Page 49 - Tehelka Issue 15 August 2018

discovery

• Water hunt Scientists are unable to confirm
how deep the newly discovered lake is
and launching contracts.
SpaceX is currently developing a
mega rocket, known as BFR (Big Falcon
Rocket), slated to be about 348 feet (106
meters) tall by 30 feet (9 m) wide, which
plans to transport humans to Mars by
2024. The company is already in plans to
develop space transportation vessels that
take humans beyond earth’s orbit to our
neighbouring celestial bodies.
Many other private companies are in
the fray, competing and researching for
extensive space transportation projects.
Another private company, Virgin Galac-
tic, successfully conducted its flight tests
to take tourist to low earth orbits. Started
by the British Entrepreneur Richard
Branson, Virgin Galactic joins the race for
space tourism that promises to hold good
potential. The company is also exploring
to develop space missions beyond the
earth’s orbit.
To sum it all up, the human interest in
space exploration is again on full throt-
tle. As our home planet hots up owing to
molecules that might have supported Extensive global warming, scientists are already on
ancient life had the scientists rubbing a look out for new planets for possible
their hands in glee. NASA’s Curiosity observations by human colonization, to give humanity an
rover in June this year had found new space agencies have alternative. While the cold war had heat-
evidence preserved in the rocks on Mars ed up the space race resulting in a series
that suggest the planet could have sup- hinted that Mars was of hugely successful Apollo missions, the
ported life in the past. The rich soup of once a wet world, enthusiasm had somehow died down
carbon compounds present on its sur- post the 80s. The colossal budget con-
face that are necessary for life, at least after analyzing the straints involved in space transportation
as we know it, raised the confidence of had also discouraged the space agencies
researchers about the presence of life ancient waterways worldwide, leading to a sluggish period
sometime in the past on the red plant. on the planet in research and development of new
The presence of Methane in the atmos- missions.
phere also adds to the enthusiasm, and Human interests will, however, con-
the seasonal variation of its composition space agencies has now once again tinue to stick to Mars for now, which
— similar to the behaviour observed on excited the interest of space enthu- might serve as an emergency ‘refuge’
earth — was a shot in the arm. siasts, which have exacerbated the for humanity in a possible future global
Significant breakthroughs have research and development of rockets and catastrophe. As earth’s resources dry
already been achieved as far as Mars is satellites. A prominent example is that up and carbon dioxide accumulates,
concerned, a planet which excites the of SpaceX, the brainchild of billionaire scientists are convinced the humanity
imagination of the planetary scientists entrepreneur Elon Musk. SpaceX has has to explore avenues beyond our own
world over. The reason for that is sim- been doing unparalleled research in planet. As the scientists point their focus
ple. Mars is the most probable candidate exploring the future avenues of space towards newer planets for possible
where life could be found on the solar transportation. And the company has extraterrestrial life, we can only hope
system — or could be made to exist — been stunningly successful in develop- they find something the mere knowledge
considering its environment and prox- ing cutting-edge space transportation of which makes us jump in exaltation.
imity to the sun. technologies, edging out even NASA, by
Further, the proliferation of private bagging top of the line rocket building letters@tehelka.com

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