Space and Art

Once the thought of flying was impossible.  Now space travel represents just how far mankind has come with the advancement of technology.  Man’s curiosity for outer space started over two centuries ago and many propositions have been made since then for forms of space travel.  One memorable one is definitely the space elevator.  In theory, the space elevator would stretch from the surface of the Earth all the way to outer space and directly into orbit.  Recently, this idea has started to become relevant once again due to emergence of new materials necessary to support such a long structure.  Coincidentally, a material relating to nanotechnology has been noted as a possible material, the carbon nanotube.  Even though the idea may not be fully realized within my lifetime, the thought of a structure, which will allow direct access to outer space, is phenomenal. 

One of the main contributors for the rapid advancement was due to the space race between the US and the Soviet Union.  Neither nation backed down and was always trying to stay one step ahead of the other.  This caused a snowball effect and eventually much funding was poured into research for outer space travel.  Nowadays, the race for space travel has been expanded for private companies and commercial use.  Companies such as Virgin Galatic and SpaceX now hold promising developments to put more men into outer space.

The development of military weapons has also advanced at a rapid pace due to the space race.  Rockets for the military are directly linked to the rockets used for space travel.  This could pose a possible danger in the future if military weapons continue to mimic evolving space technology.  

Works Cited:

"Orbital Express: Here Comes the Space Elevator." Cosmos Magazine Orbital Express Here Comes the Space Elevator Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 July 2014.

"Carbon Nanotube Composites." Polymer Characterization. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 July 2014.

"Rumor: Google Is Looking to Invest into Virgin Galactic." Tech Geek Forever. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 July 2014.

"8 Space Pt2 1280x720." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 28 July 2014.

"8 Space Pt1 1280x720." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 July 2014.