Is there Life Out There? How can we know?

Mankind has gazed out into the stars at night to wonder about what’s out there. The fascination of the mankind to their origins and to know if there is life out there amongst the stars has been an obsession for the humankind. For centuries, mankind has gazed at the cosmos to wonder about it. Many writers, scientists, philosophers have pondered about this issue for centuries. Is there Life Out there? How Can We Know?

In the 20th century with the advancement of the Space Age, this quest has become a reality with the start f the Space Age in 1957. Mankind has obsessed himself with finding out the question of is there life out there? Especially NASA has invested millions of dollars for the Search of Life in Outer Space to see if there is the possibility of the existence of Intelligent Life out there. Just for this purpose NASA has initiated the SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) program. In this program very big satellite dishes (hundreds of meters in diameter) are used to listen to clutter of the outer space. This method utilizes the power of radio astronomy as these huge dishes listen to see if there is anything in outer space. Especially lower frequency and higher wavelength signals are listened to as these frequencies and wavelength cross the gulf of space to the Planet Earth. It is hoped someday, we can get some sort of signal that there are other life forms in outer space. There are hundreds of professionals out there that listen to what the cosmos has to say. Also another interesting development happened in the year 2007 as two prominent directors from NASA quit because they were afraid that these SETI efforts would backfire and cause belligerent life forms to focus their attention on us. As much as this sounds like a science fiction, it must be seen that the possibility exists and people are thinking about it.

Besides listening for signals from outer space, mankind has launched several probes into the deep reaches of outer space to see if there are any marks of any life forms out there. Probably the most famous part of this task is the Voyager Program of NASA. In the Voyager Program, man kind has used the Voyager Satellite as a Bridge to Extra Terrestrials in case the Voyager probe cam across a alien life form. Just for this purpose, the Da Vinci Pictures of man kind was put in the probe along with the Greetings Message from every language in the Planet Earth. In addition, some simple things like the Metric System, The Periodic Scale, and some simple mathematics was put in the satellite. In case Voyager was intercepted, these would serve as stepping stones to the extraterrestrial life forms out there, to understand us better. In any case since space is vast and infinite it is safe to say that someday we will come across other intelligent life forms besides ourselves and we will find out that mankind is not alone. If you think about the endless amount of space volume that exists in the universe, you can see that there must be other solar systems out there that have similar conditions for supporting life. In fact, some several exciting work by NASA scientists have uncovered some extraordinary planets that can have the capability to support life. Especially with remote sensing equipment like the Deep Space Observation Hubble Telescope, we can see to hundreds of thousands of light years and beyond. Thus, we are finding more and more planets and stars everyday and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that someday we can find M class planets that are similar to our Planet Earth and can support life. Of course, if life is found out there probably it won’t look the same as the gravity and light conditions of the planet would make them look different.

Investment in Space

Since mankind has gazed at the cosmos, he has viewed space and the cosmos as a place to be conquered. Perhaps this is caused by the fact that Man believes that he must establish Dominion over his environment whether it be the sea or space. Thus after the dawn of the Space Age, Mankind has pushed itself further to expand into space and to go as far as possible. With the feat of landing on the Moon accomplished, Mankind has made great strides. Of course, besides government funding and support, also the support and the funding from the general public and the private enterprise is needed before more bigger accomplishments can be made. However, with the recent developments in the past decade, investment in space by private enterprise has become more commonplace than ever.

One of the most common present opportunities for Investment in Space is the ability to carry rich people to the Earths orbit with a visit to the International Space Station (Space Tourism). In fact, up to now over 5 people who are civilians (and who are rich millionaires) have flown to the outer space to orbit the Earth and to stay in the International Space Station. The reason that these flights are for the rich is the fact that these flights are very costly to maintain. So far, the only available spacecraft for this type of space tourism is the Soyuz Space Craft of the Russians. In addition, another company called Interplanetary Inc. has announced its intentions to send two civilians to the moon for $100 million dollars a seat. Thus, it can be seen that Investment in space is a good opportunity for companies that can take people to outer space.

The second type of Investment in Space is possibly on the making and the operation of various satellites. There are many satellites that encircle our world. Some satellites are Telecommunications Satellites, which are very important for the telecommunication systems of the Earth. Without telecommunication satellites, it would be impossible to use your Cellular phones or satellite phones. In fact even the major backbone of the Internet is carried through satellites and thus Telecommunications Satellites still are one of the most profitable investment opportunities. Of course, some of the satellites are Broadcasting Satellites, which are used for the signal relay of the TV Companies. Thus the production and the maintenance of satellites are always a good investment opportunity.

