Tuesday, 14 May 2013

What will the next 30 years bring us in Space and Flight


On January 28th, 1986 I was in Grade 5 at Holyrood Elementary in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Word came to the classroom that The Space Shuttle Challenger had exploded after take off. We all huddled around a radio and listen to what had happened, trying to imagine in our 11 year old minds what had happened. At that moment the world was in shock and people wondered how this would impact the space program for years to come. 



 Over the last several months, Chris Hadfield has opened a world of beauty and exploration from the International Space Station. My grade 6 students and I have been following his journey and adventure all year long. Today I will shared this final chapter with them and encourage them to dream of what the next 30 years will bring in space, flight and overall technological innovation.

Thank you Commander for sharing your world with all of us!
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62 comments:

  1. Anonymous14 May 2013 at 13:40

    I think the next 30 years will be spent searching for ways to travel very fast through space so that we can visit far away planets. I also think people will try to terraform (change the terrain, atmosphere, and weather) Mars and other planets, making them habitable so we can live on them. People might also be mining for valuable minerals on other planets. This will cause there to be space pirates, so spaceships might have to have weapons.

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    1. Anonymous14 May 2013 at 13:54

      Yes, I agree with you that they will mine for minerals.

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    2. Miss. Kato 201315 May 2013 at 12:00

      Can you imagine finding minerals on other planets? It would open a whole new world of possibilities...

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    3. Unknown15 May 2013 at 12:39

      I really like the idea of finding NEW minerals we have not seen before.

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    4. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 12:56

      That sounds like minecraft and cool

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    5. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 13:01

      Ice Gold on Neptune:)

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    6. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 13:04

      I agree with daneil finding minerals in space that would be something. Sadie.

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  2. Anonymous14 May 2013 at 13:41

    I think in the next 30 years spaceships will be able to fly faster and fly farther than normal, also in 2023 35 people will fly to Mars and live on Mars the only downside is that the 35 people will not be allowed to fly back to Earth. Also I think that people could take vacations to the Moon.

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    1. Miss. Kato 201315 May 2013 at 12:01

      Can you imagine saying to your future children "We are going to Mars for summer vacation"? What a weird concept! I think I read somewhere recently that they are thinking of taking 4 people up to Mars to see if they can survive (this will be in the next 20 years, I think?).

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    2. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 12:46

      It would be fun to go to the moon or mars even beter jupiter!!!

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    3. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 12:54

      I agree to take 4 people but no kids

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    4. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 12:56

      How would you like to walk on Uranus's rings

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    5. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 12:56

      Yes,I do agree that will be a pretty weird concept, but it would be pretty cool!

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    6. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 13:00

      I think that going to any planet would be fun

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  3. Anonymous14 May 2013 at 13:43

    I think that people are going to be able to fly in flying cars. All the cars are going to be solar power. Airplanes are not going to be used to travel to places only for military, but cars instead. The planes will be able to hover and go extremely fast. In space people are going to be able to fly to space like you can fly with an airplane to Mexico now days. We will be able to live on mars for short periods of time.

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    1. Miss. Kato 201315 May 2013 at 10:34

      I just heard about some people who are going to try to live on Mars. I think that they are going to take 4 people up. That would be so weird!

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    2. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 12:59

      Hey how about we hover around the world,so creepy

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  4. Anonymous14 May 2013 at 13:44

    In 30 years I think there will be life not just on Earth but on Mars. I think that there will be some big changes that will happen and Earth won't be our home planet in 30 years and something totally different will happen. Also to get to Mars I think that there will be more space shuttles because whoever wants to live on Mars how will they get there.

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    1. Miss. Kato 201315 May 2013 at 10:37

      What kind of big changes do you think will happen?

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    2. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 12:55

      If there's life eny whare else I would like to see it like ALIONS!!

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    3. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 12:59

      I like the idea. I would love to go to Mars.

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    4. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 13:01

      do you think you should go to space?

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    5. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 13:02

      if something ever happens to Earth where would you go?

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  5. Anonymous14 May 2013 at 13:45

    I think in 30 years space travel will advance and can be faster. Right now they are developing space travel for tourist, so maybe in 30 years it will be a usual thing for people to do for entertainment. They are also be sending 35 people to live on mars and maybe in 30 years they will have a larger population there.

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    1. Sid de Haan15 May 2013 at 09:56

      I agree that in the future, space travel will be "commercialized" and regular people will travel into space for fun and entertainment. Also, as competition for resources and living space increase on earth, people will be forced to look elsewhere, and this will lead to settlements on other planets.

