Space exploration is the physical exploration of outer space objects and generally anything that involves the technologies, science, and politics regarding space endeavors. Layers of Atmosphere - not to scale (NOAA) Outer space, also called just space, refers to the relatively empty regions of the Universe outside the atmospheres of celestial bodies. ... Layers of Atmosphere - not to scale (NOAA) Outer space, also called just space, refers to the relatively empty regions of the Universe outside the atmospheres of celestial bodies. ...

It was given a boost by the launch of Sputnik 1, the first man-made object to orbit the Earth, which set off the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Two other famous achievements in the early days were putting the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1, and the first people on the Moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin aboard Apollo 11 with Michael Collins. After 30 years of competition focus has started shifting from competition to cooperation and from one-off flights to renewable hardware and most recently to the building of extra-terrestrial launch platforms, such as from a space station and possibly from the Moon. Sputnik 1 (Russian: , Satellite 1) was the first artificial satellite to be put into orbit, on October 4, 1957. ... Two bodies with a slight difference in mass orbiting around a common barycenter. ... Earth is the third planet from the Sun. ... For other uses, see Space Race (disambiguation). ... Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin (Russian: Юрий Алексеевич Гагарин; March 9, 1934 – March 27, 1968), was a Soviet cosmonaut who in 1961 became the first human to travel into space. ... Vostok 1 was the first manned space mission. ... For other moons in the solar system see natural satellite. ... Neil Alden Armstrong (born August 5, 1930) is a former American astronaut, test pilot, and naval aviator famous as the first human ever to step foot on the Moon. ... Buzz Aldrin Colonel Buzz Aldrin, Sc. ... Apollo 11 was an American space mission, part of the Apollo program and the first manned mission to land on the Moon. ... Michael Collins (born October 31, 1930) is a former American astronaut and test pilot. ... The space station Mir A space station is an artificial structure designed for humans to live in space, so far only low earth orbit. ...

Orbiting and reaching space

From a spaceflight perspective, the definition of space usually used is that space begins 100 km (62 miles) above Earth's surface. The United States sometimes uses a 50 mile definition. (See boundary to space.) Layers of Atmosphere (NOAA) The Karman Line is an internationally designated altitude commonly used to define outer space. ...

Achieving orbit is not essential for manned or unmanned interplanetary voyages. The early Apollo mission planning considered using a direct ascent to the moon. Most unmanned space probes to the outer planets use direct ascent -- they do not orbit the earth before departing. However, plans for future manned exploration often include final vehicle assembly in earth orbit. Apollo Program insignia Project Apollo was a series of human spaceflight missions undertaken by the United States of America using the Apollo spacecraft and Saturn launch vehicle, conducted during the years 1961–1972. ... Direct ascent was a proposed method for an American mission to the moon. ...

The first successful orbital launch was of the Soviet unmanned Sputnik I mission on October 4, 1957. This spectacular success led to an escalation of the American space program, and to an undeclared Space Race between the two superpowers. Soviet dog Laika became the first animal in orbit on November 3, 1957. The first orbital flight made by a human being was Vostok 1, carrying Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961. State motto (Russian): Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Capital Moscow Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Socialist republics Area  - Total  - % water 1st before collapse 22,402,200 km² Approx. ... Sputnik 1 was the first artificial satellite to be launched into orbit, on October 4, 1957. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Space Race (disambiguation). ... Laika, shown here in a harness, died from stress and overheating several hours after being launched into space. ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Vostok 1 was the first manned space mission. ... Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin (Russian: Юрий Алексеевич Гагарин; March 9, 1934 – March 27, 1968), was a Soviet cosmonaut who in 1961 became the first human to travel into space. ... April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

