Five centuries of exploration: From distant shores to distant planets

Abstract

Throughout time humans have been born with the curiosity to explore. Crossing the oceans on Earth to those in interplanetary space, the motivations behind exploration by humanity have not changed profoundly during these last five centuries. Some of the obstacles that were met by the explorers in the past and those that we will encounter in the future are similar, funding issues being one such topic. However, obstacles regarding the environmental conditions that will be encountered in interplanetary space are very different from those found on Earth. Indeed, the space weather that presides in interplanetary space is unlike anything we are familiar with in our daily lives. However, be it an ocean storm or a solar storm, the objective remains the same-to understand and protect the transportation device and the crew against the environment that it will encounter. Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union.