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Space exploration can seem a very distant thing at times, something unconnected
to our daily lives. Maybe the idea of space brought down to Earth conjures up
images of scientists with impossible IQs in lab coats working in government
laboratories, or astronauts-in-training eating goop out of tubes, but none of
the everyday things everyday people do. In these normal activities, however,
space exploration and education have very important roles. Space is truly everywhere,
whether or not we see it. Outside of TANG® (which in reality turns out not
to be a child of the space program at all), most people recognize very little
of the large impact space and its exploration has on them. Space gives us pioneering
products, but also teaches.
The impact of space reaches us at every level, from the global to the personal.
In today’s increasingly wired world, technological advances work their
way into even the most usual of tasks, and usually without our noticing it.
Still think the best thing you’ve experienced from the space program is
three-flavor freeze-dried ice cream? Well, just think back on your day a little
and keep reading.
Technology that originated with space exploration has a variety of applications
today, including some very vital systems and some that range to the more mundane.
So, what has space done for you today? For starters, if you’ve looked at
your wristwatch, the space program developed the quartz timing crystals that
make it tick. Your neighbors are probably looking at their watches, waiting
for their cordless power tools back, especially since cordless tools were first
created to help take soil samples on the moon. If you’ve made a purchase
recently, the bar code on the back of it was originally designed to keep track
of millions of spacecraft parts. The next time you’re in for a doctor’s
visit, think about these spin-offs: pacemakers, many medical monitors, much
of the portable equipment in ambulances, and not forgetting those eye charts
with the sideways Es, are all based on developments of the space program (the
first three stem from the difficulties in examining patients from thousands
of miles away; the last, from techniques developed for analyzing photographs
of space). Then of course there are little things like lithium batteries, smoke
detectors, microchips, and satellites worldwide that relay signals for radio,
television, mobile phones, internet service providers, and the Global Positioning
System.
Many things we take for granted would be nonexistent today if we hadn’t
taken those first steps into space only a few decades ago. The Economic Impact
of Commercial Space Transportation on the U.S. Economy of the Federal Aviation
Administration states, “Space is an integral part of daily living,”
which will continue to be true in the future. Of course, the primary goal of
space exploration is the exploration itself, not spin-off technologies, but
these are valuable by-products nevertheless, ones that we have become accustomed
to. Inescapably woven into the texture of modern life, space will continue to
affect us as long as we wonder what is beyond the horizon.
Space has a great many things it can share with us on a less materialistic side
as well. In a 1999 statement, NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin said, “Education
is the single most important issue our generation faces today that will influence
our nation’s course for the future.” Space plays an even larger role
in the lives of some people than it does for most, and they’re not all
rocket scientists. Space education connects the universe with many people, as
teachers and as learners, and most often as both.
Many chapters of NSS are actively participating in and creating their own activities
and outreaches in their areas. Our chapters, and many individual members, possess
experience, knowledge, and resources in many areas of space science, and the
enthusiasm to communicate their idea of space to others. Chapters’ educational
programs share a vision of our future and try to inspire an interest in space
in those who maybe hadn’t given it much thought. Reaching out into the
community fosters awareness of the knowledge we gain from space.
In addition, colleges are another place where the many space-related fields
are being investigated. Students around the world are involved in research,
projects, and teams that are active in any number of areas, from satellite design
to astrobiology. In learning by doing, students not only gain a better understanding
of the subjects but also invaluable experience in sometimes highly specialized
areas. As students, they represent the next generation that will lead us towards
space.
The many benefits of the study of space and space travel manifest themselves
as new advances we take for granted in our daily lives and as knowledge obtained
in the exploration of the universe. Stephen Hawking has said, “To confine
our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit.”
Learning about space, linked with its exploration, is a continuing effort. Space
education is a fascinating and necessary way of ensuring a place for discovery
in our future. N