There are plenty of problems associated with space travel and exploration, but there are also many minds working hard to solve those problems. Every day, NASA and its partners (which include many universities and corporations) are coming up with innovative ways to do what we want to do -and now, so are private space exploration companies. For example, we may soon be able to see much farther into the past than every before with NIRCam.
NIRCam stands for Near Infrared Camera, which refers to a collaboration between Lockheed Martin and the University of Arizona to come up with an instrument capable of capturing images from billions and billions of years ago. While this can sound rather unbelievable, it is important to remember that heat was being generated throughout the universe at the time, which in turn, meant light shooting off in countless directions from countless places.
Combined with the limited speed of light as well as the continuing expansion of the universe, this meant that it is still possible to capture images from billions and billions of years ago so long as a camera is sensitive enough to pick up on that light as well as shielded from other light that can obstruct it from performing its intended function. Should the NIRCam prove to be a success, it could provide scientists with an incredible amount of information about the early universe, which remains one of the most mysterious and thus one of the most interesting periods known to us.
But that’s just the beginning. Read about other space exploration technologies you might not be familiar with at Money Inc.