Spencer Rea Rea 1

Mrs. Palcko

English 112

10 May 2017

Earth In the Future

What would happen if the home to over one million species was destroyed? The

possibility of this future has pushed scientists to work towards life off of Earth. From the first

satellites, to the first ships, humans have raced to explore and expand technology beyond the

atmosphere. After reaching the goal of the moon, sights were set on Mars. Space Exploration has

had a tremendous impact on technology in the past and will continue to create an understanding

of the universe and future for the human race.

In the recent past, technology has exceeded the surface of the earth. With the launch of

Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, the space race began. The United States and the Soviet Union

launched several satellites in an attempt to control much of the distant atmosphere. When

President John F. Kennedy announced the goal of reaching the moon by the end of the 1960s, the

Apollo program was created. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed the first two humans on the

moon. When Armstrong first set foot on the moon, he announced, Thats one small step for a

man, one giant leap for mankind (Dunbar). The success of this mission was a very important

step in the future of space travel by showing how technology can develop in such a short time.

Knowing that the moon was just one small point in the immense future of space exploration,

scientists continued to stride forward. Soon enough, habitable satellites were launched into the

atmosphere. The understanding of space travel developed in these space stations, and eventually

the sights were set on Mars.

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Since the completion of the moon mission, the target has been Mars. Around the world

projects have been proposed to launch a manned flight to land on Mars surface. There has been

much preparation for this mission, including simulations, robots, and years of research. Many

drones have been sent to Mars to examine its properties. A drone currently on Mars called

Curiosity Rover is a small robot that has collected many samples and answers from its surface.

Weather patterns have been recorded, the atmosphere has been studied, and evidence of water

has been found. In NASAs eyes, every bit of information brings us closer to the day when

humans first walk upon the surface of the red planet (MAVEN Moves into Orbit, 2017).

Several groups of people have gone through tests and simulations. One group was isolated on a

Hawaiian mountain for a year, dealing with various malfunctions and living off of specific food

meant for the real Mars mission (Washington Post). The vast amount of research on Mars in the

past years has allowed for NASA to move on to the next steps in this vital mission.

Before the time to launch arrives, there are many areas in need of development. Mars will

be the final goal, but it will take many small steps to get there. The farthest manned spaceflight

in history is Apollo 13, which just passed the far side of the moon (Dunbar). One step that NASA

is planning to take is a spaceflight that goes well beyond the moon to test the endurance of

astronauts and space crafts. Another mission is to capture an asteroid in the moons orbit and

have astronauts land there. This two-part mission will test both deep spacewalking and

sampling techniques and Solar Electric Propulsion (Wilson). Eventually, humans will be ready

to start looking at the completed Mars mission. When the equipment is finally ready for use in

the deep-space mission, humans will have made another giant leap in history.
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Mars is the current topic in space exploration, just as the moon was in the 1960s. If the

Mars mission is a success, another location will take the spotlight. Although the extent of human

travel is miniscule to the knowledge of the universe, being able to walk another planets surface

will allow for more thorough research. Progressing towards a future of colonizing another planet

is very important to the human race. When the earth ends, humans will have found a new habitat,

perhaps with new life as well. The exploration and research of space in the past has created the

motives to leap onto another planet and increase the knowledge of the universe we live in.
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Works Cited

""Astronauts'' Spend Year on "Mars"." Newsela. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2017.

Dunbar, Brian. "Apollo 13." NASA. NASA, 29 Mar. 2017. Web. 17 May 2017.

Dunbar, Brian. "July 20, 1969: One Giant Leap For Mankind." NASA. NASA, 19 Feb. 2015.

Web. 17 May 2017.

"MAVEN Moves into Orbit around Mars, Will Investigate Atmospheric Mystery." Newsela.

N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2017.

"Overview - Mars Science Laboratory." NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 17 May 2017.

"President Obama's Ambitious Goal Is to Make a "giant leap" to Mars by 2030s." Newsela. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 23 May 2017.

Wilson, Jim. "Journey to Mars Overview." NASA. NASA, 16 Sept. 2016. Web. 17 May 2017.