1998 Essay Contest
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Jessica Lee Mathiason
Pinewood School, Los Altos Hills
Teacher: Aimee Classen
The November 13, 2015 headline read "Brain Tumor Treat-ment Revolutionized by International Team." The three proud scientists responsible for this breakthrough gathered around their Internet-3 reading terminal.
"Without the microgravity benefits of space station study on cell cultures we would still be years away from our discovery," Miko announced. While some questioned the value of research in space, it was never an issue for our family in Japan. My mother has multiple sclerosis and was helped by the Apollo program's cool suit."
"The key is international cooperation and resources," declared Alexander. "The International Space Station was the largest project in history involving the world's scientists and inter-governmental funding." The Russian scientist philosophized, "I think the lesson of international cooperation is more important than any single ISS development."
Lillian's keen mind scripted her remarks, "The ISS is more than a vehicle for research and a model for how we can create a global community. It is an inspiration for us and generations to come. I remember KidSat transmissions from when I was a teenager in California. The images told me we live in a global community whose collective consciousness has no boundaries. I could see a day when the ISS was a doorway to the world beyond and the only limits would be our imaginations."
A sound drew the attention of the scientists. It was the arrival of the Automated Transfer Vehicle. "It's time for us to go to work," suggested Lillian, Chief Scientist of the 113th crew inside International Space Station II.
Grace Chai
Redwood Middle School, Saratoga
Teacher: Julie Shultz
Humans are destined to one day live in space and on other planets. Just as brave explorers once ventured across the oceans in search of new lands, one day we will cross the oceans of space to find new homes in the wider universe. But the first step towards our journey is to build an International Space Station. People need experience living and working in space for short periods of time before they will be prepared to move further out into the solar system. In Russia they have already created a small space station (Mir), but now we need to build upon this pioneering work by getting more nations involved in creating the next generation of space station.
After the nations of the earth have grown more accustomed to cooperation in exploring space, they'll be ready to create a permanent moon base. Settlement of the moon will prepare humanity for moving out into the more distant reaches of the solar system. Once settlement and industry exist outside of the earth's heavy gravity field, space travel will become easier and more economical.
In time there will be additional space stations revolving around the moon and other planets. But the first prototype for these future space stations will be the International Space Station orbiting our own Earth. Generations from now, the space settlers gazing down on Mars or Titan from their stations will think back fondly to our International Space Station, stepping stone to the stars.
Robert Chang
William Hopkins Junior High, Fremont
Teacher: Greg Bonaccorsi
Ever since Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, the world's space program has progressed far. The latest development is the International Space Station. The station would provide much laboratory space, much power, many logistical options, and would allow for a large crew.
First of all, an international space station would allow scientists to fully study the effects of space on the human body and conduct full-time science and technology research, which is not possible to do on earth.
Secondly, the space station would serve as a permanent laboratory orbiting the earth, and people from different nations would have permanent access to it and its unique space environment. That environment would allow the space station to be a testing center for technologies of the future, like robotics.
Thirdly, a lot of research would be conducted in the space station. Scientists would be able to research industrial materials, advanced communications, and biomedical breakthroughs to name a few. Scientists would also be able to conduct high-technology processes.
Last of all, on the space station, scientists and researchers would be able to develop very thin chips for advanced, high-speed electronics, grow human tissues and cells for medical studies, and develop purer protein crystals for improved medicines.
These advances and developments would be used worldwide. They would help improve our lives as well as save many lives. The research conducted on the space station would contribute to medical research, technology advancement, and our understanding of life on Earth and how to improve it.
Ellen Tsui
Redwood Middle School, Saratoga
Teacher: Julie Shultz
An International Space Station will have many benefits for the new millennium. Not only will it be one of the world's most ambitious engineering projects, it will produce the beginning of new unanticipated discoveries and challenges. The International Space Station will be a giant laboratory for learning how to live and work in space. However, there are many other benefits that will come along as well.
The space station will be the largest international peacetime project in history with 16 countries participating, it will promote international stability and cooperation. These countries will have to work together peacefully. It will also benefit thousands of highly skilled workers in America who will have new jobs working on the International Space Station. They'll find 10,000 things to do on the space station that nobody has even thought of. This new project will have many benefits.
Jayodita Sanghvi
William Hopkins Junior High, Fremont
Teacher: Greg Bonaccorsi
There will be many benefits of the International Space Station. It will bring together the nations of the world, combining technology, finance, and brain power.
It will create a permanent orbiting science structure in space, that will be capable of performing long-duration research in the materials and life science areas in a nearly gravity-free environment.
It will develop new materials and processes in harmony with industry.
It will accelerate the breakthroughs in technology, and engineering that will have immediate, practical applications for life on earth.
It will make more jobs and occupations, as well as economic opportunities for today and in the future decades.
It will maintain the United States' leadership in space, and in global competition. It will also maintain the United States as the main driving force of emerging technologies.
It will forge new partnerships with the other participating nations of the world. These nations include: Japan, Russia, and Great Britain.
It will inspire the children, bring up the next generation of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs: administrators, producers, managers, executives, capitalists, contractors and financiers.
It will satisfy our curiosity, and humanity's ancient need to explore and achieve.
It will invest for today and tomorrow. Every dollar spent on the program returns at least two dollars of direct or indirect benefits.
It will support and strengthen the United States' strongest export sector: aerospace technology.
Now, you can see that there will be many benefits of the International Space Station.
