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Many Moons

 J.M. Syken

Course Outline

Through the viewing of several archival/documentary films produced in the 1950s/60s/70s and 2000s, we will examine the history and development of satellite technology beginning with the first artificial earth satellite: Sputnik 1.

Furthermore, we will examine the efforts of the United States to launch its own satellites and the space race that ensued. We will also examine the history of communication, weather, surveillance/reconnaissance satellites as well as the background/history and purpose/operations of the International Space Station – a manned scientific satellite.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

Intended Audience

This course is intended for architects, engineers and other design professionals.

Benefit to Attendees

The attendee/s will gain an intimate knowledge and insight into the development, innovations, technologies etc. of satellites.

Course Introduction

The course incorporates the viewing of several archival/documentary films broken down as follows;

Part 1 examines the launching of Sputnik-1 by the Soviet Union in October 1957 and the subsequent efforts of the United States to launch Explorer 1 – the first U.S. Satellite, in early 1958. Part 2 examines the efforts to establish communications satellites in earth-orbit. Part 3 examines the efforts to establish weather satellites for both earth and space. Part 4 examines the use of satellites to monitor earth resources and their use by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) for surveillance purposes. Part 5 examines the International Space Station (ISS) – a manned satellite, for scientific experimentation and cooperation among the nations of the earth.

Course Content

Part 1 – Space Race;
TITLE: New Moon. Reds Launch First Space Satellite (1957)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/1957-10-07_New_Moon
DURATION: 00:45
TITLE: Army Explorers in Space (1958)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/arspace1958
DURATION: 13:30
TITLE: Russian Exhibit of Sputnik (1958)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/1958-06-09_Russian_exhibit_of_Sputnik
DURATION: 00:45
TITLE: Atlas in Orbit (1958)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/1958-12-22_Atlas_In_Orbit
DURATION: 03:38
Part 2 – Communications Satellites;
TITLE: The Big Bounce (1960)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/BigBounc1960
DURATION: 14:23
TITLE: Kennedy on Telstar (1962)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/1962-07-23_Kennedy_on_Telstar
DURATION: 01:17
TITLE: A Day in History. Telstar Brings World Closer (1962)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/1962-07-12_A_Day_in_History
DURATION: 03:17
Part 3 – Weather Satellites;
TITLE: Weather Watchers (ca.1972)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/WeatherWatchers
DURATION: 14:38
TITLE: GOES Watches the Sun (2010)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/448894main_G2010-003GOESSpaceWeatherPortal
DURATION: 04:46
Part 4 – Surveillance/Reconnaissance Satellites;
TITLE: Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) (1973)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/gov.archives.arc.1257667
DURATION: 27:31
TITLE:  NRO: The Nation’s Eyes and Ears in Space (ca.2000s)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/eyes_ears
DURATION: 11:06
Part 5 – ISS: Satellite of Science;
TITLE: The International Space Station – The First 10 Years, The Next 10 Years (ca.2010)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/TheInternationalSpaceStation-TheFirst10YearsTheNext10Years
DURATION: 26:19

Course Summary

It’s hard for those of us who were not alive and/or old enough to remember the events of October 1957, the time of the “Sputnik Panic.” At the height of the Cold War, our greatest enemy – the Soviet Union, had successfully placed a small metal sphere in low earth orbit for three months. In the public’s mind, this was tantamount to disaster and something had to be done, and fast. The answer to Sputnik-1 was Explorer-1 – a modified Redstone rocket with a small scientific satellite to study cosmic radiation. The Space Age – and Race, had begun in earnest. This would lead to the launching in the years ahead of a wide-variety of artificial satellites for communications, weather forecasting/observation, resource evaluation, scientific experimentation and espionage. The earth no longer had just one satellite – the moon, it now had many moons.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explorer_1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telstar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landsat_1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VoxKfQ4T7s
(Film: Satellites: How They Change Our Lives - 49:31)

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.