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    2. Miss. Kato 201315 May 2013 at 10:38

      Can you imagine space travel being like the greyhound bus? Taking us to another planet whenever we want?

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  6. Anonymous14 May 2013 at 13:47

    I think in the next 30 years space travel will be more advanced and faster, so we can travel to different galaxies and see other planets in a short amount of time, maybe even find other life. Right now they are making space travel for tourists, later on I think people will be able to live on other planets.

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    1. Miss. Kato 201315 May 2013 at 10:39

      I couldn't imagine living on another planet...although it would be kind of cool. What galaxy would you like to travel to?

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    2. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 12:55

      I wonder if the "other life" would be anything like we have on our planet.

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    3. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 13:00

      I agree I thike it would be nice to tlaval!

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    4. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 13:00

      I agree I think it would be woderful to see differnt galaxys

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  7. Anonymous14 May 2013 at 13:51

    I think in 30 years technology will be more advanced. So rocketships will probably advanced in 2043 our rockets might even be as fast as the speed of light.Cars will probably have more features and planes will go faster. And maybe in 100 years they'll invent flying cars!

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    1. Miss. Kato 201315 May 2013 at 10:40

      What kind of features would you like to see in cars?

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    2. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 12:59

      They won't scientists don't want to risk midair crashes!

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  8. Anonymous14 May 2013 at 13:52

    I think that space and flight will develop a lot in 30 years. I think they will make it easier to go to different places in space. They will probably explore Mars and other planets in the future. They also might discover a new planet! I'm not sure about what space will be like in 30 years, but I'm excited to find out!

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    1. Miss. Kato 201315 May 2013 at 10:41

      Would you ever like to visit another planet, if given the possibility?

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  9. Anonymous14 May 2013 at 13:52

    I think that in 30 years space technology will develop a new kind of spacecraft that will allow astronauts to fly to father planets. I also think they will develop a new kind of space suit that allows the body to be at 200 degrees celsius without burning to ashes.

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    1. Miss. Kato 201315 May 2013 at 10:42

      What kind of spacecraft would have to be developed?

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  10. Anonymous14 May 2013 at 13:54

    I think in the next 30 years, space technology will develop a new spacecraft that will make it easier and faster to travel to other planets, and around outer space. I agree with Daniel, I think people could mine for valuable minerals and jewels on other planets.

    I also think people will be able to travel to space and other planets on a vacation.

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    1. Miss. Kato 201315 May 2013 at 10:43

      Can you imagine finding a diamond mine on some other planet??? That would be so cool...

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  11. Anonymous14 May 2013 at 14:00

    I think that in thirty years our world will have a different conception of all space in general. I think that we will have a whole new world on another planet. On the planet we could also, discover new resources which can lead up to new inventions such as hovering cars and, moving sidewalks! How exciting! Yes, these things can have a downside but, these new things do mean a better life for man-kind. As for flight and, travel, I think that rocket ship will replace airplanes to travel from place to place, planet to planet. This means that planes will now be out of date, and, cheap, which means, just about anybody could afford their personal plane! Wouldn't that be cool? We could discover new types of animals that we now call "aliens". For all we know some type of alien could be our pet in a few years! It would seem so cool and, kind of scary in a way, now because we have never experienced this before. It could mean the best life ever, we just don't know about it yet. The future could be a great time for all human beings but, it could be just like today or tomorrow. After all people from 1950's thought we would be living a Jetson's life by now.

    Ivy

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    1. Miss. Kato 201315 May 2013 at 10:44

      I love your thoughts here Ivy! You are thinking like the "Jetson's" of the future.

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  12. Anonymous14 May 2013 at 14:01

    In thirty years I believe that we will have a whole different world. I think that flight will have a whole different meaning, I think that we will never put foot on the ground, that we will travel by hovering cars! Sorry, sometimes I get a bit carried away! But really, I think that we will be traveling on moving sidewalks and planes will be made smaller so they were the size of cars so everyone flew them! I also believe that we will live not only on earth but up in space in floating houses! That we will somehow figure out how to get oxygen way up there! Just think about it though, vacations could be to not only other places on earth but rocketing up to mars! It´s disappointing though to think that the future can really be exactly like it is now, or, even worse, our world could turn cruel, we could have a dictator or maybe even something like the hunger games! The future is impossible to predict but I belive that anything can happen if you set your mind to it!

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    1. Miss. Kato 201315 May 2013 at 10:45

      I cannot imagine never being able to touch the ground. What a concept!

