first living passenger a Siberian-Husky named Laika was launched in to space on November 1957, a one-way trip as the limited power to her life support ran out after a short time. American journalists dubbed her Muttnik, pun intended. (Dohrer, 2017)Enter into history’s pages the monkeys Able and Baker, sedated and put into the nose cone of a Jupiter rocket. Reaching the edge of space, they returned to earth splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean. The radio message "Able/Baker perfect," came the radio message. "No injuries or other difficulties." Journalists covered the story with enthusiasm and Able and Baker made the cover of Life magazine.
Click on the photographs for more information and credits :All images may be subject to copyright
Whilst NASA and the wider Space Community aim for humans on Mars, having successfully explored the surface and atmosphere with the robotic vehicle Pathfinder launched 1996, and roving vehicles Spirit and Opportunity launched 2003. (Greicius, 2017)
Space tourism is the latest must do on the list of those with millions of dollars to indulge in their desire to experience space. American Dennis Tito was the first private citizen to purchase a ticket, to spend eight days on the International Space Station in 2001, ticket was 20 million USD. All seven of the space tourists to stay on the ISS were flown in Russian Soyuz Spacecraft, NASA had banned tourists aboard the space shuttles after 2003and the Columbia space shuttle disaster, which disintegrated on reentry. (Stimac, 2018)
The billionaire entrepreneurs might view space travel as the next big money spinner, with the likes of Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Richard Branson of Virgin, both having success and failures, but not to be deterred the companies undoubtedly see space tourism as a money spinner and a bucket list item for the wealthy. (Stimac, 2018)
Primary data sourced https://www.thebalance.com/nasa-budget-current-funding-and-history-3306321
Excel used to create visual.
Apollo 17, in 1972 was the last mission to the moon, the United States won the race for the moon. The Soviets had bragging rights for the first woman in space, Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova in 1963. Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space in 1983 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. (History.com editors , 2010 )
The Shuttle Discovery releases the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990 opening up the field of Cosmology to discoveries of deep space. Satellites are launched without much fanfare or media coverage unless there is a catastrophic failure. The Russian Mir Space station had gone relatively unnoticed as it orbited around the earth, now replaced by the International Space Station. As of 2018 , 230 individuals from 18 different countries have visited the space station. Americas Shuttle fleet were retired in 2011, leaving the Russian Soyuz spacecraft as the only method for bringing people to and from the station. Mars has become the new Moon. (Howell, 2018)
I Can See Your House From Here
Cost of Space travel
The budget for the space program in the 1960s to take men to the moon was $25.4 billion U.S dollars, equivalent in today’s money around $150 billion, the bill for the Space shuttle program came in at $200 billion U.S. dollars. In 2019 the federal budget for NASA is $ 19.5 Billion, with a further $400 Billion in the form supplemental funds. The Trump administration is using financial incentives to provide additional funding from private sector to partner government initiatives. NASA is now taking a more of an active role in commercialising new space technologies with a view to both military and business. (Amadeo, 2018)
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
"The Earth is the cradle of mankind, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever."
The above quote is from the father of rocketry Konstantin Tsiolkovsky whose statue gazes up to the heavens at Brisbane’s Sir Thomas Planetarium.(left) Over hundred years ago Tsiolkovsky developed insights into space travel and rocket science that have cemented his place as one of history’s space pioneers. (Redd, 2013)
Theory became knowledge on April 12, 1961 when the Soviets once again accomplished a major first, launching the rocket Vostok 1 and Yuri Gagarin the first man in space. He completed one orbit and his flight successfully landed back to Earth after 108 minutes.
President John F Kennedy is elected and takes office on January 1961,in May of his first year he proclaims America will land on the moon before the end of the decade. The Apollo space program with the powerful Saturn V rockets on July 20, 1969 safely fly the Apollo 11 crew of Neil Armstrong , Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins to the moon and back to Earth, Armstrong and Aldrin are the first humans to set foot on the Lunar surface (space news and space.com staff , 2012)
I
In terms of a media event is was estimated 500 million people watched the event live. President Nixon also spoke to the astronauts by phone via a satellite link up through NASA control centre Houston, Texas. (History.com Editors, 2009)
Credit: John F Kennedy and Neil Armstrong : Soundcloud audio. Police "Walking On the Moon"music track
Media, Moon, Mars
Journalists along for the ride
Video: brief look at Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium and short interview with Associate Professor Luis Mejias Alverez.
