Page 36 - Intro to Space Sciences Spacecraft Applications

Introduction and History
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works for communications, and other military systems for weather and
surveillance uses.
NASA’s Mission to Planet Earth is an effort to characterize the earth’s
environment and the changes it may be undergoing. This effort includes
the Earth Observing System (EOS), a series of large “observatory”-sized
satellites designed for simultaneous measurements of the earth’s environ-
ment from space, as well as several smaller specialized satellites and
instruments from many countries.
NASA’s Mission from Planet Earth looks outward to man’s continued
exploration of the universe. It includes the moodMars initiative which
promotes a lunar base and a manned mission to Mars, possibly as an inter-
nationally cooperative effort. This initiative includes unmanned missions
to these and other bodies in our solar system and provides an impetus for
increased development and use of robotic systems.
It is obviously man’s intention to expand his presence and capabilities
in this frontier, and the future of space exploration, no matter how
unpredictable, will certainly be challenging, exciting, and international
in character.
REFERENCES/ADDITIONAL READING

Kerrod, R., The Illustrated History of NASA, Anniversary Edition. New
York: Gallery Books, 1988.
Bilstein, R., Orders of Magnitude: A History of the NACA and NASA,
1915-2990. Washington, D.C.: US. Government Printing Office, 1989.
Clark, P., The Soviet Manned Space Program. New York: Orion Books,
1988.
Simpson, T. (Ed.), The Space Station. New York: IEEE Press, 1985.
Thompson, T. (Ed.), TRW Space Log, Vol. 27, 1957-1991. Redondo
Beach: TRW Space & Technology Group, 1992.

EXERCISES

1. List and expound upon some of the benefits achieved by using remote
sensors in space.
2. Repeat Exercise 1 for satellite navigation systems.

3. Repeat Exercise 1 for satellite communications systems.