Astronomy and space exploration are shaping our civilization landscape

Explore the impact of space exploration from ancient stargazing to modern tech, and its influence on daily life. Discover the benefits of dark matter research and the need for multidisciplinary study.

Issue No 44. Subscribers 7005. Featuring a quote from Marco Chiaberge, a senior ESA/AURA astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute and the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Universe's Impact: From Ancient Stargazing to Modern Tech & Philosophy

From the earliest civilizations to modern times, humanity's fascination with the cosmos has been an undeniable constant. Whether it was ancient stargazers charting the stars or cutting-edge astrophysicists peering deep into the universe, our quest to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos has led to profound advancements and revelations. Our ventures into the cosmos have been integral to our societal, technological, and philosophical development. As we consider the direct benefits of space exploration in our blog, such as greenhouse gas remote sensing, global communications, and GPS navigation, we realize how deeply intertwined our modern society is with our ventures into the cosmos (check out our article about space inventions around us). However, the ripple effects of astronomy and space exploration extend far beyond these obvious advantages, profoundly shaping our technological and philosophical landscapes. In this article, we will guide you through these effects, from early calendars to quantum communications. 

Photo by Osama Elsayed on Unsplash

From Stargazers to Navigators: The Practical Application of Astronomy in Ancient Times

From celestial bodies to meticulous calendars, the early civilizations of Babylonians, Egyptians, and Mayans ingeniously wove a tapestry of practical knowledge and survival, utilizing the night sky as their canvas.

Astronomy played a fundamental role in the navigation of early civilizations. Before modern tools, sailors used celestial navigation for travel and trade. By studying the positions of celestial bodies, early navigators were able to determine their location and direction, enabling them to reach distant lands and establish trade routes. The North Star (Polaris), used to determine latitude in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Southern Cross were key celestial reference points. Astrolabes, significantly developed in the medieval Islamic world with the addition of angular scales and azimuth circles, were widely used for navigation and determining the Qibla, the direction of Mecca. The 18th-century invention of the marine chronometer by John Harrison enabled precise calculation of longitude. Though largely replaced by technologies like GPS today, these celestial navigation methods remain foundational to our understanding of navigation.

Ulugh Beg Madrasa (university) and observatory in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Ulugh Beg was notable for his work in astronomy-related mathematics, such as trigonometry and spherical geometry. He built the Great Observatory in Samarkand in 1424-1429 and was recognized as the most important observational astronomer of the 15th century by many scholars. Image Credit, left: Samarkand Observatory/Museum, right: Our Place World Heritage collection.

Astronomy and Religion: Celestial Cycles in Sacred Observances

Astronomy was also critical in timekeeping. For example, the ancient Egyptians were well-versed in astronomy, and their civilization was deeply influenced by celestial bodies. They developed a solar calendar, which consisted of 12 months of 30 days each, plus five extra days at the end of the year. This calendar was remarkably accurate and its basic structure is still in use today. They used the stars, especially Sirius (the brightest star in the night sky), to predict the annual flooding of the Nile, which was crucial for their agriculture.

The accurate prediction of religious feasts in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam relies heavily on astronomical observations. In Judaism, the date of Passover is linked to the lunar calendar, ensuring it always occurs in the spring. Similarly, the timing of Easter in Christianity is connected to the lunar cycle and the vernal equinox. For Muslims, the start of Ramadan is determined by the sighting of the new moon.

Photo by Ryan Hutton on Unsplash

Groundwork to Revolution: The Astronomical Contributions to Science and Technology

Observations and experiments by astronomers like Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler played a pivotal role in laying the groundwork for Newtonian mechanics. Galileo's concept of inertia and his experiments on acceleration laid the foundations, while Kepler's descriptions of the planets' elliptical paths were a crucial piece of the puzzle that Newton used to develop his laws of motion and universal gravitation.

These principles of Newtonian mechanics enabled significant advances in the development of mechanisms and machines. The precise calculations they facilitated paved the way for the industrial revolution and modern engineering. Newton's laws, underpinning everything from the steam engine to spacecraft, have profoundly shaped our modern civilization.

The 17th century marked an astronomical revolution with the invention of the telescope. This invention is often credited to Dutch mathematician and astronomer Hans Lippershey in 1608. However, it was Galileo Galilei, in 1609, who substantially improved the design of the telescope and used it extensively for astronomical observations. He made several groundbreaking celestial discoveries, including the craters on the Moon, the phases of Venus, and the four largest moons of Jupiter, known as the Galilean moons.

Photo by Matthew Ansley on Unsplash

Before the invention of the telescope, astronomical observations were primarily done with the naked eye, using tools like astrolabes and quadrants to assist. The telescope, with its ability to magnify distant objects and reveal details invisible to the naked eye, was a revolutionary leap forward in astronomy.

