Daily Archives: January 19, 2023

Precursors in fiction and fact

Since ancient times, people around the world have studied the heavens and used their observations and explanations of astronomical phenomena for both religious and practical purposes. Some dreamed of leaving Earth to explore other worlds. For example, the French satirist Cyrano de Bergerac in the 17th century wrote Histoire comique des tats et empires de la lune (1656) and Histoire comique des tats et empires du soleil (1662; together in English as A Voyage to the Moon: With Some Account of the Solar World, 1754), describing fictional journeys to the Moon and the Sun. Two centuries later the French author Jules Verne and the English novelist and historian H.G. Wells infused their stories with descriptions of outer space and of spaceflight that were consistent with the best understanding of the time. Vernes De la Terre la Lune (1865; From the Earth to the Moon) and Wellss The War of the Worlds (1898) and The First Men in the Moon (1901) used sound scientific principles to describe space travel and encounters with alien beings.

In order to translate these fictional images of space travel into reality, it was necessary to devise some practical means of countering the influence of Earths gravity. By the beginning of the 20th century, the centuries-old technology of rockets had advanced to the point at which it was reasonable to consider their use to accelerate objects to a velocity sufficient to enter orbit around Earth and even to escape Earths gravity and travel away from the planet.

The first person to study in detail the use of rockets for spaceflight was the Russian schoolteacher and mathematician Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. In 1903 his article Exploration of Cosmic Space by Means of Reaction Devices laid out many of the principles of spaceflight. Up to his death in 1935, Tsiolkovsky continued to publish sophisticated studies on the theoretical aspects of spaceflight. He never complemented his writings with practical experiments in rocketry, but his work greatly influenced later space and rocket research in the Soviet Union and Europe.

In the United States, Robert Hutchings Goddard became interested in space exploration after reading works such as The War of the Worlds. Even as a young man, he dedicated himself to working on spaceflight. In his 1904 high-school graduation speech, he stated that it is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow. Goddard received his first two patents for rocket technology in 1914, and, with funding from the Smithsonian Institution, he published a theoretical treatise, A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes, in 1919. Goddards claim that rockets could be used to send objects as far as the Moon was widely ridiculed in the public press, including The New York Times (which published a retraction on July 17, 1969, the day after the launch of the first crewed mission to the Moon). Thereafter, the already shy Goddard conducted much of his work in secret, preferring to patent rather than publish his results. This approach limited his influence on the development of American rocketry, although early rocket developers in Germany took notice of his work.

In the 1920s, as a professor of physics at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, Goddard began to experiment with liquid-fueled rockets. His first rocket, launched in Auburn, Massachusetts, on March 16, 1926, rose 12.5 metres (41 feet) and traveled 56 metres (184 feet) from its launching place. The noisy character of his experiments made it difficult for Goddard to continue work in Massachusetts. With support from aviator Charles A. Lindbergh and financial assistance from the philanthropic Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics, he moved to Roswell, New Mexico, where from 1930 to 1941 he built engines and launched rockets of increasing complexity.

The third widely recognized pioneer of rocketry, Hermann Oberth, was by birth a Romanian but by nationality a German. Reading Vernes From the Earth to the Moon as a youth inspired him to study the requirements for interplanetary travel. Oberths 1922 doctoral dissertation on rocket-powered flight was rejected by the University of Heidelberg for being too speculative, but it became the basis for his classic 1923 book Die Rakete zu den Planetenrumen (The Rocket into Interplanetary Space). The work explained the mathematical theory of rocketry, applied the theory to rocket design, and discussed the possibility of constructing space stations and of traveling to other planets.

In 1929 Oberth published a second influential book, Wege zur Raumschiffahrt (Ways to Spaceflight). His works led to the creation of a number of rocket clubs in Germany as enthusiasts tried to turn Oberths ideas into practical devices. The most important of these groups historically was the Verein fr Raumschiffahrt (VfR; Society for Spaceship Travel), which had as a member the young Wernher von Braun. Although Oberths work was crucial in stimulating the development of rocketry in Germany, he himself had only a limited role in that development. Alone among the rocket pioneers, Oberth lived to see his ideas become reality: he was Brauns guest at the July 16, 1969, launch of Apollo 11.

