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Space Comes of Age

Space Comes of Age. Major Trends in Space Space International Space Science Big and Small The New High Ground The Future. Space International. Space Shuttle is born: 1972. Increased cooperation between the United States and the former Soviet Union

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Space Comes of Age

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  1. Space Comes of Age • Major Trends in Space • Space International • Space Science Big and Small • The New High Ground • The Future

  2. Space International Space Shuttle is born: 1972 • Increased cooperation between the United States and the former Soviet Union • US Shuttle docked nine times with Russia’s space station Mir from 1995 to 1998 • The proposed US “Space Station Freedom” was revamped as the “International Space Station” or ISS • Russians brought in as a major partner • Unprecedented cooperation among 16 nations • http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/9-12/features/materials_archive_3.html • http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/index.html (What’s going on now on the ISS)

  3. Space International International Space Station Russian Space Station Mir

  4. Space Science Missions • Large, expensive space programs such as Magellan and the Hubble Space Telescope began the 1990s • Reduced budgets and the need to be “faster, better, cheaper” ushered in a new era in the late 1990s

  5. Big Missions—Magellan • Mapped 98% of Venus’s surface from 1990 to 1994 • Revealed volcanic eruptions on Venus’s changing surface Magellan Spacecraft

  6. Big Missions—Galileo • Launched in 1989 to explore Jupiter • Captured close-up images of asteroids • Investigated impact of the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 • Sent probe through Jupiter’s atmosphere • Discovered frozen water on the moon, Europa, and possibly on the moon, Callisto • Did a low-altitude pass by the moon

  7. Big Missions—Galileo Galileo with Jupiter in the background

  8. Big Missions—Ulysses • Flew over poles of the Sun in 1994 and 1995 • Measured solar wind and other solar properties Ulysses: NASA and ESA combined mission

  9. Big Missions—Cassini • Reached Saturn in 2004 • Will send probe to the surface of Saturn’s Earth-sized moon, Titan • May be the last of the multi-billion-dollar probes

  10. Big Missions—Hubble • Long series of remarkable discoveries attributed to Hubble • Stars being born • Stars at the end of their lives • Black holes • Chemical makeup of Saturn’s moons • Size and age of universe narrowed down Shuttle Astronaut repairs Hubble

  11. Small Missions—Stardust • Rendezvous with a comet: Wild-2 • Sample fragments of comet and interstellar dust • Return samples to Earth in 2006 Discovery Mission: Stardust

  12. Small Missions—Mars Pathfinder • Landed rover on Mars • Returned high-resolution imagery • Demonstrated simple low-cost landing Mars’ Twin Peaks

  13. Other Small Missions • Lunar Prospector: found large amounts of ice on the Moon • Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR): sent up-close imagery and data from the asteroid, Eros Lunar Prospector

  14. Space Incorporated • Commercial investment in space surpassed government spending for the first time in the 1990’s • Commercial uses of GPS soared • Communications satellites fueled demand for cell phones and high-speed digital data transmission • Worldwide market for launch service evolved • Pegasus—launched from commercial aircraft • Converted ICBMs—peaceful use of decommissioned weapons

  15. The New High Ground • 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War highlighted pivotal role space assets play in modern warfare • GPS allowed navigation across faceless desert • Early warning for enemy’s tactical-missile launches (Defense Support Program) helped forces prepare and intercept • Weather satellites predicted sand storms • Intelligence satellites provided imagery on troop movement and battle-damage assessment

  16. The New High Ground • USAF identifies other ways to exploit space power • Global awareness • Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance • Weather prediction • Early warning • Global reach • Ability to deploy troops or weapons anywhere in the world • Global power • Command, control and communications • Weapons targeting

  17. The New High Ground Defense Support Program (DSP) GPS Block 2F

  18. The Future • People still willing to take great risks for further exploration and discovery • 1986 Challenger accident • 2003 Columbia accident • Continued scientific experiments onboard the International Space Station • Continued inexpensive uncrewed missions to other planets will gather information • 21st Century: crewed mission to Mars? • Return to the Moon? (Constellation)

  19. Organizing the Air Force for Space Operations • A Beginning • Early Visions of Space Operations • The Gaither Commission • The First Space Tracking Stations • The First Satellite • From “Air” to “Aerospace” Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space SECTION 2.3

