Leonardo da Vinci designed flying machines, such as the ornithopter. This has become a foundation in our history of realizing the purpose of flying in the air. He was inspired by the flight of birds and developed a deep understanding of aerodynamics, which later helped him formulate principles of air flight. His design never became actualized during his lifetime, but it led others to create the first plane with an engine that flew in 1903. Da Vinci used imagination as an important part in developing aviation concepts that would lead to modern aviation technologies.
This shows that a creative vision can ultimately become the basis for great inventions. If we leave Da Vinci behind, we find flying machines like the ‘Pushpak Vimana’ discussed in our mythological and religious stories. In addition, methods developed by Eastern philosophy thousands of years ago, based on planetary constellations, can still accurately predict eclipses and other celestial events. Is it not mysterious and amazing? Also, have a look at the Maya civilization. They developed a strong connection between its culture and astrological practices. The public believes that planetary and stellar arrangements influence agricultural output, spiritual practices, and human survival. The Maya constructed Tzolk’in for 260-day religious dates in addition to Haab’ for 365-day solar dates, which were utilized to select the right days for spiritual celebrations alongside warfare battles and elimination ceremonies. Maya studied the Sun, Moon, and Venus in detail and constructed architectural temples based on equinoctial and solar events. The builders made the El Castillo Pyramid stand in a particular way to reveal snake formation during the equinox day because they honored Kukulcán, the god. Thus, we can say that Maya civilization utilized astronomy for various purposes, such as scientific research and religious and cultural foundations.
The Egyptian pyramids are deeply connected to astronomy. Researchers have found that the Great Pyramid of Giza is aligned in four cardinal directions and is believed to be related to the constellation Orion. This is associated with Osiris, the god of the afterlife. The interior passages of the pyramid pointed towards important stars. Through this process, the king’s soul is believed to enter the universe. The Sphinx is aligned with the sunrise at the equinox. This represents cosmic balance.
These mythological stories indicate that since ancient times, human civilization has been interested in exploring planets, satellites, and other objects beyond Earth, and that these things may have formed the basis for the development of modern technology. As a child, did you ever see things that looked like stars moving in the sky or meteorites falling towards Earth in the form of fire? If you did not know later that these things were satellites or meteorites, you would have been either imagining or searching for what they were. As nature is itself a teacher, it is clear that humans have been able to invent many things by being inspired by it. Leaving aside mythological stories and astronomical facts, if we look at the last few centuries, fiction (Si-Fi) and Sci-Fi writers have played important roles in shaping current Space Exploration, which will be gradually included in this article. Great scientist Albert Einstein believed that imagination served more important purposes than knowledge when it came to bringing some things to life.
Now, we believe that you have ideas about how important the imagination and Si-Fi can play. Sci-Fi is an innovative design that drives technological development, particularly when it comes to outer space exploration. The fictional writings of Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, and Jules Verne have motivated engineers, astronauts, and visionaries. It has been proven that speculative fiction helps researchers break out of traditional thinking patterns and spark their creativity. People have maintained a dual connection between experiential scientific methods and limitless storytelling craft to understand space. In addition, Sci-Fi acts as a creative platform for developing technological ideas that eventually come to realization.
The work and mission of projects such as Spacecoin and private sector growth could help build a scientific reality by converting science fiction dreams into functional engineering solutions. Imagination is important, but space exploration requires teamwork and creativity to convert previously imagined future technology concepts presented in books and movies into usable technologies.
You have probably also watched the famous movie Star Trek, right? Actionable teamwork could also transform Star Trek-inspired dreams into reality through innovations that convert future technological concepts into present-day usable advances.
Currently, effective collaboration plays an important role in space exploration. We are talking about various aspects related to it one by one, so please let us get started.
📥From Sci-Fi Fantasy to Space-Age Reality
👉Predictive Visions
Sci-Fi appears to be an important catalyst in anticipating technological breakthroughs. Let us understand this as an example. While looking at the stars and the Moon at night, most of us would have once dreamed of reaching there, wouldn’t we? Jules Verne did the same and created the classic work From the Earth to the Moon, which is often cited as a major science fiction influence on rocketry.
Verne himself did not build rockets; his imaginative illustration of space travel inspired many pioneers of rocketry. In fact, his visionary ideas helped shape the thinking of early rocket engineers such as Robert H. Goddard, who went on to achieve the first successful powered rocket flight in 1926.
In 1945, Arthur C. Clarke proposed geostationary communication satellites with a proper conceptual framework, which later evolved into modern satellite networks. Currently, they are essential for global communication and GPS systems. These people created a strong foundation to make the biggest dream of human beings to reach the surface of the Moon in 1969 with the Apollo missions (which became a reality after a century of Verne’s conceptual framework).
In addition, concepts such as ion propulsion were limited to science fiction until they were realized in missions such as NASA’s Deep Space 1 and Dawn missions. If you remember this correctly, the design inspiration behind Star Trek communicators has contributed to the development of modern mobile phones and tablet computers.