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  13. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 09:52

    It would be incredible to see people living on and colonizing Mars within 30 years. I hope that such programs enjoy continued public support rather than relying on private companies. I love the work that Chris Hadfield has done over the last few months as he shared his recent journey with us through the lens of his unique perspective, both physical (being in space) and emotional (how he sees and feels about the world and society). It's fantastic that he's been able to bring so much positive attention to NASA, the CSA and space travel in general. Perhaps the adventure Cmdr. Hadfield has shared with the world may even inspire one of Mr. Lakusta's students to follow in his footsteps.

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  14. Sid de Haan15 May 2013 at 10:05

    The other day I was talking with my father (who is 84 years old) about all of the things he has seen change in his lifetime. Air travel was relatively new when he was born, and space travel didn't take place until he was in his 40's. He commented that the speed of change seems to be increasing, and that in my lifetime I might experience twice as much change as he did. I wonder what that means for you guys...will you see 3 or 4 times as much change as your parents or grandparents? Will travelling to space be as common in your lifetime as air travel has been in my lifetime? As space travel becomes commercialized and there are more people/groups developing technology for that purpose (not just NASA or the European Space Agency, but corporations and private individuals like Richard Branson...), I believe that change will happen faster and faster. The next 30 years will be very exciting, I think!

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    1. Mr. Lakusta15 May 2013 at 10:12

      Wow Sid... thank you very much for the comment!

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    2. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 11:12

      It was very interesting to read all of your posts today. You gave me a lot to think about. All of the changes in the world and especially technology seem to be happening so fast that I feel like I can't keep it all figured out and I have experienced it at a more gradual rate then your generation is and will experience it. It is great to hear the excitement and enthusiasm for the changes and I hope that all the changes will make life better for you and not more difficult. I am impressed that you all seem to handle this rapid change with such ease and acceptance. I mostly feel overwhelmed trying to keep up! :) I will keep trying to learn from your examples! Thank you!

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  15. Mrs. Campbell15 May 2013 at 11:15

    When I was in grade six I could only imagine what it would be like flying on a plane. It was still very expensive and only the affluent could afford plane tickets. My family took road trips for all of our vacations which limited how far we could go on a holiday. I also was in love with the idea of being a flight attendant like the beautiful Pan Am stewardesses - what an exotic life travelling the globe and seeing the world!!

    I remember a story from my grade six year that you might find interesting. Each student in my class had to do a presentation where we tried to convince the audience of something, a persuasive presentation. One of the students, who unfortunately didn't fit in all that well, Mary, said that by the time we were adults we'd be able to travel to Mars for vacations. She painted a poster showing a space vehicle flying through space and then landing on Mars. I believe that her Dad worked at the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute in Montreal and she was convinced, based on her Dad's work, that this would be true in our lifetime. As a class we scoffed at her ideas and, sadly, it gave us another reason to exclude her from our group. Now that we've seen Curiosity, the car-sized rover, land on Mars, I wonder if she was right...

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  16. Miss Hill15 May 2013 at 12:36

    Wow! Great reflections, Grade 6! It sure leaves one with a lot to think about! Technology is changing so quickly and it's really exciting to imagine what life will be like when the students that I am currently teaching are all grown up! I wonder if people will be living on Mars? I shared some of your thoughts with my class and they were particularly interested in the possibility of flying cars or rocket ships replacing airplanes!

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  17. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 15:09

    Change is happening so fast! It is hard to imagine what things will be like in 30 years! Thank you for giving me something to think about. Someday I wonder which Earl Buxton students might choose to live on Mars??

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  18. Unknown15 May 2013 at 15:50

    Back in Grade 6 - I hadn't yet flown in a plane, nor had we had as many space missions as we do now. Will visiting a planet in our Solar System become a reality - similar to traveling to Europe, Greece or Australia is for us today? Space was buta dream back then ... now we had Chris Hatfield sing from the ISS on Music MNonday with Ed Robinson via video conferencing and this was shared witha a live webcast that actually had very little lag time. We are truly in a 21st Century Teaching and Learning Classroom.

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  19. Anonymous15 May 2013 at 20:22

    Hello, Ivy's Dad Tony Onisko here.

    Wow, great comments all.

    I will say that I love all your optimism of the potential of future space travel, but I believe that the ideas being presented will take much longer than many of you anticipate. When I was 8 years old in 1978, I received an adult book on potential space travel (and designs of future spaceships) and the increasing development of the technology that would make space travel a common event for mankind early in the 21st century. Well, 35 years later and space travel has grown at nothing more than a snail's pace. A good example is lunar travel. After a few trips to the moon in the late 60s and early 70s, mankind shrugged their shoulders and decided there was little purpose to return to the moon until perhaps other technologies created potential living environments (Acrologies or Biospheres) or other purposes for returning. Space travel technology is certainly possible, but what needs to be discovered is "A reason to go!".

