As more and more companies are making space travel not only possible but accessible to the everyday person, we are coming into the Golden Age of Space Travel. With the three fore-bearers like Space X, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic, Space Tourism and Travel will be the next big thing.
Space, the Final Frontier; it is quickly becoming the place where the rich are pushing boundaries and creating experiences for the wealthy of this world. The first travelers in this new space tourism industry will be the very wealthy and those with connections to the billionaires of the major-three. Although eventually the everyday citizen will be able to purchase a ticket to space. With the advent of reusable rockets, space travel is no longer as expensive as it was a generation ago. You no longer must be a fully trained astronaut with NASA to hitch a ride up to space, you just need to know the right people and afford the ticket!
Although a generation ago, it was only the professionally trained and those with the guts to travel to the stars. The Golden Age of Space Travel refers to a period of time in the 1950s and 1960s when space exploration was at its peak. This era was characterized by rapid advancements in technology and a sense of optimism and excitement about the possibilities of space travel. This period saw the launch of numerous spacecraft and the achievement of many historic milestones.
It all began on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik 1, the world’s first artificial satellite. The United States soon responded with the launch of Explorer 1, its own satellite, in 1958. These events marked the beginning of the Cold War space race between the Soviet Union and the United States, which would ultimately lead to the first human landing on the Moon. In 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to journey into space, orbiting the Earth in the Vostok 1 spacecraft. The following year, American astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space. These historic achievements were followed by a series of other notable firsts, including the first woman in space (Valentina Tereshkova, Soviet Union, 1963), the first spacewalk (Alexei Leonov, Soviet Union, 1965), and the first soft landing on the Moon (Luna 9, Soviet Union, 1966).
The United States also made significant strides in space exploration during the Golden Age. In 1969, the Apollo 11 mission successfully landed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin on the Moon’s surface, fulfilling President John F. Kennedy’s goal of landing a man on the Moon by the end of the decade.
In addition to these achievements, the Golden Age of Space Travel also saw the launch of many other spacecraft and the completion of other important missions. These included the launch of the first weather satellite, the launch of the first communications satellite, and the launch of the first interplanetary spacecraft. The invention of the rocket engine and the satellite were also key developments that made space travel for humans possible. The continual advancements in communication, navigation, and life support systems, however, were crucial for the success of future manned space missions.
This Golden Age was a time of great technological advancements and gave humans a renewed sense of hope and optimism for the future. It was also a time when branding and advertising took on a new significance, as companies and organizations sought to capitalize on the public’s fascination with space exploration. Branding the Space Age was part of the government’s push to keep the public invested in the future. One of the most iconic examples of branding in the Space Age was the use of the NASA logo. The iconic “meatball” logo, which was designed in 1975, is still widely recognized today and is a symbol of the space agency’s achievements and aspirations. NASA’s branding strategy was focused on promoting the organization’s mission and values, which included scientific research, exploration, and innovation.
Another example of Space Age branding was the use of the term “space age” itself. The term was first popularized by the German-American architect and industrial designer Richard Buckminster Fuller, who used it to describe the technological advancements of the time. The term “space age” was later adopted by companies and organizations to promote their products and services, which were often associated with the latest technologies and futuristic designs.
Branding during the space age also extended to the commercial sector, companies like Pan Am, Lockheed and Boeing, all used their association with the space program to promote their commercial airliners, highlighting their speed, comfort and safety. The Space Age also saw the rise of space-themed advertising, with companies using images of astronauts, spaceships, and planets to promote their products. This was particularly true in the automobile industry, where car manufacturers like Ford and GM used space-themed advertising to promote their latest models.
Branding and advertising played an important role in this era, allowing companies and organizations to capitalize on the public’s fascination with space exploration and promote their products and services in a way that was both exciting and aspirational. From the NASA logo to the term “space age”, Space-themed advertising and branding helped to create a sense of wonder and possibility and inspire people. Although when the Space Age came to an end, branding and advertising shifted to more of a focus on Earth based ideas.
As the Cold War between the US and USSR began to thaw, the space race between the two nations also began to slow down. The Apollo 17 mission in December 1972 was the last manned mission to the moon. Funding for space programs were also increasingly difficult to come by. Art of the space age declined rapidly and the hope and optimism of what the potential of space could hold, faded away. Despite these challenges, the Golden Age of Space Travel remains a testament to human ingenuity, perseverance, and the desire to explore and understand the universe.
This was a period in which many historic milestones were achieved in the field of space exploration. It saw the launch of numerous spacecraft, the achievement of many firsts and the completion of several important missions. The technologies and knowledge gained during this period continue to shape the way we explore space today. The art and design of the Golden Age remain a snapshot in time. They are now just references to us of what we thought the future might look like if we continued the path that we set ourselves on.
Today, space exploration endures as a major area of research and development, but the Golden Age of Space Travel remains a unique and extraordinary period in human history. It was a time when the world was united in the common goal of exploring the final frontier. A time when people were inspired by the possibilities of space travel.
The major-three companies of today are trying to renew our fascination with Space Travel and Exploration. These organizations aim to invest in taking us back to space and build on the developments and achievements of the previous era. As the likelihood of expanding our footstep in the galaxy becomes clearer, the hope and optimism of the human race will begin to come back.