Olivia Tien
Redwood Middle School, Saratoga
Teacher: Julie Shultz
Imagine . . . you glance out the window and you see your home planet, Earth. You stare at the breath-taking scenery below you; the turquoise water and the greenish-brown of the land are swirled together with streams of white . . .
Now that man-made robots have reached the surface of Mars, can humans make it? How long can humans and animals survive in Space? What are the worse effects of microgravity? These are just some questions that will be answered on the International Space Station. Astronauts and cosmonauts will perform experiments to further study the effects of Space and weightlessness. With that knowledge, humans may even be able to go to Mars and beyond.
If mankind wants to go to Mars, they will have to prepare for long months in Space. Scientists on the space station will try to lower the risks of microgravity (decalcification, muscle loss, etc.)
The building of the station will help very different countries cooperate. Russia and the US have just begun to get along well after fierce competition in the early years of space exploration. Since it is a joint project, no country can firmly state that it belongs to them, or claim superiority over others. Each country and organization will have an equal part in it, and they can be proud of that. Despite differences, they will be able to learn to work well together.
An International Space Station will be beneficial to the US and the whole world.
Brian Doe
William Hopkins Junior High, Fremont
Teacher: Greg Bonaccorsi
Ever since the landing of a man on the moon, there has been lots of advances in our space program. The latest development is the International Space Station scheduled to start construction this year. Its earliest predecessor is Salyut 1, built by the Russians, and launched in 1971. The new space station is going to be built by the expertise of sixteen nations. It will provide a unique space environment for scientists from all the nations involved.
The station will be the testing ground for operations impossible to conduct on earth. The microgravity of the space station will be a perfect environment for testing new, bigger, pure protein crystals for better medicines and cures; and for growing pure silicone for making thinner micro chips with more power. New electronics, more advanced communications, new more useful industrial materials, better types of fuels, safer buildings, and even ways to prevent aging can be experimented with and achieved on the station. All these discoveries will lead to better and easier lives for the people of earth for the years to come.
Being in space for such a long time will allow scientists to make observations on faraway planets and stars. Ships will also be able to dock and refuel at the station. This will allow ships to go farther and perform longer missions.
Besides being such a scientific advance, the station has brought political rest as well as lots of jobs. The station is a bright symbol of our worldwide alliance.
Feng Tao Ning
fning@yahoo.com
Kennedy Junior High, Cupertino
Teacher: Khadija Iyer
Since the dawn of time, man has marveled at the heavens. Today, humanity still marvels at the mysteries of the Universe. But now, advanced imaging technology and radio telescopes have allowed humanity to further it's knowledge of the heavens. But most of the Universe remains a mystery to humanity. Building an international space station will help this problem, as it will allow greater access to the heavens.
Right now, observatories all across earth are blocked from getting a full view of the cosmos by the atmosphere of Earth. This causes especially severe disruptions to radio telescopes. When an international space station is built, observatories from there will have a clear view of the cosmos with no interference by the atmosphere. This will allow sharper images to be made, and thus, more information obtained. More experiments can also be done on the effects of weightlessness on human beings without having to constantly send astronauts up to the Mir Space Station, which is breaking down. In zero gravity, materials can be made very pure otherwise impossible on Earth. Also, an international space station would be a perfect place to build a spacecraft for a manned mission to Mars, as this would save a great deal of money.
An international space station would give a clearer view of the heavens, be able to conduct biology experiments, make purer materials, and be a construction yard for future missions to Mars. These reasons should be more than enough to build an international space station.
Jessica DeStigter
William Hopkins Junior High, Fremont
Teacher: Greg Bonaccorsi
There are many different benefits of an international space station. One would be uniting the different nationalities. A space station like this would merge the continents and very likely discourage wars or feuds between them. An international space station would cause the continents to have to work together and bond. Considering that threat of war every now and then comes upon our planet, a common interest like space travel could unite us. Also, since space travel isn't as controversial as a thing like politics, which already "unites" us, it might be better for the society to have this being what unites the world.
Another reason is that it would help the actual efficiency of our space exploration. The greatest minds are scattered throughout the world, not just in the United States. And, the more people there are to check over the proficiency of our spacecraft or plans, the more likely they are to be right.
Finally, it's because everyone, from Mangolia to Peru, is dying to know: is there life outside of Earth? There's only one way to know for sure: explore space. And, since the universe is so immense and infinite, the only way to explore it all is to start now. We can't walk until we learn how to crawl, and we can't discover without learning how to work together.
Brian Nguyen
Redwood Middle School, Saratoga
Teacher: Julie Shultz
In the near future, the countries of Earth will build the International Space Station, where astronauts from all over the world will operate. There are many benefits of this station, but the most important benefit of all is for helping to unite the world. Not only will it help unite countries, this incredible station will also join former-Cold War adversaries and other countries to become strong allies.
The first node of the space station, called "Unity," will be launched sometime during this year and it will lay as the foundation for the space station that will combine contributions from sixteen nations in the largest scientific cooperative program in history. The significance of this space station has crossed barriers of language, and culture and distance, bringing together the world's nations to join hands in the exploration of the universe and its frontiers.
The International Space Station is one giant step towards world-peace and the Unity is the first step of this process. It will be used as a passageway for astronauts as they move through modules, and can also serve as a future passageway to world peace on both Earth and in space. The International Space Station and Unity signifies how our differences are disappearing and becoming more like similarities.
The existence of the International Space Station would not be possible without the efforts of a single space agency, nor through a single nation, but with the strength and common goals of this partnership, a great space station is now becoming reality.