It is difficult to calculate planetary motion from under the
atmosphere. Once we get into the stratosphere we have more opportunities to see
space without all the haze. It will then offer the ability to see ultraviolet-
and infrared-wavelength bands. Launching items into space costs a lot of money
but NASA scientists have cheapened the price by developing the Wallops Arc
Second Pointer (WASP).
It works a little likely a catapult and launches equipment
with a balloon. It is this launching arc
method with the balloons that substantially lower the price of conducting
research. This is important for fostering additional research and is likely to
have a systematic impact on the amount of research in the future.
Think about research as inspecting each piece of hay in a
hay field. In science there is as a time and cost associated with studying each
item. It is difficult to come to an accurate picture unless one studies many
pieces of hay and this may take decades. Lowering the costs not only helps budgets
but can speed up the amount of research conducted.
There is a lot of math that goes into calculating such
trajectories. WASP appears to be very accurate in its launches. This is based
on its ability to calculate the varying factors that go into the movement of
objects into space. You are unlikely to get this type of calculation without
the advent of the modern computer and higher honed math skills.
