Space exploration

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Space exploration
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For centuries peoples have been fascinated by
space and dreamt about space flights. Ancient
astronomers observed planets and named them after
Roman deities such as Jupiter, Mars, Venus,
Saturn. Remarkable step in understanding the
Solar System was the heliocentric theory
announced by Mikolaj Kopernik in 16th century.
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Solar System
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In 17th century, the telescope was invented and
many startling discoveries were made. But only
the years since 1950 can be described as golden
age of exploration of the Solar System. In the
second half of 20th century scientists designed a
rocket which could overcome the force of gravity
and travel to the moon or other planets.
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The history of modern space exploration is mainly
the history of a competition between Russia and
America. The most remarkable achievements started
in 1957 when the Soviet Union sent a satellite
called Sputnik1 into the space.
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In the same year Sputnik 2 carrying the dog
Laika was launched into space. Laika was the
first living creature to survive weightlessness.
In 1958 the first American satellite Explorer 1
went into the orbit. In 1961 Soviet cosmonaut
Yury Gagarin became the first human who aboard
the spacecraft Vostok1. He orbited the Earth
once. In the same year Alan Shepard became the
first American astronaut who flew in space.
Yury Gagarin
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Another daring event was a space walk performed
by cosmonaut Alexei Leonow in 1965. Landing a men
on the moon and returning him safely to Earth was
a national goal set by the president John
Kennedy. In 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and
Edwin Aldmin took their giant leap for mankind,
when they made the first moon walk.
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Next significant stage in space exploration was
building re-usable space shuttle for civilian and
military missions. The first shuttle called
Columbia was launched in 1981.
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Nowadays there are hundreds of communication,
navigation and astronomic satellites in space,
which make it possible to send TV programs, take
photographs of Earth, find new stars and discover
previously unknown objects. This on-going
research is carried out by astronauts in space
stations such is American Skylab.
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Automated machines have orbited and landed on
comets and asteroids, made probing surveys of
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. It seems that
space exploration represents special brand of
modern technology and science which aare
developing very fast.
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My vision of the future
Our future life depends on technology. Scientists
will still work to explore space and find other
planets and systems similar to our Solar system.
Space exploration is a domain which propel
peoples minds to create new technologies,
solutions and inventions. Thanks to this I think
itll be possible that in the future people will
live on other planets.