Essays

Introduction. Man has been facing risks to satisfy his curiosity to gain knowledge about the things around him. Many people have sacrificed their lives to quench the thirst for knowledge.

When space travel began? In olden days when man was in dark he worshipped the sun and the moon thinking them the scared heavenly bodies. But the scientists proved that the sun is an ordinary star and the moon is a planet like other planets. After the atomic age man has entered the age of the space travel.

Progress in space travel. The invention of rocket was the first step in space travel. The moon was the first target of man. Scientists had already discovered that there was neither air nor water on the surface of the moon. The moon is our nearest neighbour. It is about 300000 kms. From the earth. This distance could be covered in ten hours if a spaceship moved at a speed of 40000 kms an hour. The scientists had already known that the surface of the moon is rough and full of craters, rocks and mountains.

In 1957 the scientists succeed in launching the first earth satellite into the outer surface. A Russian dog called Laika was first living being to go into the space. In April, 1961 Yuri Gagarin of the USSR became the first man to make an orbit of the earth. Then the U.S.A. sent the spacemen into the space. In 1969 Russia launched Lunik 1. It passed within about 6500 kms of the moon. It was the first space-ship which went into its own orbit round the earth. In the same year the Russians landed Lunik 3 and Americans landed Ranger 7 on the moon.

In July, 1969 the American Apollo 11 landed on the moon with Neil Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins. Neil Armstrong was the first man to step on the moon. He was joined by Edwin Aldrin. They took several photographs, collected rock and soil samples and returned to the earth safely.

After this, Skylab, a space research platform 88 tons in weight and 6 meters long was launched on 14th May 1973. Charles Conard, Commander and Dr. Joseph P. Kerwin and Paul J. Waits. Were the first astronauts to reach the Skylab on a space craft. An important event in this direction was the docking of American Apollo 17 and Soviet Soyuz. 19 space-ships in the orbit on the 11th July 1975. In 1976 the U.S. spacecraft Viking 1 landed safely on the soil of Mars. In the same year in September Viking II landed successfully near the north pole of Mars. In September, 1977 the U.S. spaceships Voyages I reached in the space to study Jupiter and Saturn.

Conclusion. American scientists plan to establish manned colony on the moon as spring board for exploration of the planets. The Soviet scientists intend to build a space city consisting of prefabricated blocks to accommodate a large number of scientists.