PRIDE CHEKERAour curiosity towards the cosmic wonders, but was driven by
geopolitical factors. Sputnik 1 was not just a probe orbiting
Earth, but it was for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM),
for long range, fast nuclear weapon delivery. This was
politically driven and a Soviet Union strategy to defense herself
from America in Cold War. For America to protect herself from
her enemies she founded NASA, to start her own space
missions. Although space exploration was triggered by
geopolitical reasons, it turned to be a journey to discover place
in the universe and understanding the beginning of our universe,
its evolution and its fate, studying all myriads of astral bodies
hovering in space-time. Thus on 20 November 1998, in-orbit
setup of the International Space Station was initiated with the
launching of the Russian-Zarya control module. The ISS since
its completion had harbored, and is still harboring, astronauts
from different nations across the world. Astronauts carry out
experiments in that microgravity environment, determining how
crops grow, human body adapts in such environments, amongst
hundreds of other experiments. That's the beauty of physics, and
its applications in our daily lives and for advancement of human
civilization.