👉Direct Influence on Engineering
Speculative Sci-Fi narratives have begun to drive concrete advancements in engineering by providing conceptual blueprints for future technologies. Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson provides detailed descriptions that NASA uses to advance its research into sustainable Mars habitats. The stories contribute to defining engineering obstacles by developing methods for efficient resource recovery and advanced environmental management, together with sustainable habitat solutions in outer space environments.
Visionary entrepreneurs such as Elon Musk preferred Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as the source of inspiration that shaped their ambitions for interplanetary travel. The futuristic concepts and imaginative designs of science fiction inspired SpaceX engineers to redefine how they design rockets, achieve quick reuse capabilities, and develop strategies to establish human settlements outside Earth’s environment. NASA also adopts virtual reality (VR) training systems, which can be considered as another example in which science fiction has provided real-world engineering solutions. NASA scientists use VR systems inspired by the Star Wars Holodeck experience to train in simulated complex-space scenarios to address specific space operational challenges.
These examples show that fictional concepts in science fiction continue to be integrated into engineering processes to define how humans explore space in the future.
📥Science Fiction Inspires Innovation and Unites Communities
It is undeniable that science fiction has inspired scientists and engineers to seed the ambitions of many aerospace pioneers effectively. As another example, Elon Musk often acknowledged that Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series provided him with a visionary framework for creating a multiplanetary human civilization. The space novel illustrated a galactic empire extending across time, which forced people to reconsider their beliefs about technological limits while creating lasting beliefs in future space settlement efforts. NASA’s engineering community found powerful resonance in Andy Weir’s The Martian and other Sci-Fi-based works because such novels paid precise attention to Martian physics, which defined new directions for solving problems involving resource recycling, atmospheric control, and sustainable habitat construction. The tales go beyond entertainment value as they act as design prototypes for cutting-edge space technology through thought experiments.
We expect a huge supports and perceptions from the public to conduct the space exploration programs but it is also not a good idea to ignore the role of Sci-Fi.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) by Stanley Kubrick presented spaceflight and lunar colonization with such realistic visuals that people could better understand future space actions during Apollo mission. This visual accuracy remains influential while policymakers make choices for funding and decision-making regarding aerospace development.
We have so many stories about extraterrestrial life and UFO sightings, and they are not properly verified, but more recent cinematic works such as Interstellar (2014) and Gravity (2013) have further reignited debates about humanity’s cosmic destiny and the technical challenges of extraterrestrial life. It indirectly bolsters public and governmental support for major projects such as the James Webb Space Telescope. Recently, the James Webb telescope captured the first photo of a gigantic black hole known as Sagittarius A* in 2022, which lived at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.
This type of advanced telescope helps to unlock many mysteries of this universe, which could be the realistic conversion of imaginations from Sci-Fi to real-world applications. Popular media has generated widespread interest in STEM disciplines, as well as an innovative environment that directly fuels the development of space exploration technology. This phenomenon is known as the “Apollo Effect.“
📥What’s Next? Sci-Fi’s Blueprint for the Future
In the past centuries, reaching the surface of the Moon was the biggest dream, but now it has not. NASA revolves around orbitals/satellites on most of the planets in our solar system. Owing to the pace of technology, NASA scientists have managed to detect water on Mars, and we are also able to see images/videos of red planets sent by rovers, such as Curiosity and Perseverance. In addition, SpaceX and NASA are working steadily to conduct human missions to Mars. Therefore, things that look impossible or just limited in the Sci-Fi are more likely to happen in real life in the future. The current technological research trend is increasingly bridging the gap between speculative Sci-Fi and practical engineering.
Clarke’s The Fountains of Paradise envisioned the concept of elevators. It is now revitalizing as you can notice the advances in material science, most notably, the development of carbon nanotubes, which could create an opportunity to provide low-cost orbital access via a tethered structure. It is likely that you once thought about asteroid mining, right? Most notably, it was already predicted or imagined in Neal Stephenson’s Seveneves and cinematic depictions of The Moon. Surprisingly, projects such as Planetary Resources are developing extraction technologies inspired by the resource-centric narratives mentioned in earlier fiction. The resources on Earth are limited; therefore, future generations must be compelled to seek alternative sources beyond Earth, which could be asteroids, planets, or natural satellites, to fulfill growing demands. So, you can imagine how important the spacetech is to us.
The current generations seek freedom from everything. Blockchain technology is the biggest milestone in this modern age, as it diversifies powers to decentralized entities. Let us understand this using an example. Suppose that so many private sectors are involved in spaceteches and start to direct flights from Earth to the Moon and Mars, such as private airlines conducting flights from one place to another. In this case, relying on the classical centralized approach for deep-space planetary networks could be problematic because concentrating power on a centralized entity could produce several issues, such as slower connectivity and single points of failure. In this case, the blockchain-based decentralized infrastructure could be a game changer. We are not saying that the blockchain-based decentralized Internet is free from challenges or problems, but if we start to work in this field now, we will definitely be able to tackle the growing demands of the future. The immediate demands of the current time require that the speed of the Internet for interplanetary connectivity be significantly improved. Let us imagine that many rovers also reach almost all planets in our solar system supported by high-tech satellites around them, and we wanted them to see their environments through live videos or Google earth-like methods in our smartphone or tablet; the speed of the connections could play a crucial role in transmitting real-time data. Fortunately, projects such as Spacecoin are already working in this field to create decentralized satellite-based networks that promise a trustless, censorship-resistant, and global Internet. In parallel, the concepts of space colonization are shown in The Expanse and Interstellar. They are being realized through initiatives such as SpaceX’s ambitious projects and NASA’s Artemis program.