  20. Organizing the Air Force for Space Operations • NORAD Begins • Anti-Ballistic Missile Programs • Strategic Air Command’s Era • A New Command Is Born • Consolidating Space Missions Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  21. A Beginning • Use of the V-2 in World War II showed rockets had military applications • US use of a nuclear weapon to end the war in the Pacific heightened mistrust between Russia and the West • Postwar recruitment of German scientists by both the West and Russia advanced early rocket programs Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  22. Early Visions of Space Operations • RAND corporation published Preliminary Design of an Experimental World-circling Spaceship • Soviets’ test of first hydrogen bomb and suspected development of missile delivery systems heightened drive for early-warning and tracking systems Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  23. The Gaither Commission • Commission appointed by President Eisenhower to assess civil defense posture following a nuclear attack • Commission also assessed whether a US counter strike was possible • Showed counterstrike unlikely due to inability to predict attack until first warhead fell • Accelerated US ICBM development and other strategic programs Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  24. The First Space Tracking Stations • Minitrack • Built by the Naval Research Laboratory • Network of simple ground tracking stations developed to track a proposed new satellite under the Vanguard Program • Moonwatch • Smithsonian Institution developed a network of Baker-Nunn Cameras • Sought civilian volunteers to phone in when they saw the satellite Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  25. The First Satellite • Launch of Sputnik shocked the US and highlighted Minitrack’s inability to accurately track Sputnik • Sputnik tracking mainly from Moonwatch teams • Department of Defense’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) established Project Shepherd as an effort to improve Minitrack’s tracking problems Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  26. From “Air” to “Aerospace” • 1959 change to the Air Force mission added the word “aerospace” to recognize space’s new importance • ARPA opened a system program office to develop equipment and techniques to track space objects and incoming Soviet missiles • By the mid 1960s, had three radar sites that could give 15-minute warning of missile impact • Radar sites also tracked space objects Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  27. NORAD Begins • North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) established in Sep 1957 • Joint effort with Canada • Mission to defend combined airspace of US and Canada • Development of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) by US and Soviets created a need for more tracking stations • Air Force developed several radars on the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf Coasts • Entire system operational by 1972 Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  28. Air Force Developments • SLBM warning augmented by Air Force’s new space-tracking radar in Florida • Air Force brought more tracking ability by developing PAVE PAWS radar sites • Powerful phased-array radar—steerable beam • Sites established in Massachusetts, California, Georgia, and Texas Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  29. Anti-ballistic Missile Programs • DoD attempted to establish a defense shield against Soviet missile attack • Covered one area of US: ICBM sites in North Dakota to enable US counter strike if attacked • Shut down by congress in 1976 due to great expense and low probability of success • Air Force took over the system’s radars to • Aid early warning for SLBMs over Hudson Bay • Add coverage for ICBM early warning • Improve accurate space tracking Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  30. Strategic Air Command’s Era • Strategic Air Command (SAC) took over administrative control of people and equipment in space surveillance and missile-warning missions • NORAD maintained operational control over these missions • Several studies in the 1970s suggested the need for reorganization Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  31. A New Command is Born • Space Command began in 1982 under General James V. Hartinger • SAC passed operational control of at least 25 space-surveillance and missile-warning sensors to Space Command Air Force Space Command Headquarters Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  32. Merging Space Missions • Air Force Systems Command controlled much of the Air Force’s launch systems and satellites • Systems Command not always sensitive to the needs of the warfighters USING assets • AF Space Command sought to take over these functions to service the warfighter more directly Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  33. Merging Space Missions (cont’d) • AF Space Command opened the Consolidated Space Operations Center • Handles operations for all DOD satellites • Took over control of most AF satellites • Global Positioning System (GPS) • Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) • Defense Support Program (DSP) Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  34. Merging Space Missions (cont’d) • AF Space Command (AFSPC) took control of all AF launch systems and operations in 1990 • AFSPC operates all launches at Cape Canaveral AS, FL and Vandenberg AFB, CA • Systems include Atlas E, Atlas II, Delta II, Titan II, and Titan IV Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  35. Air Force Launch Systems Atlas II Delta II Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  36. Current AF Mission • Today’s Air Force Mission: “Defend the United States through control and exploitation of air and space” Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  37. Summary • Entering Space • Space Comes of Age • Organizing the Air Force for Space Operations Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

  38. Next • You now have historical perspective on our early experience in space • You’re now ready to begin your own exploration of space Unit 1, Chapter 2 , Lesson 2: Exploring Space

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