Top Secret Science in Space

Top Secret Science in Space — page 3 — RISE OF AEROSPACE COMPANIES This CRS-8 is a craft developed by SpaceX to carry supplies to the International Space Station ISS At the start the Space Race was between the United States government-backed organization the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA and the Russian government using specialist equipment and knowledge that was kept top secret Today digital technology has made some individuals rich enough to be able to set up their own aerospace companies These are businesses that have the huge sums of money needed to build rockets and spacecraft and to fund research In addition many engineering companies are now developing their own space technology which they can sell to government space agencies and aerospace companies FIERCE COMPETITION Aerospace companies such as SpaceX Blue Origin Virgin Galactic Boeing Lockheed Martin and others are employing top space scientists and investing in the latest space technology Companies leading in the field of space exploration can make a lot of money in areas such as mining for metals on asteroids and the Moon and organizing space vacations This could include a trip into orbit just above Earth’s atmosphere or a long journey to Mars The competition is fierce and technology breakthroughs in research and development are closely guarded secrets 6

Top Secret Science in Space — page 4 — tomorrow's secrets SELLING SECRETS The race for space is big business and so is the risk that ideas from one company may be stolen and sold to a rival organization In some cases an employee at one company may be paid to sell trade secrets to another company or spy for another company or computers may be hacked and information downloaded Much of the research and development into space exploration is also linked to the military and the safety of nations More and more governments have started to use satellites in space to control and manage national security to keep their country safe from enemy attack Asteroids or Near-Earth Objects NEOs have been called flying gold mines in outer space One asteroid measuring 3,000 feet 914 m across was said to contain valuable metals such as gold and silver worth about 5 4 trillion Asteroids can be mined for their metals or they can be used as bases from which to launch missions to explore deeper into space Either way asteroids can make companies and governments very rich Companies are now planning how best to stake a claim on these gold mines Lawyers and governments are creating laws to establish who owns what in outer space Asteroids contain metals such as tin and zinc Although we mine these on Earth one day we will run out of them which is why asteroids will be so valuable in the future 7

Top Secret Science in Space — page 5 — FLY THE FLAG When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon in 1969 and placed an American flag in the Moon’s dust the discussion about who owns space began At that time there were just two top space nations the United States and the Soviet Union There are many more countries now Since then China Japan and India have all sent missions to the Moon and Mars and many other countries are investing money in space programs all the time In 1972 astronaut John Young gave a jump on the Moon next to the American flag Behind the flag is a lunar rover vehicle WHO CONTROLS SPACE At the moment no country controls space However several countries are racing to mine asteroids more and more satellites are being sent into space and private companies are aiming to set up human colonies in space Governments have a lot more competition in the race to control territory in space Some international laws were created in the 1950s and 60s for the peaceful use of space Other laws were added later for countries to cooperate on international space stations New laws will be needed as private companies set up in space 8

Top Secret Science in Space — page 6 — Antiballistic missiles ABMs are fired from the ground They track incoming enemy missiles and blow them up DARK SCIENCE SECRETS In 1983 the President of the United States Ronald Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative SDI This was a proposed missile defense program that could keep nuclear weapons from reaching the United States It was announced that the program had satellites and battle stations that could fire lasers and ABMs to destroy enemy missiles approaching the United States from the Soviet Union In 1984 as a show of strength the United States launched two missiles in a test run The first missile was sent from a base in California It hit and destroyed the second missile which was traveling at a speed of 15,000 miles per hour 24,140 kph The two collided over the ocean in a mighty explosion Shortly afterward the Soviet Union cut back spending on its nuclear defense Years later leaked reports showed that the successful test had been rigged after earlier tests had failed to hit their targets The rigged missiles were secretly fitted with electronic devices to guarantee that they would meet in space This display of American military power along with the crumbling Soviet economy helped bring about the end of the Cold War 9

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