    Daniel made a good point about potential mining on planets. If economically feasible gold, diamond (or other unknown) deposits were ever discovered on the moon or other planets, that would expedite space travel faster than anything. Nothing makes mankind take more risks than the potential to earn big money! However, this is not without potential downsides. Who owns these deposits of minerals? What countries would lay claim to ownership? Is it "first to arrive" creating space races similar to those of the 1960s? I certainly don't want global unrest on Earth while superpowers argue over who claims ownership over these resources.

    In closing, I will say that space travel has evolved and will continue to evolve faster in the future. What I don't want to see is our technology outpace mankind's ability to adapt to these new technologies. Many of you talk about flying cars, however at this time in our life many have trouble with stop, start, left and right when using a car. Add in up and down buttons and will we be able to adapt, or will all flying cars just end up in the junkyard? (see Earl Buxton roads @ 3:30PM)

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    1. Mr. Lakusta16 May 2013 at 09:34

      Wow Tony, thank you so much for the comment. You have given us a lot to think about and comprehend. How fast can innovation and development move in the years to come? At what benefits? At what costs?

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  20. Jane Diner16 May 2013 at 08:59

    Well, I don't know about 30 years from now, but I do know that tomorrow "Star Trek Into Darkness" opens and I am totally excited about that! Star Trek was created in the 1960's which is the decade of my birth so I believe I am one with the Captain! Star Trek takes place in the 23rd century which is not that far away. Do you think that we will have the same technology offered in those movies in 200 years?? Its great to dream about it. Take the tricorder, for example. Some of our smart phones have almost the same technology! So maybe we will be more advanced in the 23rd century! If you haven't seen this advertisement, it is worth a watch. Enjoy: http://youtu.be/WPkByAkAdZs

    Jane Diner,
    Science Consultant,
    Edmonton Public Schools

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  21. Mr. Lakusta16 May 2013 at 11:20

    Here is a link to a CTV video interview of how Chris Hadfield is feeling not that he is back on earth...

    http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/lab-rat-hadfield-dizzy-sore-as-gravity-takes-toll-after-5-months-in-space-1.1284059

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  22. Kathryn16 May 2013 at 14:01

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. Mr. Lakusta16 May 2013 at 14:19

      Very interesting perspective... the students and I had a very similar conversation this afternoon in class. Chris Hadfield is definitely experiencing some effects from his mission. What will science and medicine specifically learn from this?

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  23. Mme G.21 May 2013 at 07:36

    After NASA terminated the Space Shuttle I thought the Space Program would end....I believe Chris Hadfield has started a new era for us by inviting us into the daily life in the Space Station. He has fostered curiosity and wonder in many people!

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    1. Anonymous21 May 2013 at 08:49

      I really like that Chris Hadfield is so approachable. He is an incredibly intelligent man, but he makes the science and exploration more than just scientific words. He makes it interesting for everyone, especially the youth. If the space program is to continue and do some of the incredible things that have been suggested on this forum, it will be because of the inspiring words and work of Commander Hatfield. Not only is he an amazing ambassador for the Space agencies, he is an amazing ambassador for society. He has made space and science 'cool' again. I think for a time, it was unaccessible. Commander Hatfield has made it the stuff of dreams for young girls and boys.
      I wonder what his next journey (in or out of space) will bring. I wonder if any of our students will be a part of the science in space in the future.

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  24. Anonymous21 May 2013 at 14:03

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  25. Ms. Wenger21 May 2013 at 16:53

    The very thought of being able to travel into space use to be just a dream for many; for those who, from a young age, trained and studied exactly for that and dedicated their careers in this discipline. Now for a mere $200 000.00 you can be one of the first to visit space with Virgin Galactic! I'm not sure I would like to be one of the first, but who knows down the road with the advances in technology that seem to be advancing as I type. I remember reading somewhere that a new fuel will be required, one that focused on solar wind?? I just hope that we can keep up! When I look at my parents who just recently commented that they needed a University Degree to just figure out how to use their new coffee maker, what will it be like in the next 30 yrs? Many of us talk about how much technology has changed in general even over the last 10 years and how we all try to keep up, especially with our students! Will I be my parents questioning the most "simple" devices, never-mind the possibility of living on another planet or travelling outside our solar system? Only time will tell. Definitely an interesting discussion going on that's for sure!

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