Space exploration is a big part of American history and has been shrouded with controversy for years and years. Space exploration is defined as the investigation of physical conditions in space and on stars, planets, and their moons through the use of artificial satellites, space probes, and spacecraft with human crews (Whitehouse). From the space race with Russia to unmanned lunar probes, space exploration inspires and enlightens every person that comes in contact with it. One example of an inspiring event in space exploration was the Apollo project. The Apollo missions were quite possibly the most popular and publicized events in American history. The Apollo missions were often disastrous, successful, triumphant, and also neutral and routine. Throughout all the publicity and controversy space exploration will remain in American and world history forever and will continue to live in the heart of Man.
Space travel has many roots and a large history. The study of space exploration may have dated back to 1609, when Johannes Kepler, a German mathematician, figured out equations for orbiting planets & satellites (Whitehouse). He determined that the planets move in ellipses (flattened circles) rather than true circles. Another famous scientist in modern time, Isaac Newton, wrote the single greatest intellectual achievement of all time. In a single book he established the basic laws of force, motion, and gravitation and invented a new branch of mathematics in the process (calculus). This single act help our scientists immensely in figuring trajectories and equations still used today in space exploration. Without these revolutionary scientists, we may have never been able to travel through space as we do today. These marvels were small, but significant parts in space exploration history (Webb).
Space Exploration has been a huge part of American history. America led the world in technology and was becoming a world power.