The third type of Investment Opportunities for the Space Sector is the construction and the operation of Spaceports. One such good example is the Space Port in New Mexico, which is being built to serve as a hub for future space flights by the Private Enterprise. Since the launchings of spacecraft whether they are for space tourism or for satellites are dependent on spaceports; one can see how crucial this investment really is. As the availability of space tourism and the satellite launching sector grows wider with increased demand, the need for spaceports will be almost as much as the demand for airports. Some day it will be common to have spaceports in every country or major city like airports. However, those entrepreneurs and governments which see this opportunity before others will be able to make good money on their investment. The Construction and the Maintenance of Spaceports can be a joint project between various governments and private enterprise. Even individuals can pitch in small contributions for this long term investment. Especially for countries in Africa, it can bring employment and investment opportunities.

As the technology of space exploration advances, more and more opportunities will arise for the investment in space. In the future perhaps investment on space manufacturing facilities will be possible. There are lots of minerals and metals in the outer space and on the Moon and on Mars and in time it will be possible to mine these raw materials and produce things out of Earth.

Human Space History

For thousands of years, mankind has thought about the outer space. It has become an obsession for mankind to understand the cosmos and to explore the far reaches of space. Although we have come a far way; the space history of humankind has not been an easy one. It has been filled with worthy accomplishments as well as tragedies, but it has been a worthwhile quest.

If Jules Verne was the first person to suggest space flights in his 19th century fiction books like Travel to the Moon and the War of the Worlds; then Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was definitely the first scientist to give out the idea of space travel in the beginning of the 20th century. However, with the start of the World War II, definitely Germans had the upper hand, as they started to work on the V2 Missile program. It is without doubt that the German V2 missiles were the father of both the modern space flight and also of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Program. In fact, One V2 rocket reached a very high altitude, and that V2 flight can be considered the first space flight. In fact, the basic design and the working concepts of the V2 rocket have been used even up to today in any modern satellite launch. Even the powerful Titan Rockets that were used to launch lunar space craft are direct descendants of the V2 rocket. Thus no one can dispute the advantage that V2 rockets have contributed to the space program.

With the launching of the Sputnik-I in October of 1957 by the Russian Space Agency, a new era has definitely started. It signaled the beginning of the Space Age as the first artificial satellite was launched into space. It was the first time in the history of mankind, where an artificial object was put into the outer orbit of our world. Of course, shortly thereafter, the first living thing was launched into space with Sputnik II in November 1957. The first living thing to orbit Earth was a dog named Laika and unfortunately she died a few hours into the flight. However, this achievement paved the way for the first manned flight as Yuri Gagarin made the first spaceflight in 1961. This was also a monumental event in Human Space History as it was the first time that mankind was able to be in space. It was perhaps the beginning of the stepping stone to the stars.

The United States launched its counter first flight into space in 1961 with Alan Shepard. He was the first American astronaut to orbit around the Earth. This event also signaled the Americans comeback into the race as up to this point it was the Russian Space Agency that had the upper hand with the first launches in everything. The first person to take a spacewalk around the Earth was again a Russian Cosmonaut in 1965. However, also because of the effect of the Cold War, US entered an aggressive campaign to be the first in space development and quickened its pace for the moon program. After 1965, the space program was pretty much in the hands of the Americans as they were the first to put a man on the Moon in 1969. In July 20, 1969 the first person to land on the moon was Neil Armstrong. Up to date only Americans have ever set foot on the surface of the moon and it is one of the biggest accomplishments of the mankind.

Probably the last and the only major development in human space history came with the launching of the first Space Shuttle in April 12, 1981. It was a major stepping stone as it was the first reusable spacecraft in the history of mankind. Since that day many Shuttle missions have been launched and it is hoped that in time more significant developments like the first manned mission to Mars can occur in our lifetimes.

Harnessing Space Power

One of the biggest problems in the world is definitely the energy crisis. For the past century, world has been dependent largely on fossil fuels to supply energy to the world. Fossil Fuels have been the main source of energy for cars, planes, ships, trains all over the world. Even now fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and petroleum are being used for the production of electricity and power all over the world. However, with the world’s resources of fossil fuels dwindling down, energy has become a major issue in the world again. Besides using Nuclear Power, which may have adverse negative environmental effects, the world is in a serious energy bind. Perhaps it is one of the newer reasons why wars are being fought all over the world. However, with the advent of new space technology we can harness the space power to create inexpensive, endless and a clean source of energy to meet all of our needs.

