Space exploration: history, problems and successes

Recently, humanity has entered the threshold of the third millennium. What is waiting for us in the future? Certainly there will be many problems requiring binding decisions. According to the scientists' forecasts, in 2050 the number of inhabitants of the Earth will reach 11 billion people. And 94% growth will be in developing countries and only 6% in industrialized countries. In addition, scientists have learned to slow down the aging process, which significantly increases life expectancy.

This leads to a new problem - the lack of food. At the moment about half a billion people are starving. For this reason, about 50 million die each year. To feed 11 billion, it will be necessary to increase the production of food products 10-fold. In addition, it will take energy to ensure the lives of all these people. And this leads to an increase in the extraction of fuel and raw materials. Will the planet sustain this load?

Well, do not forget about the pollution of the environment. With the increase in production rates, not only resources are exhausted, but the climate of the planet is also changing. Machines, power plants, plants throw in the atmosphere so much carbon dioxide that the appearance of the greenhouse effect is just around the corner. With the rise in temperature, the glaciers will begin to melt and the water level in the World Ocean will rise. All this will have an unfavorable effect on the living conditions of people. Even can lead to disaster.

These problems will help to solve the exploration of outer space. Think for yourself. There it will be possible to move the factories, explore Mars, the Moon, extract resources and energy. And everything will be the same as in the films and on the pages of science fiction works.

Energy from Space

Now 90% of all terrestrial energy is produced by burning fuel in home furnaces, automobile engines and boilers of power plants. Every 20 years, energy consumption is doubled. How much is enough natural resources to meet our needs?

For example, the same oil? According to the scientists' forecasts, it will end in as many years as the history of space exploration totals, that is, after 50. The coal is enough for 100 years, and gas for about 40. By the way, nuclear energy also refers to exhaustible sources.

Theoretically, the problem of finding alternative energy was solved back in the 30s of the last century, when they came up with a reaction for thermonuclear fusion. Unfortunately, it is still uncontrollable. But even if you learn to control it and receive energy in unlimited quantities, it will lead to overheating of the planet and irreversible climate change. Is there a way out of this situation?

Three-dimensional industry

Of course, this is the exploration of the cosmos. It is necessary to move from "two-dimensional" industry to "three-dimensional". That is, all energy-intensive production must be transferred from the Earth's surface to space. But at the moment it is economically unprofitable to do this. The cost of such energy will be 200 times higher than the electricity received by the thermal way on Earth. Plus huge cash infusions will require the construction of large orbital stations. In general, you need to wait until humanity passes through the next stages of space exploration, when technology is improved and the cost of building materials is reduced.

Round the clock sun

Throughout the history of the planet, people have enjoyed sunlight. However, the need for it is not only in the daytime. At night it is needed much longer: to illuminate construction sites, streets, fields during agricultural work (sowing, harvesting), etc. And in the Far North, the Sun does not appear at all in the sky for six months. Is it possible to increase the daylight hours? How realistic is the creation of an artificial Sun? Today's successes in space exploration make this task quite feasible. It is enough only to place in the orbit of the planet a suitable device for reflecting light on the Earth. At the same time, its intensity can be changed.

Who invented the reflector?

We can say that the history of space exploration in Germany began with the idea of creating extraterrestrial reflectors, proposed by the German engineer Hermann Obert in 1929. Further development can be traced to the work of the scientist Eric Kraft of the United States. Now the Americans are closer than ever to the implementation of this project.

Structurally, the reflector is a frame on which is stretched a polymeric metallized film reflecting the radiation of the sun. The direction of the light flux will be either by commands from the Earth, or automatically, according to a pre-programmed program.

Project implementation

The US is making serious progress in space exploration and has come close to realizing this project. Now, American experts are exploring the possibility of placing the corresponding satellites in orbit. They will be located directly over North America. 16 fixed mirror-reflectors will allow to extend the light day for 2 hours. Two reflectors are planning to send to Alaska, which will increase the light day there for as much as 3 hours. If we use satellites-reflectors to extend the day in megacities, it will provide them with high-quality and shameless lighting of streets, highways, construction sites, which, undoubtedly, is economically advantageous.

Reflectors in Russia

For example, if five cities equal in size to Moscow are illuminated from space, then due to energy savings, the costs will be repaid in about 4-5 years. And the system of satellites-reflectors without any additional costs can switch to another group of cities. And how the air will be purified, if the energy comes not from the chaotic power stations, but from outer space! The only obstacle to the implementation of this project in our country is the lack of financing. Therefore, the development of outer space by Russia is not going as fast as one would like.