Bang For Your Buck
Benefits
In the brief history approximately 60 years of space exploration, and many billions of dollars spent. Has society benefitted, has it been worth it? According to the Balance website for every $1 spent by NASA $10 is added to the economy. (Amadeo, 2018)
Does space exploration stimulate the creation of both tangible and intangible benefits for humanity? Some of the tangible spin offs:
· Global positioning satellites ( long distance telecommunications, Sat nav )
· Smart phone technology
· Solar energy technology
· Artificial limb technology from NASA robotics
· NASA collaborated in heart valve pumps ( fitted whilst waiting for a donor heart )
· Cordless tools
· Scratch resistant lenses
· Memory foam ( most probably sleeping on it )
· Smoke detectors ( saving lives daily )
· Water filtering ( helping third world countries)
· Enriched baby foods
· Freeze died food
· Structural analysis soft ware
· Pollution remediation
· Light emitting diodes (L.E.Ds)
· Video enhancing and analysis systems (Assists law agencies investigate video footage )
(Pegg, 2017)
Space exploration results according to one of NASAs own papers on the intangible benefits, is the social and philosophical dimensions that facilitate discussion of the nature and meaning of life. What is the nature of the Universe? Is the destiny of humankind bound to Earth? Are we and our planet unique? Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? The enrichment of culture, inspiring citizens , and building a mutual understanding as a result of international cooperation among space – faring nations.
In addition, the paper cites a capability for Global Protection, the threat from asteroids. By endeavouring to understand the cosmos, scientists who believe an asteroid which collided with Earth some 65 million years ago and caused rapid mass extinction of most plant and animal species. (International Space Exploration Coordination Group, 2113)
Apollo 11 Launch (Original NASA Video)
Earth or Elysium
The future
With the population of Earth predicated to hit 11.5 billion by 2100.Could the resources and efforts focused on space exploration be used to improve humanity on this planet?
In 2017 there was 821 million people who are chronically undernourished, 26 million more than in 2014. Extreme poverty effects 328 million children whilst 767 million people live on less than $1.90 a day. Water and sanitation, 2.1 billion lack safe readily available water at home and 4.5 billion lack safely managed sanitation/sewage treatment. Each year 361,000 children under 5 die due to diarrhea. (The Hunger Project , 2017)
The year is 2154, the earth is polluted, vastly overpopulated, and disease runs rampant through the dilapidated slums that the cities have become. The wealthiest people have fled the planet and taken refuge on Elysium, a Stanford Torus high-tech space station, just beyond earth's atmosphere.
While those on Earth are policed by ruthless robots, the wealthy live in a utopian setting which includes access to private medical machines, "Med-Bays," that offer instant cures for virtually any disease or ailment a person may experience. (Internet Movie database , 2013)
Is humankind destined for Elysium?
Bibliography
Bibliography:
Amadeo, K. (2018, september 07). NASA Budget, current funding ,History and economic impact . Retrieved from The Balance : https://www.thebalance.com/nasa-budget-current-funding-and-history-3306321
Dohrer, E. (2017, May 30). Lakia the dog and the first animals in space . Retrieved from Space.com: https://www.space.com/17764-laika-first-animals-in-space.html
Greicius, T. (2017, August 4). Mars Today: Robotic Exploration . Retrieved from National Aeronautics and Space Administration: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/missions/index.html
History.com editors . ( 2010 , February 9). first women in space . Retrieved from History : https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-woman-in-space
History.com Editors. (2009, november 16). Nixon watches the first lunar landing . Retrieved from history: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-watches-first-lunar-landing
History.com.Editors . (2010, February 22). The Space Race. Retrieved from History : https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/space-race
Howell, E. (2018, February 7). International Space Station: Facts ,History and Tracking . Retrieved from Space.Com: https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html
International Space Exploration Coordination Group. (2113, september). Benefits Stemming from Space Exploration. Retrieved from NASA GOV: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/Benefits-Stemming-from-Space-Exploration-2013-TAGGED.pdf
Internet Movie database . (2013). Elysium Plot Summary . Retrieved from IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535108/plotsummary
Pegg, D. (2017, march 13). 25 coolest NASA Discoveries That Changed Your Life . Retrieved from list 25 : https://list25.com/25-coolest-nasa-discoveries-that-changed-your-life/5/
Redd, N. T. (2013, february 27). Konstantin Tsiolkovsky : Father of Rocketry. Retrieved from Space.com: https://www.space.com/19994-konstantin-tsiolkovsky.html
space news and space.com staff . (2012, september 28). Timeline: 50 years of Spaceflight . Retrieved from Space.com: https://www.space.com/4422-timeline-50-years-spaceflight.html
Stimac, V. (2018, april 11). Space tourism a brief history 1957 -2010s. Retrieved from Space Tourism Guide: https://spacetourismguide.com/history-of-space-tourism/
The Hunger Project . (2017, november ). know your world: Facts about hunger and poverty . Retrieved from The Hunger Project : http://www.thp.org/knowledge-center/know-your-world-facts-about-hunger-poverty