Space exploration in the 1950s – 70s had been pictured as a race for the supremecy of political systems. While the moon landing is one of mankind’s greatest technological achievements so far, it’s outstanding signficance lamentably had been forgotten by many people after the end of the cold war. Space exploration lost it’s passion for many decades, being a mere vehicle for a small group of science and military people to achieve their objectives with the support of national agencies. With the advancements in technology, notably electronics, information technology and material sciences, the cost of building and operating spacecraft steadily declined. This not only enabled a growth in the number and complexity of missions (i.e. interplanetary exploration programmes, such the impressive list of Mars-bound spacecraft and rovers) but also led to a rise in public perception and eventually an increase in the participation of non-governmental undertakings. Nowadays, Space 2.0 not only represents a solid foundation for many corporations to significantly contribute technology to international programmes, but also to operate independently a suite of fully integrated space services. With SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic even reaching out from industry services to private space travel, space exploration is about to conquer the next step on the ladder.
It’s hard for me to resist to this exciting topic. Here are my stories: