Space History

Humans have studied the heavens since ancient times for agriculture, navigation, religion, and science. Today, humans have a full time presence in space and have sent robotic observers to every planet. But, how did we get here? 

This course explores the people and events that helped drive developments in astronomy, rocketry, physics, math, robotics, communications, art, and more with a special emphasis on the lesser known accomplishments of women. The development of basic astronomy concepts is discussed, but no scientific background is necessary. Along the way, this course can also be used to help teach critical thinking skills, to develop research and library skills, and to improve writing, public speaking, and argumentative skills.  For educators and scholars, I have included some pre-fab assignments and resources for further information under each week should you wish to use them for your own courses.

Come with me on a journey through time and space from the comfort of your own home/phone!!  From Archeoastronomy to SpaceX, we will explore the convoluted paths and interweaving scientific (and social!) developments that have enabled humans to better understand Earth’s place in the larger universe and even – very slowly – begin to dip our own toes in the cosmic ocean.

Here’s a breakdown of the topics we cover…

Week 1:  Antiquity through Newton / Cosmology

Part 1 covers archeoastronomy and astronomical histories from around the world.  We will explore some of the great ancient monuments that have been linked to astronomy including Stonehenge, the Taosi Observatory, the Nabta Playa, the Big Horn Medicine Wheel in Wyoming, and we’ll talk about the evolution of cosmological ideas through people like Pythagoras, Plato, Socrates, Aristarchus. 

We will also focus on the known contributions of women during this same time period including: En’Hedu’Anna, Aglionike of Thessaly, Hypatia, Queen Seondeok, Herrad of Landsberg, Hildegard of Bingen, Marie de Coste Blanche, and many more! 

Week 2:  1600 through ~1850 / Astronomy

This week begins with Sir Edmund Halley, visits the Great Observatories around the world, explores the impact of photography and spectroscopy on astronomy, and contextualizes the discoveries of Uranus and Neptune.   

During this time, women grew from early roles as assistants, translators, and artists to full-time professional astronomers and advocates.  We’ll meet Maria Cunitz, Marguerite de la Sablière, Elisabetha Hevilius, Maria Kirsh, and Caroline Herschel and many more.

Week 3:  1850-1950 / Rocketry & Photo Astronomy

Part 1 – Rocketry began in China as early as 1132AD and has grown from fire lances to guns, to cannons, to intercontinental missiles, and ultimately space launch vehicles.   We will follow the evolution of the rocket and look at some key individuals that helped us get there including Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Robert Goddard, Hermain Oberth, Sergie Korolev, Jack Parsons, and Wernher von Braun. 

(3) Part 2 will look at the rise of astronomy in America, the Harvard and Royal Computers (women), and the slow opening of astronomy to women. We will meet with Maria Mitchell, Agnes Clerke, Dame Huggins, Annie Maunder, Mary Palmer Draper as well as Willamina Flemming, Annie Cannon, Henrietta Leavitt, and more. 

Week 4:  1920-1970 / NACA, Pilots, and the Early Space Race

(4) and (6) Part 1 – While they would not be allowed to officially fly fighter jets until 1979, women have been flying even before the Wright Brothers!  This week, we will explore the early Aviatrix daredevils, the famous record breakers, the WASPs of World War II, the Mercury 13 and Valentina Terishkova.

Part 2 – It all started in 1952, when the International Council of Scientific Unions decided to establish 1957-1958 as the International Geophysical Year (IGY) because cycles of solar activity would be at a high point then. Rocketry had evolved to the point where someone suggested that perhaps we could observe from a satellite in space…  Once Sputnik was launched in 1957, everyone knew that nuclear weapons could now be delivered as well, and the US was behind!  

Week 5: the Moon Race, Hidden Figures, and the Mercury 13

Part 1 – In a 1949 Gallup poll, only 15% of people asked thought we would have people on the Moon before the year 2000. Only 20 years later, it would become a reality. This week, we will look at the politics, the myths and realities of public support, and the differences between the Soviet and US programs as the space race evolved and grew that enabled the US to reach the Moon first.

(5) Part 2 – NACA hired its first woman in a technical position in 1919, but that was a rarity.   Most often, women worked as mathematicians, but slowly that grew into management, engineering, and computer roles. This week, we’ll meet Virginia Tucker, Dorothy Vaughn, Macey Roberts, Helen Ling, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, Gladys West, and the many other women who – behind the scenes – helped the US reach the Moon and establish a permanent human presence in space.

Week 6:  the Space Shuttle Era

Part 1 – After Apollo, the US had no concrete plan for space.  In an effort to reduce costs, a reusable space plane that could be shared by the military and NASA became the only way forward, but conflicting goals and requirements quickly ended this partnership. Nonetheless, this program put 355 different individuals over its 135 missions.  Along the way, two shuttles were destroyed with all hands lost and we’ll cover both why and the long term impact of these events.

Part 2 – Congress passed the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972.  By the end of the 1970s, the military had opened their pilot ranks to women and NASA Astronaut Group 8 included the first African American and female astronauts. 49 women would fly on the shuttle and, by the time the program was concluded, three had served as pilot and two as commander.

Week 7:  Space Stations / Long Duration Co-habitation

Everyone knew that the next logical step would be Earth orbiting space stations where humans could live and work.  But despite the big dreams of the 70s and 80s, the reality of space stations was far more difficult.  This week, we’ll look at Salyut, Skylab, MIR, and the development of the International Space Station.

In the 70, while the American public still had significant qualms about men and women mixing company in space, but by the year 2000 when it happened, few complained.  As of today, three women have commanded the ISS and hold many of the long duration spaceflight records.  This required changes in both engineering and mindset. 

Week 8:  A Robotic Tour of the Solar System

Humanity has escaped the bonds of Earth and stepped foot, very briefly on its own Moon. To do so, took unprecedented focus and will. But, for as bad as the Moon is, it’s a picnic compared to the rest of the solar system. Before humans can take the next step, we need to know what it is that we will be facing. And for that…, humans have developed an increasingly complex series of robots! 

This week, we will tour the solar system starting at the Sun and expanding outward.  At each stop, we will talk about the historical research that had been done earlier and then follow with the modern robotic missions that have been sent there and what we now know (and don’t know) about each place.  We will talk about the trade-offs between humans and robots, how missions are proposed and chosen, and the dwarf planet / Pluto controversy.  

Week 9:  Space for Earth

While many gravitated towards the adventure of exploration (as we saw in the past few weeks), others had a different view of space. Space, for them, was a way to develop the Earth in ways that were never before possible.  Things such as GPS navigation, cell phones, weather forecasts, map data, and live satellite broadcasts worldwide became possible for the very first time.  Today, few can imagine a world without them.

This week, we will look at the history(ies) of all of those technologies and explore how we have – and still do – benefit from space exploration here on Earth.  We will also look at the development of the concept of planetary protection and the upcoming inevitable asteroid impact.

Week 10:  Extraterrestrials Messages and Space Religion(s)

Despite the claims and hopes of many, there is no good evidence that ET has visited Earth, but we have been scanning the sky intently for any sign for many years. We also have been sending our own messages to the stars both physically and as radio messages. This week we’re going to look at the probability of life in the Universe through the lens of the Drake equation. The mystery of the Fermi Paradox and the potential danger of the “Dark Forest.”  We’ll talk about the history of conspiracy, Roswell, Area 51, and modern alien religions such as Scientology and Nation of Islam.  We are also going to look at the history of attempts to communicate with extra terrestrials including the Pioneer plaques, the Voyager records, and SETI. In the end, you’ll craft a message of your own and see how hard communication can be without a common frame of reference.