The concept of space power systems was first introduced in the 1960’s. It was regarded as science fiction at the time, but as public support grew bigger, there were some new and important developments in the space power program. Things picked up pace in the 1970’s when the US Government decided to pay $20 million dollars to advance Space Power Systems.

Basically space power systems are construed of several solar energy collecting satellites placed in equatorial orbits around the world. These solar satellites are to be designed in such a way that the solar flaps in the satellites can be used to harness solar energy. Of course, the main concern would be to deploy this energy and transport it unto Earth to make it useful for mankind. However, the main advantage would be the fact that solar energy is limitless. There will be simply no end to solar energy for thousands maybe millions of years. Thus, all of this solar power is just bouncing around the cosmos and getting diffused in the Earth’s atmosphere. With the usage of Space Power Satellites, all of this solar power can be collected with very small diffusion. Also because space is cold, storing all of this solar energy (which also carries UV Rays or Heat Energy) will not be a problem

The problem of transporting the space power to Earth is solved by means of microwave beams. These microwave beams are used so that this solar power is beamed to Earth in straight paths. Of course, there are some things that need to be worked out before this plan can be finalized. For example, the beaming of this microwave energy must be within a confinement beam. In the end of these Energy paths, there are several solar power collection stations that will take the energy beamed from the satellites and convert it into electrical energy. However, these power stations that receive the power projected from outer space will need to be specially protected as the power overload can cause huge explosions. Perhaps putting these power stations in a remote part of the world can help alleviate the problem somewhat. Then only the last step of transferring this electrical power into the normal power grid of the nation remains. Another theory for harnessing the space power is by creating diffuse but confined energy beams to be projected onto Earth. This energy is projected in an Electromagnetic Wavelength with a high frequency. Thus satellite dishes similar to what we put in our backyard to watch satellite TV can be used to harness this energy. Although it may sound like a science fiction, the theory behind it is sound and the technology to do such an endeavor is not beneath us. Of course, serious funding needs to be done to overcome the expenditures of the launches required, but in time it is hoped that more and more funding will be done as the world realizes how important energy is.

Expansion into Space: A Solution to Population Growth

The world’s population has been rising constantly without stopping for many years. In fact, even in the last century the world’s population has almost doubled. We think there are about 6 billion people living in the world today but since there is no way to get an exact count, its impossible to get the exact number. However, it is safe to say that the population of the Earth is going at an accelerated pace. As the population grows, already dwindling natural resources are decreasing even more. Since the amount of space and the availability of the natural resources on Earth are limited, it would be safe to say that in another hundred years or perhaps less; it would be quite difficult to live on Earth. Especially with the pollution of the synthetic substances and problems like the thinning of the Ozone Layer and Global Warming, the world might become unlivable more sooner than we think.

Thus if we ask ourselves what is the solution then we can see that expansion into Space can be a solution to Population Growth. First of all creating orbital and deep space platforms in outer space along with colonies on the Moon and on the planet Mars would allow some of the population to live in outer space instead of planet Erath. This would be a perfect solution to the Population Growth of Earth. As the technology advances, more and more orbital platforms and planet colonies could be formed so that it allows Mankind to expand into outer space.

Another serious advantage of this scheme would be the fact that there would be the possibility of constructing Industrial Platforms in Outer Space. Especially in the Asteroid Belt past the Planet of Jupiter there are lots of Asteroids with various minerals and metals such as Iron, which could be mined efficiently to produce the necessary materials for the humankind. This would also help bring the pollution down in Planet Earth. If you think about the amount of pollution that is released into the Earth’s atmosphere then you would see how problematic that this could become in another 50 years. With the orbital Industrial Platforms that can be developed, it would be possible to produce everything in space. In addition, you wouldn’t need to mine Earth anymore as all the things that you need would be found in the asteroids.

In addition, to solve the energy problem, it would be possible to construct solar satellites that could accumulate solar power and beam it into Earth in the form of microwaves. This way the energy crisis of the planet Earth could be finished on the same day that the system goes into effect. Since solar energy is abundant, this would create the perfect solution. If you think about the fact that many worlds wars were fought for energy, you will see that solving the energy problem of the world by expansion into space will also allow the world to breathe a moments of peace.

