Week 9: Space + Art

There are many parallels between artists who do work on normal lifestyle in this world and those who do work based on space.  Earth is the only planet that we know that is safe for humans to live on but that doesn’t mean that the others are not livable. Before this lecture I didn’t know much about the history of space and the impact it had on the human race during the 1900s. This week’s material helped me understand why exploitation of space took place during this period. 

Figure 1: All the planets surrounding the Sun 

Human’s first exploitation of space was mainly based on the idea of power and respect, which was the fight for who becomes the most influential country in the world. This was the fight for control over the world. This was mostly between the U.S and the Soviet Union. The creation of the atomic bomb and the creation of weapons of mass distraction was the main turning point, which led to the Cold War.  Because of this, both countries had to prove what they can do and the launch of Sputnik the first artificial satellite into space In 1957 by the Soviet Union brought in fear and uncertainty to the U.S.  The design of this satellite was possible due the work of both artists and scientists. Sputnik was designed in a way that many people could see it all the way from Earth. This was a very important era, which changed the world because it was the event that led to many other important events.

Figure 2: Sputnik launched in the soviet union on October 4, 1957

The competition between these two countries led to the first man stepping on the moon. This was a great and important part of American history because it was when Neil Armstrong became the first human being to step on the moon. When this event happened, a new world was opened, with plans being made not only for more lunar exploration, but with eyes fixed on the planet Mars and beyond in search of knowledge of the universe where other humans live. 

Figure 3: A propaganda poster during the Cold War.

What started out to be about the fight for power between two nations ended up being the triggering point of the wonderful expeditions to space, which helped us discover many important things about the wonderful and interesting universe above us and learned about their great features.  With the help of art groups, like NASA, humans were able to design safer rockets with great features which help make the trips to space more easier and comfortable.

This video shows some comparison between some objects in space and on earth.  Really interesting how art can be used to compare things.  

Citation

"Sputnik, 1957 - 1953–1960 - Milestones - Office of the Historian." Sputnik, 1957 - 1953–1960 - Milestones - Office of the Historian. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2015.

US News. U.S.News & World Report, n.d. Web. 30 May 2015.

"Space: Exploration and Exploitation in a Modern Society." Space: Exploration and Exploitation in a Modern Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2015.

Miller, Ron. "The Art of Space, Envisioning the Universe | Space.com." N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2015.

"Space and Art." - NASA Watch. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2015.

"ESA Selects Planet-hunting PLATO Mission." European Space Agency. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2015.

"Sputnik 1 Launched - Photos - Days the Earth Stood Still." NY Daily News. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2015.

"Social Studies and History Teacher's Blog." Social Studies and History Teachers Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2015.