Space Technology As Binoculars For Life On Earth In The 21st Century

Abstract

Man’s romance with Space remains one of the wonders of all ages. In material terms, it has inspired quantum leaps in the technology of flight and transportation; on the metaphysical or spiritual plane our imagery of heaven and hell are both conjured and inspired by space and the myriad balls of fire and dark holes that define and decorate its spacescape. Biblical account of the divine act of creation merely confirms its pre-eminence in man’s thoughts when it says:

"And God said, Let there be light in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night: and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years;

And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day; and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good".

(Genesis 1:14-18)

For it was against the forboding vastness of space and the warmth, and mystery of the beckoning stars that man discovered both his identity and consciousness. Homo Sapien’s early confrontation with nature must, most probably, have been so traumatic and intimidating as to make him seek refuge in the caves to contemplate his frailty and helplessness and in the process fashion out a survival kit. Such a survival kit evolved over just a few millions of years to transform him, not only into a master of his planet, but also in recent times, into a space adventurer. His survival kit was built around two central themes viz:-

(a)       the need to know himself and everything about anything around him          .

(b)      the use of what he knows to improve and manage his present condition of life on the one hand and predict and plan for the future on the other.

After all, physical and scientific or metaphysical explorations and discoveries are predicated in the need to know, whereas innovation and technology merely reflect the ends and use to which man has put what he knows.