Thus, expansion into space can be the Last Salvation of the Mankind and we should take care to make it a reality some day. The expansion into space will bring the population growth under control and it will allows the natural resources of the Earth to be stopped exploiting as all the resources of space will be available to the people of the Earth. Also with expansion into space, the energy problem of the mankind will be finished in a single day and wars will stop on Earth instantly. As the population of the world moves on to the distant colonies, the Earth will breathe more easily and the resources left on planet Earth can be divided more fairly amongst the remaining population. Indirectly hunger would become a word of the past as everyone would be happy and content with the advantages of expanding into space.

Colonization of the Moon

Cosmos has always been a source of wonderment for the mankind. Humankind has gazed out at the stars and has searched for their destiny in the stars. For thousands of years, men have gazed at the heavens and have imagined what is out there. Especially in the 19th century many Science Fiction Writers like Jules Verne has symbolized going to the moon or to the Mars for the mankind. With the coming of the 20th century, mankind has seen the beginning of the Space Age Era with the launching of the Sputnik Spacecraft in 1957. After the success of the lunar landing in 1969, traveling to the moon has become a reality and forming a colony on the moon has become a realistic possibility.

Colonization of the Moon is an important event that symbolizes the dominion that mankind can have over space. Many feel that it is the destiny of mankind to wander into space to colonize the Moon, Mars and perhaps the beyond. With the growing population of today, and the resources in Erath dwindling, colonizing The Moon and the beyond may be the only answer to mankind’s salvation.

Colonization of the Moon would require first of all, spacecraft that are reusable for transport between the Earth and the Moon. The most feasible scheme discussed by scientists today is the fact that the Earth launchings of equipment and personnel would be done by Titan Rockets, which have capability of transporting tons of payload into Earth orbit. These powerful boosters, which use liquid hydrogen as a fuel, would allow equipment and people to be ferried into a High Earth Orbit (HEO). Once this orbit is achieved, the equipment and personnel will be transferred to a docking space station like the International Space Station that is being constructed today. However there would have to be daily flights from Earth to the Orbital Platform so that every piece of equipment can be joined together quickly and efficiently.

The second phase would require usage of spacecraft between moon and the Earth to transfer these equipment and personnel. Once the transfer is complete, the journey can be between Moon and Earth quite short, maybe a week. Of course, this won’t be possible with just a single ship, as there will need to be many ships that will carry equipment and new personnel to the colonies on to the Moon. Once the equipment and personnel arrive at the moon, the real task would begin. There would need to be huge domes that are able to keep air and pressure inside. Even with Today’s technology, such feats are possible. In fact in Arizona and in several other locations, people are forming space habitats to experiment living in pressurized domes. The main problem in the colonization of the moon would be water and oxygen of course. However, with special life support synthesis, it would be possible to produce water and oxygen in the future. At the least oxygen molecules would be brought over in a dense packed form; and then they would be expanded to fill the dome and to combine with hydrogen (which is abundant in outer space) to make water for the colonists. Also Since when a human being exhales, carbon dioxide comes out; it would be possible to filter Carbon Dioxide which contains two atoms of oxygen to create new oxygen molecules to breathe again. Thus, it would be possible to filter the same air over and over again. This is an important task as it allows the colonization of the Moon to be a possible reality. Since there is no oxygen on the Moon, it would be impossible for the colonists to stay alive without the possibility of filtering the air.

With the technologies stated above, the colonization of the moon is not such a distant thing. Of course, there are some difficulties that need to be ironed out but in time all difficulties can be overcome easily.

Buying Land on the Moon: Is It a Hoax?

One of the most controversial things that have happened after the Landing of the Moon was a commercial claim made on the Moon due to Claim of Ownership. There are some companies out there that sell plots of land on the Moon and they claim that it is perfectly legal and binding. In this article we will examine the authenticity of this argument.

Even before the Americans landed on the Moon in 1968, there was some work going on in the United Nations concerning the property rights and the sovereignty of the moon. Thus after much discussion the Moon Treaty of 1967 was signed by the member states of the United Nations. In this treaty, the subject of Moon Sovereignty was explored in detail and it was decided that No Single Nation could claim land or sovereignty in the Moon. Also it clearly stated that there could be no military bases of any kind belonging to any nation. This treaty was further strengthened with the Moon Treaty of 1979 in the United Nations.