Although Tsiolkovsky, Goddard, and Oberth are recognized as the most influential of the first-generation space pioneers, others made contributions in the early decades of the 20th century. For example, the Frenchman Robert Esnault-Pelterie began work on the theoretical aspects of spaceflight as early as 1907 and subsequently published several major books on the topic. He, like Tsiolkovsky in the Soviet Union and Oberth in Germany, was an effective publicist regarding the potential of space exploration. In Austria, Eugen Snger worked on rocket engines and in the late 1920s proposed developing a rocket plane that could reach a speed exceeding 10,000 km (more than 6,000 miles) per hour and an altitude of more than 65 km (40 miles). Interested in Sngers work, Nazi Germany in 1936 invited him to continue his investigations in that country.

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Space exploration - History of space exploration | Britannica

Skip to main content Reaching New Horizons in Space Exploration Studies

Space exploration impacts our daily life from technology advancement to medical research to scientific discoveries. Two of the astronauts who launched into space are UCF alumni: Nicole Stott 92MS and the late Fernando Frank Caldeiro 95MS. For over 50 years, the university has played a big role in educating future engineers, administrators and space explorers something we will continue over the next 50 years and more.

At the Forefront of Space Exploration

Kennedy Space Center (KSC), the countrys gateway to the universe, is only 35 miles away from UCFs main campus. Here, faculty and students have the opportunity to partake in cutting-edge efforts. In fact, UCF has had more interns than any other university at KSC. The opportunity provides students with on-the-job training, soft-skills development, and involvement in research. Some go on to convert their internships into jobs after graduation. As students look to the stars and see endless possibilities, theyre reminded how the discoveries made today and tomorrow impact future generations to come.

Two space shuttle missions. A three-month stay on the International Space Station. The 10th woman to perform a spacewalk. Nicole Stott 92 broke barriers during her time as an astronaut. From her start as an operations engineer at Kennedy Space Center, she held different positions before achieving what once seemed like a far-fetched idea: becoming an astronaut. After her last mission, Stott led several groups at NASA before stepping aside to try something new: Inspiring students to blend art with science. While sharing her love of both subjects, she spreads a motivational message that this is our planet, and we need to take care of it.

Learn about how she soared to new heights.

UCFs relationship with NASA is really providing a reservoir of scientific talent that enables the goals of our space program. That kind of talent is not found in most universities in the country.

When the U.S. returns humans to the moon in the coming years, theres a good chance that UCF research will have played a role in the return, whether from landing there safely, harvesting its resources, or training the next generation of space scientists.

The university currently has more than a dozen projects aimed at getting people back to the moon safely. The projects range from reducing the harmful effects of lunar dust to protect equipment and astronauts to developing robotics, flying and landing space craft, and mining fuel to run it all.

The work is important because the moon can be a staging ground for future space missions, such as visiting Mars or asteroids, and its ice could be turned to water thats used to hydrate astronauts or converted into hydrogen and oxygen as fuel for rockets.

Explore UCFs lunar projects

From the start of studying space to the items left on the moon and the future of space exploration, our renowned faculty and student researchers share their knowledge and expertise. Learn about the impact that space research has made here on planet Earth and discover whats still to come.

As new space programs continue to take off from the Central Florida region and beyond, students have an opportunity to break into this exciting industry with a number of space degrees offered at UCF.

Best bachelors degrees for a career in space exploration and research

Top masters and doctoral degrees for advancement in the space industry

Leading business degrees that can be applied to the space field

Nationally recognized online space degree programs

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Top 15 Best Atomic/Molecular Physics SchoolsU.S. News & World Report ranked UCF as one of the best Atomic/Molecular Physics schools in the nation.

Best Undergraduate Engineering ProgramUniversity of Central Florida is ranked No. 75 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Program in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

ABET AccreditedThe Bachelor of Science programs in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

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The Future of Space Exploration | University of Central Florida