The splendour of space exploration

From the Oman Daily Observer: The splendour of space exploration
REFLECTION -By Dr Rajan Philips -
Space and heavenly bodies have stirred the imagination of the human mind for ages and stoked the creative impulse of science fiction writers like Jules Verne. But today, travelling into space and to the moon are accomplished facts.

Remarkably, most of the fascinating milestones that characterise the modern space age occurred in the second half of the 20th century. Outstanding of these are: the launching of the Sputnik I, the first ever artificial satellite; the historic manned space flight by Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and the first moon landing by Apollo 11. The remarkable strides made ever since has unravelled new marvels beyond our wildest dreams.

What began as a race for prestige and supremacy in space exploration between two superpowers, the USA and the erstwhile USSR in the backdrop of the intense Cold War has fortunately blossomed today into a happy story of co-operation and understanding of these two and a number of other developed countries. The resultant progress has had astounding impact on several spheres of science and technology as well as our everyday life.

Such thoughts gain fresh relevance as we get set to celebrate the 51st anniversary of the Russian Cosmonaut Day that commemorates Yuri Gagarin’s 108 minute long space odyssey on April 12, 1961. Since last year UNO has recognised it as International Day of Human Space Flight.

Gagarin was one of the twenty elite pilots initially shortlisted in the meticulous process of choosing the first human to go into space. The number was then pruned to six. And finally Gagarin got the nod to accomplish the stupendous feat.
It won great acclaim for Gagarin. He was awarded the highest Soviet honour, Hero of the Soviet Union.

Sadly, this space hero died in his prime in 1968 when the MiG 15 training jet he was piloting crashed. However, the legend of Gagarin's courageous mission into unknown frontiers of space continues to inspire generations of space scientists and common folk alike, and has spurred progress in diverse fields of human endeavour.

Years later on April 12, 2001; Gagarin’s achievement began to be remembered in a rather novel and interesting way as Yuri's Night, an international entertainment event that has captured world attention. In2004, Yuri's Night was celebrated in 34 countries with 75 individual events in cities around the world and even in space on the International Space Station (ISS). Space exploration today has created a climate for greater international co-operation, peace and progress. More than 15 nations are actively involved in the functioning of the ISS.

Nowadays, life without satellite TV or GPS is unimaginable. We owe these to advances in space technology. The space orbits and space stations have become testing ground for many other fields, including the bio-technological and pharmaceutical industries.
Precise satellite images help us to fight against climate change, desertification and loss of biodiversity. They also enable us to understand weather patterns better and make timely and accurate weather-forecasts that minimise the risks of natural disasters.

Satellite technology has revolutionised communication and turned our world into a global neighbourhood. A couple of satellites can handle the Television and Radio needs of a whole country. Mobiles phones and the Internet that have become so indispensable, rely on geostationary satellites. Astronomy has received a tremendous boost thanks to devices like the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Digital cameras and sophisticated medical appliances and 80 per cent of new materials developed owe their origin to research in Space Technology