The history of human and robotic exploration of space up to this point has been one full of intrigue, suspense, failure, and success. There are so many stories that have been told and will be re-told for years to come on man's never ending quest to understand what lies above the clouds.
A Rich History
This history is a rich one that man continues to reap benefits from and will continue to do so far into the future, but it's the future where humanity's true hope for success lies. The path to success is being laid as you sit here reading this and the lessons of the past only feed the growing push into the universe. This growing push is all thanks to the hard work of the thousands of astronomers, scientists, politicians, and factory workers who have poured their heart and soul into what they do to ensure that the human and robotic exploration of Earth continues.
The Probes and Telescopes of Today
As we speak there are numerous interplanetary probes speeding through space exploring other worlds and beaming back pictures and data that leave all planet-bound people breathless. These probes have cousins in orbit that peer deep into the universe through their large eyes and open our world to the richness and vastness of space.
These interplanetary probes and gigantic space telescopes are supported by impressive rockets such as the Ariane V and the Proton and, for a dozen or so more months the bus of the stars, the Space Shuttle. Limping along behind these ferocious scimitars of travel are the memories of the Skylab and Mir space stations and of course the equally formidable International Space Station. All these things listed are the ways of the past, though. The Proton and Ariane V are constantly being updated, the Space Shuttle program is ending in 2010 or 2011, and the International Space Station; although in a stage of relative infancy, are becoming things of the past.
The International Space Station and Beyond
The true metal of the international space effort is what will be done in the future as a part of the overall history of the human adventure into space. This future, in part, may be based on what happened in the past; but in order to surge faster and deeper into the vast universe innovation must take precedence and new, never seen before breakthroughs must come about for this adventure to be successful. The sages and foreseers of today see a time when human and robots live and work on the Moon and Mars, developing an interplanetary human community that heavily relies on cooperation and mutual support in order to succeed.
These same visionaries see giant interstellar ships carrying humans on millennia long journeys to other stars in hopes to find other life and set up new colonies in other galaxies. They also see massive telescopes and probes that continue to peel back the veil of time and distance to reveal bigger and better finds and answer some of the undying questions that haunt us today.
Major Problem of the Vision
The major problem with these visionaries is that they believe these things will come about in the next 100 years or less; which is sheer foolishness. In order for this to happen, giant leaps of technology, funding, and support would need to be accomplished quickly and, if the history of space exploration has shown us anything, the exploration of space happens in small baby steps. The future of space exploration will continue to see innovation and new milestones, but in order to get to the time the visionaries see coming, certain steps must be taken to get there.
Baby-Steps are the Best Way
The first and most obvious step to be taken will be to scrap the money-hungry Space Shuttle program in the United States and return to a more reliable Saturn V based project such as the approved Constellation program. This may seem like a step back to some (I was initially one of them), but in truth it isn't.
The French Araine V and Russia's Proton are based on technology that arose during the Space Race that led to Neil Armstrong and others walking on the Moon. The United States attempted a giant leap maneuver and started the Space Shuttle program which has turned out to be ill-advised and too costly. The vision was ahead of the technology, but the Constellation program will take us back to a more level playing field. Once the new space transportation system is complete, the next step is to re-conquer the Moon as a stepping stone to Mars. Robots and humans alike will return to the Moon and establish a permanent human presence there as a precursor to an eventual Mars landing.
Mars as the Future Destination
The Mars landing will be the truly significant triumph of the Second Space Age and will immediately usher in the Third Space Age of interplanetary travel and deep space exploration that will eventually lead to the time the visionaries have foretold of. Arriving on Mars is the logical next best step on a path that will lead to the colonization of Mars and the travel of humans and advanced robots to other planets and even asteroids in that now famous belt near the center of our solar system.
The humans and robots will not get to have all the fun, though, as advances into technology will lead to better and better space telescopes and interplanetary probes. The James Webb Space Telescope and others being developed in Europe right now are the next steps in the telescopic exploration of the universe.
The opportunities beyond these telescopes are hard to examine as they haven't reached orbit yet, but very soon they will and from their scientists can begin building their replacements. All in all, the future of space exploration is bright and maybe someday we will begin to dream about Star Trek type feats; but for the next 100-150 years, baby steps is the pace we will see.