Chapter 1.1: What is an API and why is it needed?
Study time: 30 minutes
1. Introduction: API as a "space docking port"
Imagine you are the commander of a spaceship. To connect your ship to the ISS, you need a standard docking port. Without it, docking is impossible, even if the ship and the station are a perfect match.
API (Application Programming Interface) is the same "docking port" for programs. - It is a set of rules that allows different applications to exchange data and work together. - Example: when a mobile application shows the weather forecast, it uses the API of a weather service.
💡 Analogy from space: An API is like a communication protocol between Earth and a Mars rover. The rover receives commands in a format it understands (e.g., "take a photo of the crater"), performs the task, and sends the data back.
2. Why are APIs needed?
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Simplifying development Instead of creating everything from scratch, you use a ready-made API, like the SpaceX API.
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Process automation APIs allow robotic probes to automatically transmit data to Earth without manual intervention.
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System integration Like docking modules of the ISS: an API connects your application with payment systems, databases, or even telescopes!
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Access to unique data For example, the SpaceX API provides real data on rocket launches.
3. How does an API work?
- The client (your program) sends an HTTP request to the server.
- The server (e.g., NASA) processes the request and returns a response in JSON format.
- The data is "space treasures": ISS coordinates, photos of galaxies, a list of exoplanets.
⚡ Example of a request to the "Open Notify" API (ISS):
Response:
4. Types of APIs (Brief overview)
Type | Example from space | Where it is used |
---|---|---|
REST | Standard communication "MCC ↔ satellite" | Web services (90% of cases) |
GraphQL | "Custom request" (e.g., "give only the size and mass of the planet") | Complex systems |
SOAP | Like radio encryption in old missions | Enterprise applications |
In this tutorial, we will focus on REST API - the most popular format.
5. Examples of space APIs
- NASA Open API: Data on asteroids, photos from the Hubble telescope.
- SpaceX API: Information about launches, rockets, Dragon ships.
- Open Notify: Current position of the ISS, number of people in space.
Interactive quiz
🚀 Chapter summary:
An API is the foundation for working with data from external sources. Just as an astronaut cannot work without communication with the MCC, a developer cannot build a complex application without an API. In the next chapter, we will learn how to send "commands" to the server using HTTP methods!
📌 Hint: Try making a request to the Open Notify API and find out where the ISS is now! (You can do this even with a simple console)