Beyond astronomy, the telescope has played a crucial role in navigation and timekeeping. The accurate mapping of stars and the ability to see distant landmarks aided sailors, explorers, and even armies in accurately determining their positions. Furthermore, the principles behind the telescope have informed the development of other optical instruments, such as binoculars, cameras, and even modern devices like fiber optics and medical instruments like endoscopes. These tools, in turn, have broadly impacted various areas from entertainment to communication, and medicine.

Astronomy has been a catalyst for humanity's collective knowledge, propelling us from rudimentary celestial charting to understanding the fundamental laws governing the universe. As we stand on the brink of the 21st-century space age, the impact of these early cosmic explorations still resonates, reminding us of our journey through time and the unending pursuit of understanding the cosmos.

How Astronomy and Astrophysics Catalyzed Key Developments in Quantum Physics, Nuclear Physics, Relativity, and Plasma Physics

From the end of the 19th century, the science of astronomy has continued to catalyze advancements in our understanding of the physical world, playing an integral role in the development of modern science. Here is the list of sciences  which were affected by astronomy and astrophysics the most:

Photo by FLY:D on Unsplash

• Quantum physics
  In the 17th century, scientists noticed that when light from the Sun or other sources was passed through a prism, it was split into its constituent colors, creating a spectrum. They further observed dark lines in the spectrum which corresponded to certain specific wavelengths (Fraunhofer lines), which are the result of certain elements in the Sun's atmosphere absorbing light at specific frequencies.
  The realization that each chemical element has a unique spectral pattern, equivalent to a "fingerprint," was crucial in developing the field of spectroscopy. However, classical physics couldn't explain why these unique patterns occurred. This was one of the driving factors that led to the development of quantum mechanics in the early 20th century, a new branch of physics that further influenced nuclear physics, material science, electronics, chemistry, and biology. Quantum mechanics was able to explain these spectral lines with the concept of energy levels.
  The discovery of helium is an excellent example of how astronomical spectroscopy can lead to significant breakthroughs. Helium was first detected as an unknown spectral line signature in sunlight during a solar eclipse in 1868 by French astronomer Pierre Janssen and English astronomer Norman Lockyer. It was named after Helios, the Greek name for the Sun before it was even found on Earth. It wasn't until 27 years later, in 1895, that helium was also discovered on Earth.

• Nuclear physics
  Studying the stars has been key in understanding nuclear fusion. The process by which stars generate energy, known as stellar nucleosynthesis, involves the fusion of hydrogen atoms to form helium. This process, discovered by physicists during the mid-20th century, was a significant contribution to our understanding of nuclear fusion reactions. This knowledge forms the basis of ongoing attempts to replicate this process on Earth for a sustainable and virtually limitless supply of energy. 

• Relativity
  The bending of starlight around the sun during a solar eclipse, observed by Arthur Eddington in 1919, provided some of the first confirmation of Einstein's general theory of relativity. This theory has proved in direct observations remarkably quickly after its proposition in 1915 and has since become fundamental in modern physics and cosmology, predicting the existence of black holes, the Big Bang, and gravitational waves (GW).

Marco Chiaberge, a senior ESA/AURA astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute and the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who is leading a multi-disciplinary research project on astronaut health focused on finding effective exercise countermeasures to joint cartilage damage in space, says:

“The first detection of gravitational waves as a result of the merger of two black holes in 2015 was a huge success story for general relativity. Those were predicted as a solution to Einstein's equations, and some people had been skeptical until the very detection day. GW astronomy is really just at the beginning. And black holes are at the center of it since both neutron stars and black holes orbiting each other (and eventually merging) are strong sources of gravitational waves. Astronomers just recently detected gravitational wave background radiation, which basically confirms that there is a huge number of very massive black holes that are about to merge (in cosmological timescales, obviously)”.

General relativity corrections are essential for the accurate functioning of GPS systems, demonstrating how an abstract concept like space curvature (left)  finds concrete application in our everyday lives (right). Credit: NASA (left), Unsplash (right).

In everyday life, one of the most impactful applications of general relativity is in GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation. GPS satellites are moving at high speeds in orbits about 20,000 km above the Earth's surface, where the strength of gravity is 17 times weaker than on the Earth's surface. According to general relativity, a clock closer to a massive object (like Earth) ticks slower than a clock located further away.
In the context of GPS, this means the high-precision atomic clocks on the satellites run faster than identical clocks on Earth by about 38 microseconds per day. While this difference seems small, if uncorrected, it would lead to GPS devices quickly accumulating significant errors. Thus, general relativity corrections are essential for the accurate functioning of GPS systems, demonstrating how an abstract concept like relativity finds concrete application in our everyday lives.

• Plasma Physics
  Scientists studying the Sun noted the behavior of plasma in the presence of magnetic fields, leading to the development of magnetohydrodynamics. This discipline combines the principles of fluid dynamics and electromagnetism to describe the behavior of electrically conducting fluids, such as plasmas and liquid metals. These principles have found applications not only in astronomy and astrophysics but also in engineering and energy research, including the design of nuclear fusion reactors. Today, together with huge international projects like ITER, more than 35 startups push forward in this direction.

