In the decades following the first spacefaring rockets, solar power and radioisotope thermoelectric generators have been responsible for providing power to probes, spacecraft, rovers, and more. In the process, these technologies have been fine-tuned and perfected to make them sturdier, more efficient, and more compact. While these advancements may not necessarily bring about a glorious future of space imperialism, they may contribute to a brighter, cleaner future here on Earth. Since the 70s, NASA has driven innovation in solar panel technology, including designing self-cleaning panels that can keep off dust and dirt. As greenhouse gases build up in our atmosphere…
Comments closedMonth: November 2020
In the summer of 1977, two separate launches occurred off of the NASA launchpad in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft probes were tasked with traveling to Jupiter and Saturn. The initial plan for the two Voyager probes was a 5-year mission to survey these two distant planets. The initial mission was successful, and the probes were able to travel impossibly farther to Uranus and Neptune for additional flybys. And NASA kept the probes going, farther and farther out until they both eventually reached interstellar space (Voyager 1 in 2012 and Voyager 2 in 2018). What NASA originally intended to be…
Comments closed
A couple of weeks ago, Elon Musk’s company SpaceX launched the Starlink app to help people connect with their Starlink satellite. But the app made an interesting claim in its terms of service: any future Mars colonizers will not be subject to the authority of “Earth-based government.” There is a lot to unpack there, from the implications of unchecked capitalistic imperialism to the questionable legality of ignoring established space law (yes, there are already laws in space). But before we consider the governing of space colonies, we have to determine if they are even possible. There are many practical considerations…
Comments closed