However currently there are several companies who are claiming the right to the moon. In fact, these companies are selling a plot of land from the moon and they are also issuing titles and deeds in behalf of their clients. One such company is the Lunar Embassy Inc. This company has claimed the ownership of the Moon on the basis that “One can own extraterrestrial land if one is the first to claim it”. Although this basis is quite thin on ice and does not conform to the United Nations Treaties, still Lunar Embassy continues to sell acres of land on the moon for $19.95 per acre. In fact there have been lots of controversies concerning this company, which has made hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue from selling land on the moon. There were several scandals involves as one prominent member of the company was caught in Las Vegas while gambling away the money that was acquired through the sale of land on the Moon. This company was also banned in many countries including China for fraud. However, the company continuously claims that, it has the right of land on the Moon.

The second major company that offers land from the Moon is “The Lunar Republic”. This company is different from the other one as it uses %95 of the funds that are received from each sale of the plot of land on the moon; and contributes it to a project “Kennedy II Lunar Exploration Project”. This project is concerned with putting people on the Moon again by a private initiative. Again, the company issues titles and deeds in fee simple form to all members who have bought land from the Moon. However, the major diversion comes from the fact that the money you have spent on buying land from the Moon actually goes into a fund to support the Drive for the Moon. So it’s little bit like Friends of the Moon Society and the fees paid can be seen as contributions. In addition, to make your contribution more meaningful; every person who purchases a land on the Moon is automatically made a Lunar Citizen (The Citizen of the Moon). Although no one knows how legal such claim can be, the company insists on the legality by citing various loop holes in the US Law and United Nations Treaties and Legislations.

Technically speaking its hard to say that whether these claims will hold up some day. Because this is a unique situation, there are no precedents but it can be safe to say that even a legal claim under United States law can be meaningless in the Moon as it is a sovereign body. The situation on the Moon can be compared to the situation on the Continent of Antarctica where no one can lay claim to the continent. However, one last word can be definitely said: He who goes first to the Moon Can Claim the Moon!!!

Creating Space Habitats

One of the biggest challenges of mankind in the race for the space is the ability to create space habitats. Since thousands of years as mankind gazed at the cosmos, there was a secret longing to belong there and to settle there when the time came. This vision was perhaps fueled by mankind’s desire to establish dominion over the Land, The Sea, The Air and The Space. This vision was represented in many works of Literature starting in the 19th century with the Fictional Writer Jules Verne. Thus the quest for creating space habitats has been a major quest for decades after the start of the Space Age in 1957.

When we say Space Habitats, it means a number of things. Although the most popular use of Space Habitats means space colonies like a colony on the moon or mars, the real use of space habitats are on the Higher Earth Orbit of our world. In this context, a space habitat would mean and orbital docking station or an Orbital Space Platform. This would be a useful space habitat, as it would allow astronauts and all other personnel and visitors who have come to visit the orbit of the Earth to be able to stop and rest while performing their missions. Also for the purposes of long range sensing missions or for various scientific experiments, this space habitat would be the perfect place.

One place that we can give as an example is the International Space Station. In this habitat, many astronauts and cosmonauts come and go. In fact, some astronauts and cosmonauts stay there for long periods of time. Thus, International Space Station is a perfect example of a space habitat as it can house astronauts and scientists while they perform their duty or scientific experiments. They can stay for extended periods of time as the International Space Station provides air and protection to its occupants. Also as an Orbital Platform, it’s perfect for long range sensory missions or for further missions to outer solar system. So what are the requirements for a Habitat for it to qualify as a Space Habitat?

* It must be able to provide air to the occupants. If possible, it shouldn’t need a new supply of air once the life support systems of the space habitat go into effect. For example by filtering the Carbon Dioxide by separating the Oxygen Atoms from the Carbon Dioxide molecule, it should be able to provide continuous air.

* It must be able to provide pressure to the occupants

* It must be able to provide food and water to the occupants

* It must be able to provide radiation protection from cosmic radiation and solar radiation such as solar flares. Especially in times of intense solar and cosmic activity, this can be the most important thing.

* It must be able to provide heat to its occupants, especially in instances where the temperatures can reach absolute zero. In addition, it must have adequate insulation to jeep the temperature stable.

* It must be able to provide cooling to its occupants in instances where the temperature may go up because of direct exposure to solar radiation.

* It must be able to provide artificial gravity to its occupants. This is important, as studies show prolonged exposure to weightless environment will be detrimental to the muscles and to the immune system. If it is an orbital space platform, then the most feasible way to achieve this would be by getting a rotating cylinder to create a spinning effect which will simulate an artificial gravity by centrifugal forces. Although, it may be weak and create motion sickness, still it will provide the ability for prolonged stays in a space habitat.

* A space habitat must be able to provide recreational activities to its occupants.

* If it is established as a space colony, it should be self sufficient in all its aspects.