Photo by Ramón Salinero on Unsplash

The Impact of Space Exploration: Heat-resistant Materials, Solar Energy, Hydrogen Fuel

The development of technology for space exploration and astrophysics has propelled advancements that have left significant marks on civilization. These advancements, initially designed to solve unique challenges in space exploration, have since found unexpected but profound applications on Earth.

The early decades of the Space Age in the mid-20th century saw rapid development in rocket technology. To ensure the reliability of rocket engines, scientists developed heat-resistant materials such as thermal protection systems (TPS). These materials have since found use in various earthly applications, including heat-resistant clothing for firefighters. The development of rocket engines also advanced our understanding of the chemistry of combustion, which found applications in energy production and propulsion technologies.

Photovoltaic technology, better known as solar energy, owes its progression to space exploration. The need for long-duration, sustainable power sources for space missions led to significant advancements in solar cell technology. NASA's Juno mission, launched in 2011, was powered by highly efficient solar cells that could even work at Jupiter's distance from the sun, showing their potential for terrestrial applications. Today, the descendants of early space-bound solar cells are spread across rooftops around the world, providing clean, renewable energy, probably the main pillar of the ongoing energy transition. 

Photo by American Public Power Association on Unsplash

Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology was largely developed as part of the U.S. space program. NASA first used fuel cells to provide electricity and drinking water (as a byproduct of electricity generation) for the Apollo missions in the 1960s and 1970s. Fuel cells offered a better alternative to batteries or nuclear power for long-duration spaceflight. The development and use of these fuel cells contributed to the advancement and commercialization of technology on Earth. Nowadays, fuel cells are used in a variety of applications, from providing power to buildings to powering cars, buses, and even sustainable aviation.

From the Stars to the Surgery: Unanticipated Applications of Space Technologies in Medical and Quantum Informatics Fields

Space exploration has also sparked innovations in the medical field. The need for compact, reliable medical equipment on spacecraft catalyzed the development of portable medical devices, such as automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), now widely used in emergency medical services. Technologies developed to monitor astronauts' health in space have also found applications in telemedicine and remote health monitoring. Another great example of a technology that was initially thought for space but was adopted by the medical field for rehabilitation is the AlterG treadmill. To solve the problem of muscle atrophy and decreased bone density, NASA developed a way for astronauts to exercise in space in a pressurized bubble that held astronauts down on a treadmill using air pressure. Instead of adding gravity to run in space, NASA engineers defied gravity to run on Earth by simply flipping the air pump, reducing the barriers to mobility and exercise during rehabilitation.

Even our current foray into the realm of quantum informatics benefits from astronomy. The use of squeezed light reduces noise in displacement measurements below the quantum limit, which is important in the detection of gravitational waves. GW astronomy has drawn significant attention to squeezed light. It is now being leveraged in the burgeoning field of quantum informatics to enhance performance, particularly in quantum encryption.

A look into the future: How the Study of Dark Matter and Energy Could Revolutionize Our Future

The study of the cosmos opens up new horizons of knowledge: the nature of more than 95% of the world around us remains to be understood. We still do not know what dark matter is made of, and what dark energy is. The recent launch of the Euclid space telescope could bring us a few steps closer.
Although we don’t know how these discoveries will change our lives in the future, all our past history proved that humanity will benefit from it. Maybe, dark matter could potentially be used for interstellar travel or as a new source of energy. Maybe, to put it more prosaically, it will just help clarify the laws of physics or allow us to measure fundamental constants more precisely, enabling more accurate use of well-known devices like clocks, like in the example of general relativity and GPS above.

Pairs of supermassive black holes (as depicted in this computer simulation) are a likely source of the gravitational-wave background signal. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

As Marco Chiaberge adds:

"The synergies between research on space exploration (at all levels, including theoretical astrophysics) and human life applications are very strong. We need to work to convince the different communities of researchers that we are all part of the same group. At this moment in time, it is imperative for universities and funding agencies to foster dynamic synergies and facilitate collaborations between scientists from diverse fields who are focused on projects related to space exploration. By combining bright minds from different backgrounds, we can unlock the full potential of space research for the benefit of both space exploration and humanity on Earth."

From the dawn of civilization, the cosmos has enlightened and inspired us, significantly shaping the trajectory of human progress. Its influence permeates diverse realms, from timekeeping to navigation, from religious observances to revolutionary technological advancements. Technologies developed for the harsh, demanding environment of space have spilled over into myriad terrestrial applications. From materials science to renewable energy, and from medicine to computing, the ripples of space technology can be felt in almost every sphere of modern life. 

As we continue our ventures into the final frontier, it is exciting to ponder over what transformative knowledge and technologies are yet to be uncovered. For scientists, tech enthusiasts, and venture capitalists, the cosmos is a beacon of endless possibilities and untapped potential. The starlit sky is not just a spectacle to behold—it is the canvas upon which our future may unfold. Please, share with us curious facts that you know about how space exploration and astronomy helped humanity or can help us in the future via hello@spaceambition.org or in the comment section.