It's common knowledge that the United Sates of America is a country birthed from defiance and ambition. A country so proud, so gallant, so resilient, and so eager to accomplish the impossible. As history fades into the present it is all too evident that the country is growing restless. Over the past 239 years, the country has conquered and explored all of the frontiers available, but there is no need to accept that the good ol’ adventurous-American spirit has to die.
The “Final Frontier” is here…again.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is nothing new, in fact, it’s been worldwide phenomena for 57 years . Today, NASA works in four mission directories : Aeronautics, Human Exploration and Operations, Science, and Space Technology. Aeronautics is just a very fancy term for air mobility and aviation engineering. Human Exploration and Operations focuses on operation in the International Space Center, the development of commercialized space flight, and human exploration in low-Earth orbit. Science is the exploration and analysis of both space and Earth. Finally, Space Technology is honestly pretty self-explanatory: the development and demonstration of highly evolved technology to use in present and future space exploration. NASA is in a constant state of scientific and technological advancement.
But why should we care? To answer that question I’m going to give you a few of NASA’s current projects and missions.
The first is the International Space Station . The ISS is an international laboratory rotating the earth in a constant state of orbit. The ISS has laboratories and scientists from Russia, United States of America, Japan, and Europe. The purpose of this station is to help learn about living and working in space. The work done in the International Space Station is imperative to future space exploration. Without the work being done in the ISS, there wouldn’t be any way of preparing humans for deep-space travel. The station provides the opportunity for a scientist to conduct experiments and learn what couldn’t ever be done on earth. Since the year 2000, there have always been people living in space. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Like I stated previously, NASA doesn’t only focus its resources on space, NASA is just as focused on Earth . Through the use of satellites stationed in Earth’s orbit, NASA is able to give information to the public for action to protect wildlife, address wildfires, and prepare for hurricanes and public health hazards.
Finally, there is the one mission that I know all of you were waiting to read! The mission to Mars ! Hollywood has always been fascinated with bringing deep-space exploration to the big screens. There have been several movies that have captivated our interests but the majority of these space movies focus on humans exploring Mars. Okay so you’re all probably asking, “okay, but what’s your point?” My point is that this fiction is becoming a reality! While we have sent rovers to Mars in the past, NASA is so incredibly close to its first manned mission. NASA hopes to have the first humans on Mars as soon as 2030!
This galactic banter is to show you how space is now a prominent feature of life. Forget Science Fiction and Hollywood because space is the next "New World." Space is the key to the scientific advancements for generations to come. Space is the key to future international ties and international teamwork to keep our world in a constant state of development. Space isn’t just our great-great-great grandchildren’s future it’s our future as well.
Welcome to the International Celestial Manifest Destiny.
