By Akumbu Uche (Student Editor)
In April 1961, Soviet cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel to space. Apart from proving that humans could survive in space, the feat spurred the United States to send the first man to the Moon.
Thus began the ‘Space Race’, a series of extraterrestrial explorations by the US and USSR in an attempt to assert their political and technological prowess over each other.
Since then, other nations have staged their own space missions piloted by humans or by robots. The European Space Agency (ESA), formed in 1975, whose 13-member nations include France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom, has conducted many.
Fifty years after Gagarin’s exploits, the Space Race is still on. Japan has joined Canada, Russia, and the ESA in contributing hardware and experiments to the International Space Station. Meanwhile, China has put a piloted spacecraft into orbit and is preparing to send an unpiloted spacecraft to the Moon.
Nigeria’s own space agency, The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) established in 1998, has made a few strides in that direction. In 2007, in partnership with China, the country launched NigcomSat-1, its second communications satellite. However, in an age where Non-Western nations like China, Japan, and India have each developed satellite launchers, more needs to be done by Nigeria.
Understandably, this slow pace can be attributed to the challenges that surround space exploration. First, it requires hardcore science, detailed planning and measurement to get a spacecraft into place or to send it on its proper path. Spacecraft engineers also need cutting-edge technologies to make spacecraft durable to withstand and function in space’s harsh environment for long periods of time, as some space missions take years to complete.
In addition, an enormous amount of money is involved. For instance, the Apollo Moon program undertaken by the US cost roughly $100 billion back in the 1990s.
In response to the high cost of space access, the argument has been put forward that in the future, a consortium of nations should carry out the most expensive space programs. Many scientists envision a program for sending humans to Mars as an international one, primarily as a cost-sharing measure.
Like Nigeria, Gagarin was no stranger to challenges. He was born into a peasant family. During World War II, his schooling was interrupted and his family displaced. He originally intended to be a metalworker but was recommended to join the Soviet Air Force after joining a flying club. Despite having only 230 hours of flying experience, he distinguished himself over 19 other cosmonaut trainees to become the first human in space at the age of 27.
The benefits of space travel are many. These explorations have sparked the advance of new technologies, from rockets to communications equipment to computers and have yielded a bounty of scientific discoveries about the universe. They also boost the international recognition of participant countries as well as encouraging many young people to pursue higher education and careers in the sciences.
It may be years or even decades before international piloted interplanetary voyages become reality but it can be hoped that when the time comes, Nigeria will be a part of it.