One can distinguish the sub-orbital spaceflight and the orbital spaceflight (cf. Difference between sub-orbital and orbital spaceflights). As for sub-orbital flights, on October 3, 1942 an A4 rocket, a prototype for the German V2 rocket bomb, became the first successful launch of an object into space. The first organisms launched into space were fruit flies and corn seeds aboard a U.S.-launched V2 rocket in July, 1946. Another milestone was achieved on May 17, 2004 when Civilian Space eXploration Team launched the GoFast Rocket on a suborbital flight, the first amateur space flight. On June 21, 2004, SpaceShipOne became the first privately-funded manned spacecraft. A sub-orbital spaceflight (or sub-orbital flight) is a spaceflight that does not involve putting a vehicle into orbit. ... An orbital spaceflight (or orbital flight) in the general sense is a spaceflight where the trajectory of a spacecraft reaches the height of, and through having an appropriate velocity enters into, orbit around an astronomical body. ... There sometimes appears to be confusion among the general public about the difference between sub-orbital and orbital spaceflights. ... October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... German test launch. ... In biology and ecology, an organism (in Greek organon = instrument) is a living being. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... June 21 is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 193 days remaining. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... SpaceShipOne is small, having a three-person cabin and short but wide wings. ... An Ariane 5 expendable launch vehicle lifts off with the Rosetta spacecraft on March 2, 2004. ...

The key people in early space exploration

The dream of stepping into the outer reaches of the Earth's atmosphere was driven by rocket technology. The German V2 was the first rocket to travel into space, overcoming the problems of thrust and material failure. During the final days of World War II this technology was obtained by both the Americans and Soviets as were its designers. Whilst the initial driving force may well have been a weapons race for inter-continental ballistic missiles, this soon became the "Space Race". The V-2 rocket or Vergeltungswaffe 2 (Retaliation Weapon 2) was an early ballistic missile used by the German Army during the later stages of World War II against mostly British and Belgian targets. ... Combatants Allies: • Poland, • UK & Commonwealth, • France/Free France, • Soviet Union, • USA, • China, ...and others Axis: • Germany, • Italy, • Japan, ...and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total: 50 million Full list Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total: 12 million Full list World War II... For other uses, see Space Race (disambiguation). ...

• Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Robert Goddard, Hermann Oberth and Reinhold Tilling laid the groundwork of rocketry in the early years of the 20th century.
• Wernher von Braun was lead rocket engineer for Germany's World War II V-2 project. After the war he took American citizenship and led the team to orbit Explorer I, the first American satellite. Von Braun led the team at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center which developed the Saturn V moon rocket.
• Initially the race for space was often led by Sergei Korolev, whose legacy include both the R7 and Soyuz - which remain in service to this day. Korolev was the mastermind behind the first satellite, first mammal in orbit and first spacewalk. Until his death his identity was closely guarded state secret, not even his mother knew that he was responsible for creating the Russian space programme.

Other key people included: Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky (Konstanty Ciołkowski), (Константин Эдуардович Циолковский; September 5, 1857 new style – September 19, 1935) was a Russian and Soviet rocket scientist and pioneer of cosmonautics who spent most of his life in a log-house at the outskirts of the Russian town of Kaluga. ... Robert Goddard is the name of several notable individuals, including: Robert Goddard (scientist) (1882-1945), one of the pioneers of modern rocketry. ... Oberth (in front) with fellow ABMA employees Hermann Julius Oberth (June 25, 1894 - December 28, 1989) was a German physicist and one of the founding fathers of rocketry and astronautics. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Wernher von Braun stands at his desk in the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama in May 1964, with models of rockets developed and in progress. ... Explorer-I, officially known as Satellite 1958 Alpha, was the first United States Earth satellite and was sent aloft as part of the United States program for the International Geophysical Year 1957-1958. ... Aerial view of the test area at Marshall Space Flight Center The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is a lead NASA center for propulsion, Space Shuttle propulsion, external fuel tank, crew training and payloads, International Space Station (ISS) design and construction, for computers, networks, and information management. ... This article is about the rocket. ... Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (Серге́й Па́влович Королёв) (December 30, 1906– January 14, 1966) was the head Soviet rocket engineer and designer during the space race, known only as the chief designer during his lifetime. ...

• Valentin Glushko held role of Chief Engine Designer for USSR. Glushko designed the engines of the early Soviet rockets.
• Vasily Mishin, Chief Designer working under Sergei Korolev and one of first Soviets to inspect the captured German V2 design. Following the death of Sergei Korolev, Mishin was held responsible for the Soviet failure to be first country to place a man on the moon.
• Bob Gilruth, was NASA head of Space Task Force and director of 25 manned space flights. Gilruth was the person who suggested to John F. Kennedy that the Americans take the bold step of reaching the Moon in an attempt to reclaim space superiority from the Soviets.
• Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., was NASA's first flight director and oversaw development of Mission Control and associated technologies and procedures.

