Space Through the Lens of Fiction

Have you ever wondered what’s beyond Earth?

Sure, scientists and astronauts have answered many of the questions that itch and gnaw at us, but have they uncovered the whole thing? Have you ever thought about exploring the phenomena that is space? Have you ever thought of the planets, the stars, the moons, the black holes, the galaxies that await us? Have you ever thought about the fundamental experience of space travel?

Space travel is the exploration of outer space, an ultimate voyage of humanity. To push our knowledge of exactly what we’re living in and to be surrounded by it is a grand essential that mankind ―and womankind― strive for every day. There are always mystics, theorists, philosophers, and logicians who believe in something entirely different. Yes, different. Theories and depictions from the realm of science fiction, or sci-fi, have an infamous take on ―you guessed it― space travel.

Avatar, directed by James Cameron, is a story set in 2154, mid-22nd century space. A travel crew of astronauts and scientists are sent to Pandora, a remote moon, in hopes of extracting natural resources and necessities to usher back to a dying Earth.

In doing so, they travel in what’s known as the ISV Venture Star, or the Inter-Stellar Vehicle Venture Star. The ship travels at 130,000 miles per second, which means traveling four light years would take a span of a little over six Earth years. This vessel has the ability to support up to 350 tons of cargo.

In one of the most popular and legendary movies, Star Wars, has a wide spectrum of means of transportation. One of those is hyper–drive, or warp drive, a galaxy-hopping method of transit that allows the ship to go faster than light speed, which is required by what’s called a “jump.” One of the ships that is most commonly known for using this system throughout the movies is the Millennium Falcon.

Space is filled with mysteries and many unexplained occurrences, but luckily we still have many representations of space travel that keep our minds and hearts at bay. Kind of makes getting your driver’s license seem small and inconsequential when viewed in the realm of space travel.