Extraterrestrial plants

More than 300 years have passed since the opening of E. Torricelli vacuum. This played a huge role in the development of technology. After all, without understanding vacuum physics, it would be impossible to create either electronics or internal combustion engines. But all this applies to industry on Earth. It is difficult to imagine what opportunities the vacuum will give in such a matter as the exploration of outer space. Why not make the galaxy serve people by building factories there? They will be in a completely different environment, in conditions of vacuum, low temperatures, powerful sources of solar radiation and weightlessness.

Now it is difficult to realize all the advantages of these factors, but it is possible to say with certainty that fantastic prospects are opening up and the topic "Space exploration by building extraterrestrial plants" becomes more relevant than ever. If we concentrate the rays of the sun with a parabolic mirror, then we can weld parts from titanium alloys, stainless steel, etc. When metals are melted in terrestrial conditions, impurities enter into them. And technology is increasingly needed ultra-pure materials. How to get them? You can "hang" the metal in a magnetic field. If its mass is small, then this field will hold it. In this case, the metal can be melted, passing a high-frequency current through it.

In zero gravity, it is possible to melt materials of any mass and size. No need for molds or crucibles for casting. There is also no need for subsequent grinding and polishing. And the materials will be melted either in ordinary or in solar ovens. Under vacuum conditions, it is possible to carry out "cold welding": well-polished and matched metal surfaces form very strong joints.

Under terrestrial conditions, it will not be possible to make large semiconductor crystals without defects, which reduce the quality of the microcircuits and devices manufactured from them. Due to weightlessness and vacuum, crystals with the desired properties can be obtained.

Attempts to implement ideas

The first steps in the implementation of these ideas were made in the 80's, when the exploration of outer space in the USSR was in full swing. In 1985, engineers launched a satellite into orbit. Two weeks later, he delivered samples of materials to Earth. Such launches have become an annual tradition.

In the same year, the "Technology" project was developed in the "Salyut" NGO. The construction of a spacecraft weighing 20 tons and a plant weighing 100 tons was planned. The device was equipped with ballistic capsules, which were supposed to deliver the manufactured products to Earth. The project was never implemented. You will ask why? This is a standard problem of space exploration - a lack of funding. It is relevant in our time.

Space settlements

In the beginning of the 20th century a fantastic story by KE Tsiolkovsky "Out of the Earth" was published. In it, he described the first galactic settlements. At the moment, when there are already certain achievements in space exploration, one can undertake the implementation of this fantastic project.

In 1974, Gerard O'Neill, professor of physics at Princeton University, developed and published a project for the colonization of the galaxy. He proposed to place the space settlements at the point of libration (the place where the forces of attraction of the Sun, Moon and Earth compensate each other). Such villages will always be in one place.

O'Neil believes that in 2074 most of the people will move into space and will have unlimited food and energy resources. The land will become a huge park, free of industry, where you can spend your vacation.

O ^' Nile colony model

Peaceful exploration of space professor suggests starting with the construction of a model with a radius of 100 meters. In this structure can accommodate about 10 thousand people. The main task of this settlement is to build the next model, which should be 10 times larger. The diameter of the next colony increases to 6-7 kilometers, and the length increases to 20.

In the scientific community around the O'Neill project, disputes still remain. In the colonies proposed by them, the population density is approximately the same as in the terrestrial cities. And this is quite a lot! Especially if you consider that on weekends you can not get out of town. In close parks, few will want to rest. It is unlikely that this can be compared with the conditions of life on Earth. And how in these closed spaces will things be with psychological compatibility and the desire to change places? Will people want to live there? Will space settlements become places of spread of global disasters and conflicts? All these issues are still open.

Conclusion

In the bowels of the solar system innumerable amounts of material and energy resources are laid. Therefore, the mastery of outer space by man must now become a priority task. After all, in case of success, the resources received will serve the benefit of people.

While cosmonautics is making first steps in this direction. You can say that this is a child, but eventually he will become an adult. The main problem of space exploration is not a lack of ideas, but a shortage of money. You need huge material resources. But if we compare them with the costs of armament, then the amount is not that big. For example, a reduction in world military spending by 50% will allow for the next few years to send three expeditions to Mars.

In our time, mankind should be imbued with the idea of the unity of the world and reconsider the priorities in development. And space will be a symbol of cooperation. It is better to build plants on Mars and the Moon, bringing benefits to all people than multiply the already inflated world nuclear potential. There are people who claim that space exploration can wait. Usually, scientists answer them like this: "Of course, maybe, because the universe will exist forever, but we, unfortunately, no."