ESC 106 History of Space Exploration

The era of space exploration is now over four decades old. Both manned and unmanned missions into space have opened up the universe to scientific inquiry. The course will trace the historical origin and development of space science and its technology. Simple background physics and astronomy principles are introduced as needed. The major discoveries in astronomy by the United States and the former Soviet Union will be examined. NASA film, laser disc software will supplement the lecture. A previous course in astronomy or physical science is suggested but not required. Cannot be substituted for ESC 101 and/or ESC 104 in major/minor/concentration. Spring