The two articles that were assigned this week were two of
the most interesting to me. I have found it fascinating to trace the
development of the aerial perspective so far this quarter, and learning about
aerial perspective from space was intriguing. It was shocking to see just how
far technology has come. Aerial views progressed from hot air balloons and
developing cameras being state-of-the-art photography, to having satellites
like CORONA or astronauts orbiting the moon being able pictures of the Earth from
outer space. This leap in technology was
hugely beneficial. CORONA was used to improve cartographic processes. The
images gathered from the top-secret satellite showed much more accurate
locations of certain places, and this new information allowed cartographers to
improve their maps. This was essential during the Cold War because due to the
global threat of the atomic bomb, it was critical for us to know exactly where
countries were located lest we need to deploy a missile.
Earthrise and 22727, taken by astronauts on the Apollo
missions, also offered new perspectives and ideas about the Earth. Seeing the
Earth, isolated in space without any national borders helped bring about the
cosmopolitan view that all humans are all living on this same planet together,
so it would be best if everyone tried to cooperate. It’s amazing to see the
revelations and achievements that our current technology has allowed to happen,
and I’m deeply interested to see where technology will progress to in the years
to come.
I agree with your statement completely. Technology have surpass beyond our comprehension of not only "science" but our understanding of perspective. Viewing the Earth objectively from space was something incredible, it was awe inspiring and fascinating during that time period. The development of the satellite CORONA, like you have stated, was not only beneficial, but also revolutionary. It allows us to ascertain a broader perspective of the land and the precise scale of certain location. However, for me personally, I think the Apollo Mission was the most amazing. Not only were they able to send humans into space and capture a picture of "Outer Space", they were able to capitalize the feelings and emotions that are going through the astronauts.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree! Images of landscapes from an aerial view were already so astounding to the people at the time that one can only imagine how powerful images of the Earth from space were! Going to space (with satellites, rocket ships) was a huge step for human technological progress. It gave people a feeling of accomplishment and invincibility. Even today, I believe one could argue that it still surely gives a feel of hope for even more technological advancements in the future.
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