By Adetunji Adeleke
Humans have long desired to know more about space and gain understanding of whatever lies beyond our world. Our curious minds seek to know how we got here, whether we are all alone, and even whether we can move around from earth into space or far reaching galaxies naturally or beyond physics.
Our minds search for infinite possibilities, and at times this comes at a price to the proponents, despite the benefits are for all mankind. Giordano Bruno was burned at stake for adhering much to the Copernican theories of a round world and orbiting solar systems as a background to modern Earth and Space observation disciplines in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Geodesy and many others.
Great achievements doesn’t always come from the most widely read or most distinguished people, nor from the most funded projects or biggest organizations, but sometimes from the most curious and determined minds such as the Wright Brothers who are credited with first successful motorized flight as a precursor to modern airplanes and space flights.
However, coming together and having a combined partnership makes us achieve feats that are greater than the sum of the parts. Whenever I look at how planes land on the tarmac it amazes me that humans still have a lot more to learn from animals and many other natural wonders.
It is with joy and much excitement to see that a great partnership was achieved between a private owned company, SpaceX and the United States government agency NASA to provide a manned space mission outside the earth almost a decade, at a more reasonable cost and shared risks between government funding through tax-payers and the private sector.
SpaceX, a company owned by billionaire Elon Musk (also owns Tesla) has been able to achieve some phenomenal goals in ensuring that human transportation is easier and now space travel is nearing reasonable costs. This provide economic benefits as well as new optimism for possible future human habitation or travel tourism purposes in space, starting with Mars, as part of the objectives of the organization.
In the great words of Neil Armstrong, being the first man to step on the moon, “This is one step for man, one giant leap for mankind”, we see this partnership between SpaceX and NASA as the beginning of new possibilities and another step for man to harness and move beyond principal government funding for space technologies, as well as highlight what determination from individuals like Elon and newer generations can achieve.
SpaceX has become a company that inspires younger people to follow their dreams and know that with efforts and courage, any obstacle can be surmounted despite initial failures or setbacks such as experienced by the company in failed rocket launches before current successes for both the unmanned tests and current manned flight.
I watched with curiosity how the Crew Dragon capsule manned by two Astronauts, Douglas G. Hurley and Robert L. Behnken launched from Florida, USA, then orbited and docked at the International Space Station (ISS), another joint initiative between the USA, Russia, and other nations. The SpaceX capsule used the Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner Space Vehicle. This shows the value of partnerships from hitherto competitors. It was launched from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center now SpaceX’s Launch Complex 39A after a lease arrangement. Very glad that the trajectory took them over Africa, including Nigeria where I was born and a few other nations.
Africans are inspired to go into the space age from baby steps to giant strides. From Nigeria’s NigComSat-1 launch by NASRDA in 2007, Students at All Nations University, then affiliate of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Ghana satellite launch in 2017, to teenage students at South Africa building a plane that flew from Cape Town to Cairo in 2020. The African space technology industry is projected about $7bn as at 2019.
I paid a visit to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston September 2019, and cannot help but imagine how these achievements will inspire new generations to come all around the world. It opened my mind to new possibilities and better understanding from my background studies in STEM disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, to a degree in Computer Science and Economics, and advanced studies in Informatics (both Geo and Health). This also reminds me about the true cost of our space endeavors, not monetarily, but lessons learned from past failures including the lives lost from previous unsuccessful manned missions.
One can never tell how soon our kids will begin to explore other worlds and break newer frontiers for humanity despite current challenges that plague our world like the current COVID-19 pandemic, trade wars, climate change and other nemesis that threatens human survival. Hoping we can all find a way to get along, rather than destroy ourselves and die apart like fools.
References
NewSpace Africa Industry Report. Space in Africa Magazine. Retrieved May 31st 2020 from: https://africanews.space/newspace-africa-industry-report/
Ghana Launches first Satellite into Space. Retrieved May 31st 2020 from: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-40538471
South African teens fly from Cape Town to Cairo in Homemade plane. Retrieved May 31st 2020 from: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-48914418
Yes, they said two good heads are better than one. But humans still prefer to partner in other to configure and activate things that will kill us rather than make us live. Even the idea of a possibility of living in Mars is just so that when they kill us they can safely be in Mars watching us die like flies.
“Great achievements doesn’t always come from the most widely read or most distinguished people, nor from the most funded projects or biggest organizations, but sometimes from the most curious and determined minds… ” – Adetunji Adeleke
“We live in an age of universal investigation, and of exploration of the sources of all movements. ” Cinq-Mars by Alfred de Vigny
While this quote was written in the 19th century, it seems to ring truer in today’s ever-changing landscape, especially when one looks at the recent launch of SpaceX’s first manned rocket. Though men in space is not an entirely novel development, this specific instance is noteworthy for reasons beyond interstellar exploration. Yes, this marks the first manned space launch of the last decade. Yes, this is the first time a private company has done something like this. And yes, this may prove to be the first of many collaborations between industry and the government. However, the impact this project truly has will be reserved for the next generation as it serves to inspire a new age of dreamers.
When our children and grandchildren will look to the past for sources of insight to fuel their investigations, we can rest assured that our time was full of ingenuity to spark their creativity.
Darkness, light, an endless abyss that is yet to be explored; what is that? It is Space. A fascinating place that is full of wonder and beauty. A place that, although has many places known to man, is still full of mystery, suspicion, and potential. Us humans live in a repeated cycle of eat, sleep, work, play that we call life. This repetition has allowed our kind to live for billions of years and later we had started to want more. Ideas came along and humans have improved upon them. There became so many improvements and humanity had even for gotten what they had been improving upon in the first place. All this discovery and curiosity led us to finding space. First, it had just been a mere thought, then we began traveling there. Time has changed us, and now space is not just a thought, but a possibility.
Space: The final frontier
Growing up I always loved to look at the stars and wonder about space. Watching the stars, the moon, and other celestial bodies always made me inquire about space and how it came to be. Although, many theories/ideas can be posed to how the universe was created, I would like to highlight two highly accepted theories about how the universe was created. The first theory is that the universe was created 13.8 billion years in a sudden flash of light called the big bang. Another theory is that the universe was created by an omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient being called God. In my opinion both are good ideas as to how the universe was created. I personally will not tell you which theory I support rather I want you to choose which theory you support. Just remember that space and the universe are still something that will always puzzle humankind.
Space: The Final Frontier! To many, that is an all too familiar saying. People have dreamed about the possibility of living above the stars for eons. But now with the new technological era upon us, that dream could finally be realized. Many questions are created with the possibility of this idea, such as how our society will function in space, how could life grow in space, how conflict could be created and resolved, and finally how future generations could grow up differently in space. Many of these questions may not be able to be answered now but with new technology constantly evolving and emerging we are getting closer and closer to answering these questions.