Valentin Petrovich Glushko (born September 2, 1908 in Odessa, Ukraine, died January 10, 1989) was a Russian engineer and rocketry pioneer. ... Robert Rowe Gilruth (October 18, 1913_August 17, 2000) was an American aviation and space pioneer. ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. ... Christopher Columbus Kraft, Jr. ... Flight controller: a space flight control room position at NASAs Mission Control Center. ... Mission Control Center (MCC) is a unit that manages aerospace flights. ...

Criticisms

It is more expensive to perform certain tasks in space with humans rather than by robots or machines. Humans need large spacecraft that contain provisions such as a hermetic and temperature controlled cabin, production of breathable air, food and drink storage, waste disposal, voice- and other communication systems, and safety features such as crew escape systems, medical facilities, etc. There is also the question of the security of the spacecraft as whole; losing a robot is nowhere near as dramatic as human loss, so overall safety of non-human missions isn't as much of an issue. All of these extra expenses have to be weighed against the value of having humans aboard. Some critics argue that those few instances where human intervention is essential do not justify the enormous extra costs of having humans aboard. A humanoid robot manufactured by Honda. ... An Ariane 5 expendable launch vehicle lifts off with the Rosetta spacecraft on March 2, 2004. ... A container or barrier that is hermetic is sealed so that not even air can enter or leave. ...

Other critics, such as the late physicist and Nobel-prize winner Richard Feynman, have contended that space travel has never achieved any major scientific breakthroughs. However, others counter-argued that there have been many indirect scientific achievements: development of the modern computer, lasers, etc. A physicist is a scientist trained in physics. ... Nobel, (Swedish pronunciation: nou´bell ), can mean: Nobel Prize - awarded annually since 1901, from the request of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel Nobel Prize in Physics Nobel Prize in Chemistry Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Nobel Prize for Literature Nobel Peace Prize Laureates/Winners of the Nobel Prize By Country... Richard Phillips Feynman (May 11, 1918 – February 15, 1988) (surname pronounced FINE-man; in IPA) was one of the most influential American physicists of the 20th century, expanding greatly the theory of quantum electrodynamics, quark theory, and the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium. ... For the magazine by IEEE Computer Society, see Computer (magazine) A computer is a machine for manipulating data according to a list of instructions - a program. ... Lasers range in size from microscopic diode lasers (top) with numerous applications, to football field sized neodymium glass lasers (bottom) used for inertial confinement fusion, nuclear weapons research and other physics experiments. ...

Some critics contend that in light of the huge distances in space, human space travel will never be able to do more than achieve an earth orbit or at best visit our closest neighbours in the solar system, and even this will consume large amounts of money and will require complex spacecraft that will accommodate only a handful of people. Supporters of human space travel state that this is irrelevant, because its real value lies in providing a focal point for national prestige and patriotism. They suggest that this was the reason why the Clinton administration cooperated closely with Russia on the International Space Station: it gave Russia something to take pride in, and as such became a stabilizing factor in post-communist Russia. From this point of view, the ISS was a justifiable cash outlay. Presentation of the solar system (not to scale) The solar system comprises the Earths Sun and the retinue of celestial objects gravitationally bound to it. ... Defense of the homeland is a commonplace of military patriotism: commemorating the students at the École Polytechnique, Paris, 1814 // Introduction Patriotism denotes positive attitudes by individuals to their own civic or political community, and to actions towards other countries, or to non-civic groups, are not generally described as patriotic... Order: 42nd President Term of Office: January 20, 1993–January 20, 2001 Preceded by: George H. W. Bush Succeeded by: George W. Bush Date of birth: August 19, 1946 Place of birth: Hope, Arkansas Date of death: Place of death: First Lady: Hillary Rodham Clinton Political party: Democratic Vice President... International Space Station insignia ISS Statistics Crew: 2 As of March 5, 2006 Perigee: 352. ... The Post-Soviet states, also commonly known as former Soviet republics, are the independent nations which split off from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in its breakup in 1991. ...

