Space might seem super far away, but did you know the secret to exploring it starts right here on Earth – with coding!
Coding is like giving instructions to computers, robots and even spaceships so they know exactly what to do. Without coders, rockets wouldn’t launch, astronauts wouldn’t stay safe and we wouldn’t know what’s out there in the great big universe.
So, buckle up, future astronauts – Ed Kim, who leads learning at Code Ninjas, is here to show you how coding helps us reach for the stars!
Coding launches rockets
When NASA or SpaceX blasts a rocket into space, it’s not only giant engines roaring with flames that are getting it there. Back on Earth, thousands of computers are working together – all following carefully written code.
Coders write the programs that tell the rocket when to launch, how fast to go, which way to turn and when to come back down to Earth safely. Even the tiniest mistake could send a rocket the wrong way, so the code must be perfect.
SpaceX rockets like Falcon 9 are famous for landing themselves back on Earth after launching satellites into space. They use special landing codes to guide them safely back to a tiny landing pad in the ocean – just like a giant robot coming home.
Robots exploring other worlds
Astronauts can’t be everywhere at once, so we send robots to explore for us. But (luckily!) robots don’t think for themselves – they need code to know what to do.
Take NASA’s Perseverance Rover on Mars. It’s like a robot scientist on wheels. Coders wrote programs that tell Perseverance how to:
- Search for signs of ancient life
- Collect and store rock samples
- Take high-definition photos
- Send all that information millions of miles back to Earth.
Because Mars is so far away, coders have to plan every move in advance. If Perseverance spots an interesting rock, the code tells it exactly how to scoop it up and study it.
Did you know?
The Mars rovers have to be smart enough to make tiny decisions on their own because it takes so long for messages to travel between Earth and Mars. Coders write special “if this, then that” instructions so the rover knows what to do if it sees a rock, a hole or a hill. It’s like giving the robot its own little brain made of code!
Satellites and space telescopes
Coding doesn’t stop at rockets and rovers. Thousands of satellites circle Earth and other planets, taking pictures, measuring weather and watching for storms.
Without coding, we wouldn’t have GPS in our cars or phones. Satellite code helps scientists and engineers:
- Track hurricanes and dangerous weather
- Guide planes and ships safely around the world
- Take amazing pictures of distant galaxies with telescopes like Hubble.
The people who code for space
It takes a whole team of clever coders to make space missions happen.
When NASA first sent astronauts to the Moon in the 1960s, a brilliant coder named Margaret Hamilton and her team wrote all the code for the computers on the Apollo spacecraft. Her coding helped the astronauts land safely on the Moon – and get home again.
Today, thousands of coders work for NASA, SpaceX and other space companies. Some even write code for space suits that keep astronauts safe and comfortable while floating outside their spacecraft.
Fun fact!
The Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, is the farthest human-made object from Earth – and it’s still sending coded messages home from more than 14 billion miles away.
You could be a space coder
If you love space, science or computers, coding is the perfect way to help you reach for the stars. At Code Ninjas, kids learn to build games, create apps and solve problems – the same skills real space engineers use.
Who knows? Maybe you will write the code that lands the first humans on Mars, drives a robot on an alien moon or discovers life on another planet.
At Code Ninjas, we welcome all future astronauts, space scientists and star coders to learn the skills that could take them anywhere – even the stars.
Ready for lift-off? Visit Code Ninjas at www.codeninjas.co.uk to start your coding journey today!
