The common idea of space is that it is the vast emptiness that surrounds the earth. As first coined by the series Star Trek, space is the “final frontier” left for exploration (Wikipedia). Humans have grown, adapted and explored the greater portion of their home, Earth. What is left is to leave the terrestrial land and explore the greater expanse we call space. Although it was scientists that have revolutionized space exploration, it could be said artists first envisioned space exploration.
Destination Moon Movie Poster
With the first terrestrial object put into space by the Soviet Union, Sputnik 1 orbited the earth in space in 1957 (National Geographic). Even with this amazing feat by humanity, it took humans nearly 54 years to achieve that dream of putting a man made object in space that was first theorized by the Russian scientist Konstantin in 1903 (Britannica). Since then humanity has made many achievements such as: putting the first animal in space, putting the first human in space, putting the first human on the moon and having humans reside in space in modules such as the International Space Station.
In the topic of space, art has driven scientists to make science fiction to science fact. For example, in a film Destination Moon which was released in 1950, four astronauts had been depicted as having landed on the moon. This depiction occurred even before man put an object into space, let alone put a man on the moon which occurred with American Edwin Aldrin in 1969 (National Geographic). The film Destination Moon is prime example of where artists create science fiction based on certain current facts and scientist push human intellect and innovation to make such fiction into reality.
Mars One Colony Modules
Another piece of art in the form of literature from the background of science fiction forms the backbone to inspire science fact. In Ender’s Game, a united human front is in space conflict with warring species from distance plants (Wikipedia). Technology that allows for human survival during long term space flights currently does not exist but is in development. Such development is reflected in the ambitious endeavor of sending a colonizing team to Mars by 2025 by the organization Mars One (Cooper). Similarly to our earlier dreams of exploring the moon and space, art pieces like Ender’s Game now inspire future development to make long distance space travel feasible.
Cooper-White, Macrina. "Mars One Applications: Astronaut Recruiting For 2023 Red Planet Colony Now Open To Public." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.
Destination Moon. Dir. Irving Pichel. Perf. John Archer, Warner Anderson. Geore Pal Productions, 1950. Film.
"Ender's Game." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.
"Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.
"Space Exploration." National Geographic, 2009. Web. 27 May 2015.
"Where No Man Has Gone before." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.