Some people also have moral objections to the huge costs of space travel, and point out that even a fraction of the space travel budget would make a huge difference in fighting disease and hunger in the world. However, space exploration itself receives a very small percentage of total government spending (nearly always under 0.5%).

Overall, the public remains largely supportive of both manned and unmanned space exploration. According to an Associated Press Poll conducted in July 2003, 71% of US citizens agreed with the statement that the space program is "a good investment," compared to 21% who did not (Pollingreport.com). Associated Press logo This article concerns the news service. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Some supporters of Space Explorations, such as Robert Zubrin, have criticized ideas about in orbit assemblies, and argues for a direct approch for human settlement of Mars called Mars Direct. Robert Zubrin is an aerospace engineer and author best known for his advocacy of manned Mars exploration. ... Mars Direct is a proposal for a relatively low-cost manned mission to Mars with current rocket technology. ...

Timeline of space exploration

Timeline of planetary exploration, Timeline of solar system exploration, Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes Some debate exists over the definition of space (see boundary to space), and hence that of spaceflight. ... Timeline of planetary exploration by date of launch. ... Timeline of solar system exploration organized by date of launch. ... Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes Key: Year - Origin - Target - Status – Description // 1950s 1957 - Russia - Earth - Success - Sputnik 1 is launched, the first Earth orbiting satellite 1957 - Russia - Earth - Partial success - Sputnik 2 is launched, the first Earth orbiting satellite with an animal (Laika) 1958 - USA - Earth - Success - Explorer...

1942-1975

Date	First Success	Country	Mission Name
October 3, 1942	First rocket to reach space (over 100 km)	Nazi Germany	V2 rocket, military program
July 1946	Animal in space (fruit flies)	USA-ABMA	V2
August 21, 1957	Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)	USSR	R-7 Semyorka/SS-6 Sapwood
October 4, 1957	Artificial satellite	USSR	Sputnik 1
November 3, 1957	Animal in orbit (dog)	USSR	Sputnik 2
January 31, 1958	Detection of Van Allen belts	USA-ABMA	Explorer I
December 18, 1958	Communications satellite	USA-ABMA	Project SCORE
September 14, 1959	Probe to Moon	USSR	Luna 2
February 17, 1959	Weather satellite	USA-NASA (NRL)1	Vanguard 2
August 7, 1959	Photo of Earth from space	USA-NASA	Explorer 6
August 18, 1960	Reconnaissance satellite	USA-Air Force	KH-1 9009
April 12, 1961	Human in orbit	USSR	Vostok 1
March 18, 1965	Extra-vehicular activity	USSR	Voskhod 2
December 15, 1965	Orbital rendezvous2	USA-NASA	Gemini 6A/Gemini 7
March 1, 1966	Probe to another planet	USSR	Venera 3
July 21, 1969	Human on the Moon	USA-NASA	Apollo 11
April 23, 1971	Space station	USSR	Salyut 1
July 15, 1975	First U.S.-USSR joint mission	USSR USA-NASA	Apollo-Soyuz Test Project