For long-duration space missions, research into generating artificial gravity via centrifugal force—akin to the rotating habitats in 2001: A Space Odyssey—is underway. The aim is to reduce the adverse effects of microgravity on the human body. In addition, we could simulate many outer space-related activities in the metaverse, which could potentially save costs and time before performing the actual missions.
So, what about the progress in creating superfast Internet connectivity from planet to planet? On the frontier of interstellar travel, Breakthrough Starshot studies laser propulsion techniques to accelerate nanoprobes toward the Alpha Centauri. At this point, we believe that research on quantum communication utilizing entanglement could eventually enable faster-than-light data transfer. NASA and other private companies are influenced by the staple of science fiction for high-speed travel, fusion propulsion systems. The exploration of self-replicating probes was essentially influenced and modeled after the Von Neumann machines. This promises to revolutionize autonomous space exploration by exponentially increasing the reach of interstellar missions.
Science believes that everything is possible, but it needs foundational technologies, not just fiction. High-capacity, possibly quantum, computers can be game changers if they reach real-life mass adoption trends. We are in a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to exhibit its actions. We previously published an article on HackerNoon, mentioning how AI assists space exploration.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has achieved a major milestone with recent Starship tests. They successfully tested controlled high-altitude ascents and precise Starship landings. These achievements confirm the advanced design improvements made by the system, which will lead to future missions such as orbital flights, lunar cargo delivery, and crewed Martian exploration. Musk’s space exploration progress toward interplanetary travel has become increasingly realizable through a series of tests conducted by his company.
In addition, there are ongoing discussions and research on utilizing nuclear-powered spacecraft, as they need a continuous fuel source to travel from one planet to another. If Earth-like habitable planets are found outside or even in our solar systems, which are millions of light years away, we need spacecraft with capabilities faster than the speed of light. But here is the catch! According to Einstein’s theory of special relativity, as a massive object approaches the speed of light, its effective mass rises to such a high level that it requires infinite energy to attain light speed, and any speed beyond that would lead to temporal causal disorder triggering logical inconsistencies. Are you interested in knowing the accuracy of Einstein’s theories? We briefly discuss this.
Einstein’s theories continue to be remarkably accurate, as confirmed by recent experimental and observational breakthroughs. For example, the detection of gravitational waves by LIGO and Virgo confirmed a key prediction of general relativity and opened a new window to the cosmos. This allows scientists to observe black hole mergers and neutron-star collisions with unprecedented precision.
Gravitational waves from a black hole merger were detected by the LIGO on September 14, 2015. This occurred when two large black holes collided and were transformed into sound. This powerful event released energy equivalent to 50 times that released by all stars in the observable universe. This occurred only in fractions of one second. One can hear the sounds in the Audio echoes of a black hole merger by LIGO Lab Caltech : MIT.
The James Webb Space telescope and other sophisticated instruments continually confirm the predictions about cosmic expansion and space-time curvature that Einstein developed through his theories. Einstein’s theories have been firmly established in modern scientific knowledge of the cosmos, even though they were formulated more than a century ago.
As we can see, most of Einstein’s theorems have found experimental verifications. If so, what about the spacecraft being faster than the speed of light? If Einstein’s theory restricts the possibility of creating a spacecraft faster than the speed of light, another concept of the Wrap Drive exists.
Sci-Fi classics such as Star Trek (1966) and Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1979) inspired the wrap drive concept. It refines warp drive models by engineering a spacetime bubble with conventional matter that “wraps” a spacecraft for effective subluminal faster-than-light travel. Thus, it is a matter of time before engineers and scientists can properly implement wrap drive concepts in real-world practice. So, what do you think? Will humans be able to solve the many mysteries of our cosmos? Will we know about UFO technology and aliens in the future? Will we be able to find Earth-like planets?
📥Conclusion
We can imagine how the future world will look if the metaverse, AI, decentralized high-speed Internet, quantum computers, and nuclear-powered spacecraft collectively start to take action. Our entire effort in this article is to illustrate the possibilities of shaping the future influenced by Sci-Fi and its practical implementations. There are ongoing debates that so many people still think that efforts with excessive funding to explore the possibilities of life beyond Earth are just worthless practices. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us many lessons, including Earth-like planet exploration. In our opinion, if Earth faces unavoidable dangers and we find an Earth-like planet to host life, we could migrate there to avoid extinction like dinosaurs. Therefore, collaborative efforts and advanced explorations in spaceteches are very important for future space exploration. Sci-Fi does more than predict the future; it dares engineers and policymakers, and dreamers to build it.
