The history of the development of astronautics is a story about people with an extraordinary mind, about the desire to understand the laws of the Universe and about the desire to surpass the usual and possible. The exploration of outer space, which began in the last century, gave the world many discoveries. They concern both objects of distant galaxies and completely terrestrial processes. The development of astronautics contributed to the improvement of technology, led to discoveries in various fields of knowledge, from physics to medicine. However, this process took a long time.
Lost Labor
The development of cosmonautics in Russia and abroad began long before the appearance of the first spacecraft. The first scientific developments in this regard were only theoretical and substantiated the very possibility of space flights. In our country, one of the pioneers of astronautics at the tip of a pen was Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky. "One of" - because Nikolai Ivanovich was ahead of himKibalchich, who was sentenced to death for the assassination attempt on Alexander II and, a few days before the hanging, developed a project for an apparatus capable of delivering a man into space. This was in 1881, but Kibalchich's draft was not published until 1918.
Country teacher
Tsiolkovsky, whose article on the theoretical foundations of space flight was published in 1903, did not know about Kibalchich's work. At that time, he taught arithmetic and geometry at the Kaluga School. His well-known scientific article "Research of the World Spaces with Jet Instruments" touched upon the possibilities of using rockets in space. The development of astronautics in Russia, then still tsarist, began precisely with Tsiolkovsky. He developed a project for the structure of a rocket capable of taking a person to the stars, defended the idea of the diversity of life in the Universe, spoke about the need to design artificial satellites and orbital stations.
In parallel, theoretical astronautics developed abroad. However, there were practically no connections between scientists either at the beginning of the century or later, in the 1930s. Robert Goddard, Hermann Oberth, and Esnault-Peltri, an American, a German, and a Frenchman, respectively, who worked on similar problems, knew nothing about Tsiolkovsky's work for a long time. Even then, the disunity of peoples affected the pace of development of the new industry.
Prewar years and the Great Patriotic War
The development of cosmonautics continued in the 20-40s by the forces of the Gas Dynamics Laboratory and the Groups for the Study of Jet Propulsion, and then the Jet Scienceresearch institute. The best engineering minds of the country worked within the walls of scientific institutions, including F. A. Tsander, M. K. Tikhonravov and S. P. Korolev. In the laboratories, they worked on the creation of the first liquid and solid propellant rockets, developed the theoretical basis of astronautics.
In the pre-war years and during the Second World War, jet engines and rocket planes were designed and built. During this period, for obvious reasons, much attention was paid to the development of cruise missiles and unguided rockets.
Korolev and V-2
The first modern type combat missile was created in Germany during the war under the command of Wernher von Braun. Then the V-2, or V-2, did a lot of trouble. After the defeat of Germany, von Braun was transferred to America, where he began to work on new projects, including the development of rockets for space flights.
In 1945, after the end of the war, a group of Soviet engineers arrived in Germany to study the V-2. Among them was Korolev. He was appointed chief engineering and technical director of the Nordhausen Institute, formed in Germany in the same year. In addition to studying German missiles, Korolev and his colleagues were developing new projects. In the 50s, the design bureau under his leadership created the R-7. This two-stage rocket was able to develop the first space velocity and ensure the launch of multi-ton vehicles into near-Earth orbit.
Stages of astronautics development
The advantage of the Americans in the preparation of vehicles for space exploration, associated with the work of von Braun, remained in the past when on October 4, 1957 the USSR launched the first satellite. Since then, the development of astronautics has gone faster. In the 1950s and 1960s, several animal experiments were carried out. Dogs and monkeys have been in space.
As a result, scientists have collected invaluable information that made possible a comfortable stay in human space. At the beginning of 1959, the second space velocity was reached.
Advanced development of domestic cosmonautics was accepted all over the world when Yuri Gagarin took to the skies. This, without exaggeration, a great event took place on April 12, 1961. Since that day, the penetration of man into the boundless expanses surrounding the Earth began.
The development of astronautics was further associated with the improvement of technical capabilities and the creation of more comfortable conditions for astronauts. Let's note the main stages of this process:
- October 12, 1964 - an apparatus with several people on board was launched into orbit (USSR);
- March 18, 1965 - the first manned spacewalk (USSR);
- February 3, 1966 - first landing on the moon (USSR);
- December 24, 1968 - the first launch of a manned spacecraft into Earth satellite orbit (USA);
- July 20, 1969 - the day of the first landing of people on the moon (USA);
- April 19, 1971- first launched orbital station (USSR);
- July 17, 1975 - for the first time there was a docking of two ships (Soviet and American);
- April 12, 1981 - the first Space Shuttle (USA) went into space.
Development of modern astronautics
Today, space exploration continues. The successes of the past have borne fruit - man has already visited the moon and is preparing for a direct acquaintance with Mars. However, manned flight programs are currently developing less than projects of automatic interplanetary stations. The current state of cosmonautics is such that the devices being created are capable of transmitting information about distant Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto to Earth, visiting Mercury and even exploring meteorites. In parallel, space tourism is developing. International contacts are of great importance today. The world community is gradually coming to the conclusion that great breakthroughs and discoveries happen faster and more often if the efforts and capabilities of different countries are combined.