¹Project Vanguard was transferred from the NRL to NASA immediately before launch.
² The Soviet Union had attempted an earlier rendezvous on August 12, 1962; However, Vostok 3 and Vostok 4 were only within five kilometers of one another, and were in different orbital planes. Pravda, however, did not mention this information and indicated that rendezvous had been accomplished. October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany_1933. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Nazism. ... German test launch. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Squirrel monkey Baker rode a Jupiter missile into space in 1959 Animals in space originally served to test the survivability of spaceflight before manned space missions were attempted. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... The Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) is the part of the US Army which, in the 1950s, designed the Jupiter-C IRBM and Jupiter IRBM. The Saturn I was also conceived by the ABMA. At this time the ABMA was headed by Doctor Wernher von Braun. ... German test launch. ... August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Minuteman III missile soars after a test launch. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... R-7 with Sputnik 2 The R-7 Semyorka was the worlds first intercontinental ballistic missile and was deployed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War from 1959 to 1968. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... Sputnik 1 (Russian: , Satellite 1) was the first artificial satellite to be put into orbit, on October 4, 1957. ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... Sputnik 2 (Russian: , Satellite 2) was the second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit, on November 3, 1957, and the first to carry a living animal - a dog. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Van Allen radiation belts The Van Allen radiation belt is a torus of energetic charged particles ( a plasma) around Earth, trapped by Earths magnetic field. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Explorer-I, officially known as Satellite 1958 Alpha, was the first United States Earth satellite and was sent aloft as part of the United States program for the International Geophysical Year 1957-1958. ... December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... U.S. military MILSTAR communications satellite A communications satellite (sometimes abbreviated to comsat) is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purposes of telecommunications. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... September 14 is the 257th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (258th in leap years). ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... Luna 2 was the second of the Soviet Unions Luna program spacecraft launched in the direction of the Moon. ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A weather satellite is a type of artificial satellite that is primarily used to monitor the weather and climate of the Earth. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... NASA logo Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from an article revision dated 2005-09-01, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... The US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps and conducts a broad program of scientific research and advanced development. ... // Mission Objectives Vanguard 2 was an earth-orbiting satellite designed to measure cloud-cover distribution over the daylight portion of its orbit. ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Explorer 6 was a US satellite launched on August 7, 1959. ... August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite or recon sat) is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... KH-4B Corona satellite Recovery of Discoverer 14 return capsule (typical for the Corona series Diagram of J-1 type stereo / panoramic reciprocating Corona reconnaissance satellite camera system used on KH-4A missions from 1963 to 1969. ... April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... Vostok 1 was the first manned space mission. ... March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Astronaut Bruce McCandless on an untethered EVA Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth and outside of his or her spacecraft. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... Voskhod 2 was a Soviet manned space mission. ... December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... A space rendezvous between two spacecraft, often between a spacecraft and a space station, is an orbital maneuver where the two arrive at the same orbit, make the orbital velocities the same, and bring them together (an approach maneuver, taxiing maneuver); it may or may not include docking. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Gemini 6A (officially Gemini VI-A) was a 1965 manned spaceflight in NASAs Gemini program. ... Gemini 7 (officially Gemini VII) was a 1965 manned spaceflight in NASAs Gemini program. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... Venera 3 was a Venera program space probe that was built and launched by the Soviet Union to explore the surface of Venus. ... July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Apollo 11 was an American space mission, part of the Apollo program and the first manned mission to land on the Moon. ... April 23 is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (114th in leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... The space station Mir A space station is an artificial structure designed for humans to live in space, so far only low earth orbit. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... Salyut 1 (DOS 1) was the first Salyut space station, and the first human-made space station of any kind. ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was the first joint flight of the US and Soviet space programs. ... August 12 is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Vostok 3 was a mission in the Soviet space program. ... Vostok 4 was a mission in the Soviet space program. ... The orbital plane of an object orbiting another is the geometrical plane in which the orbit is embedded. ... This article describes the Soviet/Russian newspaper. ...

post-1975

Date	First Success	Country	Mission Name
October 2, 1978	Non-American and non-Soviet in space	USSR	Soyuz 28
April 12, 1981	Reusable manned spacecraft	USA-NASA	STS-1
June 13, 1983	Extra-solar system spacecraft	USA-NASA	Pioneer 10
September 11, 1985	Comet probe	USA-NASA	International Cometary Explorer
April 28, 2001	Space tourist	Russia USA	Soyuz TM-32
June 21, 2004	Privately developed manned spacecraft	USA-MAV	SpaceShipOne 15P

