Over the period of the ten interactive sessions this course will provide an overview on: • Evolution of the space age from the beginnings with Sputnik to today • Outline the rich sources of services from space that shape society on Earth • The emergence of the private space sector in countries around the world • Space activities in India, China and Africa • Explore the concern of congestion in space from the growing number of spacecraft and the hazards of space debris. • The potential for the militarisation of space. • Humans living and working in Earth orbit. Returning to the Moon and beyond to Mars.
Course aim
The course is designed to introduce key aspects of the 21st century Space Age. It will cover how space technology and services have evolved from the time of Sputnik and Apollo to the space-enabled societies of today.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- This course is for beginners
- This course is for improvers
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- Appreciate the advances made in space technology by many countries compared to the Space race of the 1960s.
- Recognise the critical role of the space-based services that shape how we live and work on Earth.
- Be aware of the role of space technology in geopolitics and its potential to manage the environment on Earth and in Earth orbit.
- Develop an appreciation of the state exploration of space of human space exploration. Space tourism, the future of the International Space Space station and return to the Moon.
- Appreciate the rise of space programmes and activities in China, India, Africa and beyond.
What else do I need to know?
This is an introductory course. Curiosity and and a desire to understand current activities in space are the only prerequisites.
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