Honors Project: Reusable Rockets - A Shift to the Future
The Pennsylvania State University - Dr. Laura Rotunno
An Analysis of an Out-of-This-World Paradigm Shift
November 2019
This project is a rhetorical analysis paper assigned through my honors Rhetoric and Composition course. I was asked to identify a paradigm shift and discuss its effect on culture.
Background
For this project, I had to identify, discuss, and analyze a “paradigm shift,” a fundamental shift in approach. I had to trace the significant moments of this shift and explain why it is important and/or how it says something about our current culture. I had to tell the reader how it evolved out of and/or is different from something older, and explain how this evolution portends a new set of ideas and values that are brought to bear on our culture. I had to bolster my arguments with strong and varied research, more specifically, at least four cited and reputable sources.
My Involvement
I decided to analyze the aerospace industry’s shift from disposable rockets to reusable ones. This change reflects an economic and efficient consciousness in the aerospace industry. From my research and analysis, I concluded that compared to previously used expendable rockets, reusable rockets will lower the costs of launches and improve the reliability of space travel. I also found that the shift shows there is a desire to get to space. Missions to Mars, space tourism, colonization, even faster internet, all will become more attainable or even more realistic, with more efficient and economic models of space transportation.
Links
Cover image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/8670073234