Analysis Of How Space Exploration Has Benefited Humankind

Humans have always dreamed about exploring the heavens above. This was not a reality until the liquid propellant rocket – a rocket with an engine that uses a combination of oxygen and fuel in a liquid state – which was invented in the twentieth century. WWII and the famous moon race between the United States and the Soviet Union, set off by John F. Kenedy as a necessary action for national security, accelerated research in the field. On July 16, 1969, the United States achieved new heights, literally, they created, developed and had the success that Galileo, Brahe, Copernicus, Kepler, and all early astronomers could only dream of. The US had landed on the moon, walked on it, and returned safely to earth. Early astronomers only dreamed of exploring space, the human race has their imagination to thank for so much. Space explorations lofty idealism has benefited humankind because it improved the way people use technology, it has led to many biology-related scientific discoveries, and it benefited the monitoring of water quality and natural disasters.

First, space exploration has improved the way humans use and look at technology. Here in 2019 everywhere you look people are carrying around phones, laptops, devices with led’s, and wearing glasses with scratch-resistant lenses. In the 1990s a team from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPT) began work on cameras that would be small enough to fit on spacecraft while still producing high-quality images that would be useful to advance science and the work of NASA. Now one-third of all phone cameras have components of the original technology developed by this NASA team. Now thanks to space programs humans have tiny cameras in their phones which allow them to capture moments and memories that will last forever. The Shuttle Portable On-Board Computer or SPOC was created in 1983. This was done by adapting the GRiD Compass, the first portable computer. The GRiD’s hardware was modified and the system software was developed, all of which lead to an eventual launch into the commercial market. Another simple yet very important invention that would not exist without space exploration is Light-emitting diodes or LED’s, in particular, the red ones. Red LED’s are being used to grow plants in space and heal humans here on earth. The creation of LED technology that NASA has created has been a large contributor to medical device development like WARP 10. WARP 10, Warfighter Accelerated Recovery by Photobiomodulation 10, is a device used to treat chronic pain. This high-intensity portable LED device emits energy in the near-infrared spectrum allowing the patient temporary relief from their muscle and joint pain. The fourth big thing that would not exist without space travel is scratch-resistant lenses. The Lewis Research Center made it their goal to develop a diamond-hard coating for an aerospace system. This technology eventually became known as DiamondHard® technology. This diamond-like carbon (DLC) creates scratch protection and minimized surface friction, allowing water to move more easily along the surface. Not only has space exploration changed the way people look at and use technology but it has also developed the medical world and brought technology to it.

Second, space exploration has led to many biology-related scientific discoveries. In January 2019, NASA published an article on Rodent Research 8 (RR8), research being done on the ISS, a microgravity environment. They are trying to gain a better understanding of the changes to the human body that occur while flying in space. This will eventually help people on earth that have age-related conditions or diseases. RR8 examines the ageing and the effect that age has on disease progression in mice. Previous research done in space has shown that when people spend time in space they will experience immune dysfunction, bone density loss, cardiovascular issues, and loss of muscle mass and strength in both humans and rodents. All these changes mirror the ageing process that people experience on earth, just faster. The goal is to lessen the ageing effects on humans and find out on a molecular basis, what is happening and why. Humans can also thank space exploration for the CATScan. Space programs need very good digital images. The JPL developed technology known as digital imaging processing, this was developed to retrieve better quality photos of the moon. This technology has had a broad array of applications, most importantly in the field of medicine. Digital image processing produces enhanced images of human organs to help with the diagnostic process. This technology has been implemented in both the CT or CATScan and Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI. Over the years NASA has done lots of research in shock-absorption. Both NASA’s innovations into shock-absorption materials and robotic and extravehicular activities have are being modified and enhanced to create better artificial limbs. This technology is making artificial limbs for functionally dynamic and ergonomic. These are not the only ways space exploration has advanced the medical field. Space exploration has changed the way humans detect and treat breast cancer, played a role in developing and improving vaccines, making inoperable tumours operable with a robotic arm, and has even improved eye surgery with space hardware.

Lastly, space exploration has benefited the monitoring of water quality and natural disasters. The Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean – or HICO is an imagery sensor that can detect different aspects of water quality and clarity – completed its mission in 2015. The HICO was designed and built by the United States of America’s Naval Research Laboratory for the office of naval research to asses the water quality in the costal ocean. The environmental protection agency or EPA took the data produced by HICO and produced a smartphone application that plots hazardous concentrations of contaminants in the water of the coastal ocean. Researchers on the ISS are continuing to research and innovate new ways to monitor the water quality of the earth, they are also monitoring natural disasters from space. The ISS SERVIR Environmental Research and Visualization System or ISERV is an imaging system on the station that captures photographs of earth from the ISS. These photographs are for use in developing countries that are affected by various natural disasters. SERVIR, an endeavour of both NASA and the US Agency for International Development, works with developing countries across the globe to use satellites and space technology to make informed environmental decisions. The images produced by ISERV benefit rapid response teams for floods, fires, volcanos, harmful algal blooms, deforestation, and many other natural events. Every 24 hours the ISS passes over 90% of the earth’s populated areas. The ISERV system was able to provide images to developing nations quickly, taking up to 1000 images a day. ISERV and HICO have both completed their missions but the ISS continues to provide valuable information about water quality and natural disasters.

In conclusion, it is evident that space exploration and its programs have benefited humankind, in particular, it has improved the way humans look at and use technology, it has led to many medical discoveries and developments, and it benefited the way people monitor water quality and deal with natural disasters. Galileo, Brahe, Copernicus, Kepler, and other early astronomers would have been amazed by the progress humans have made since they studied the heavens. Statistics show that human spaceflight and having a space program that is in the public eye was and is an important influencer that inspires younger generations to study science and become involved in STEM programs. It is truly important to recognize the amazing things that have branched out of early astronomy and space exploration.