Space + Art

     Space and the solar system have captured the minds of every single human group that has ever asked the question "why?" Almost every person in every single group falls into this category. There is something psychologically intriguing about exploring something that is so conspicuous but incapable of being directly touched. The same goes for any new field that hasn't been explored as extensively as others. When space travel and colonization become normal, space won't be as intriguing to the average person since it will become yet another advancement mankind takes for granted.
     The beauty in space and astronomy lies primarily in the actual constellations and stars but also in our quest to know more. The need to understand the universe has led to incredible advancements in engineering as of late. Ironically, the whole idea of exploring and using space began as a race between the United States and Russia. This was started by the Russians putting a small satellite called Sputnik into orbit in 1957.

Sputnik was chrome so it could be seen from Earth

     The United States' response to Sputnik was to create NASA. NASA has been at the forefront of aerospace engineering ever since, as some of the organization's greatest achievements include: Reusable spacecraft, ISS life support and living capability, Mars pathfinder, and of course Apollo 11. The Apollo Guidance Computer (ACG) was a 2.048 MHz chip invented by MIT's instrumentation laboratory and made by Raytheon. The flight computer was a milestone since it was the first to use ICs (made by Fairchild Semiconductor.) The ACG boasted four 16-bit registers for general use and additional registers for separate functions.

ICs in the ACG

     As an Electrical Engineering major I can easily appreciate the design and consideration that went into the circuit above. The ICs are laid out symmetrically and spaced evenly for uniform heat dissipation. The appearance is also visually pleasing. When viewed from a macroscopic point of view it's easy to understand what is going on in the circuit. This is true art in engineering; it's also the most under-appreciated form of art.

     The space race funded and fueled the computer industries in both the US and Russia as well, leading to more advanced monitoring systems and the development of reliable IC-based computers. It created the branch of modern engineering now called aerospace engineering, which doesn't solely deal with spacecraft. Aerospace engineers are responsible for designing the beautiful aircraft that make air travel possible today. As advances continue in the computer industry and in all areas of mechanical engineering, space travel will become more economically feasible.

Planes are possible because of the creation and realization of the importance of aerospace engineering.

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Works Cited

"Apollo 11 (AS-506)." Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Home Page. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://airandspace.si.edu/explore-and-learn/topics/apollo/apollo-program/landing-missions/apollo11.cfm>.

Jategaonkar, Ravindra V.. Progress in astronautics and aeronautics. Reston, Va.: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2006. Print.

Kent, Allen, and James Williams . "Ch2-5." Ch2-5. NASA, n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://history.nasa.gov/computers/Ch2-5.html>.

"M.I.T. Apollo Guidance Computer." M.I.T. Apollo Guidance Computer. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/vs-mit-apollo-guidance.html>.

"Sputnik." Sputnik. NASA, 10 Oct. 2007. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/>.