October 2 is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 90 days remaining. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union. ... Crew Aleksei Gubarev (2) Vladimír Remek - Czech Republic (1) Mission Parameters Mass: 6800 kg Perigee: 198. ... April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Space Shuttle Columbia seconds after engine ignition, 1981 (NASA). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... NASA logo Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from an article revision dated 2005-09-01, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... The first Space Shuttle mission, STS-1, launched April 12, 1981, returned April 14. ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Pioneer 10 in the final stage of construction Launch of Pioneer 10 Pioneer 10 (also called Pioneer F) was the first spacecraft to travel through the asteroid belt, and was the first spacecraft to make direct observations of Jupiter. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ... Comet Hale-Bopp For other uses, see Comet (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... The International Cometary Explorer (ICE) spacecraft was originally known as International Sun/Earth Explorer 3 (ISEE-3) satellite, launched August 12, 1978. ... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Space tourism is the recent phenomenon of space travel by individuals for the purpose of personal pleasure. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Soyuz TM-32 The crew of Soyuz TM-32 // Crew Launched: 1 Talgat Musabayev (3) - Commander 2 Yuri Baturin (2) - Flight Engineer 3 Dennis Tito (1) - Space tourist Landed: 1 Viktor Afanasyev (4) - Commander 2 Claudie Haigneré (2) - Flight Engineer 3 Konstantin Kozeyev (1) (1) number of spaceflights each crew... June 21 is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 193 days remaining. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... Mojave Aerospace Ventures (MAV) is a company founded by Paul Allen and Burt Rutan to handle the commercial spinoffs from the Tier One project. ... Flight 15P of SpaceShipOne was the first privately-funded human spaceflight. ...

Reusable spacecraft

The Space Shuttle Columbia seconds after engine ignition, 12 April 1981 (NASA)

The first reusable spacecraft, the Space Shuttle, was launched by the USA on the 20th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's flight, on April 12, 1981. During the Shuttle era, six orbiters were built, all of which have flown in the atmosphere and five of which have flown in space. The Enterprise was used only for approach and landing tests, launching from the back of a Boeing 747 and gliding to deadstick landings at Edwards AFB, California. The first Space Shuttle to fly into space was the Columbia, followed by the Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour. The Endeavour was built to replace the Challenger when it was lost in January 1986. The Columbia broke up during reentry in February 2003. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (700x813, 126 KB)Launching of the NASA Space Shuttle Columbia on STS-1 in April 1981. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (700x813, 126 KB)Launching of the NASA Space Shuttle Columbia on STS-1 in April 1981. ... The Space Shuttle Columbia seconds after engine ignition, 1981 (NASA). ... April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Enterprise visited pad 39-A in launch configuration 20 months before the first Shuttle launch. ... Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-412 The Boeing 747, commonly called the Jumbo Jet, is one of the most recognizable modern airliners and is the largest airliner currently in airline service. ... Edwards Air Force Base is a base located on the border of Kern County and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley, northeast of Lancaster. ... The Challenger breaks apart 73 seconds into its final mission, STS-51-L. Space Shuttle Challenger (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-099) was NASAs second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, after Columbia. ... Shuttle Orbiter Discovery (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) is a NASA Space Shuttle. ... The Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis landing in 1997 Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-104) is one of five NASA space shuttles. ... Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-105), is the fifth and final, and therefore, the youngest and newest, operational NASA space shuttle to be built. ... The launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission 51L/STS-33, the 25th of the STS (Space Transportation System) program, began at an estimated time of 16:38:00. ... Shuttle debris falling over Texas, on Time cover The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster was the disintegration of the Space Shuttle Columbia over Texas on February 1, 2003, during reentry into the Earths atmosphere on its 28th mission, STS-107. ...

The first (and so far only) automatic reusable spacecraft was the Buran (Snowstorm), launched by the USSR on November 15, 1988, although it made only one flight. This spaceplane was designed for a crew and strongly resembled the U.S. Space Shuttle, although its drop-off boosters used liquid propellants and its main engines were located at the base of what would be the external tank in the American Shuttle. Lack of funding, complicated by the dissolution of the USSR, prevented any further flights of Buran. Illustration of the Buran Shuttle on an Energiya booster rocket Buran_Energia on the launch pad at Baikonur Buran_Energia on the pad Buran on liftoff Buran on touchdown Buran piggybacked on an An-225 carrier The Soviet reusable spacecraft program Buran (Бура́н meaning snowstorm or blizzard in Russian) began in 1976... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A spaceplane is a rocket plane designed to pass the edge of space. ...

Per the Vision for Space Exploration, the Space Shuttle is due to be retired in 2010. The orbiter Atlantis (Space Shuttle) may be retired as early as 2008. The Shuttle's human transport role is to be replaced by the partially reusable Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) no later than 2014. The Shuttle's heavy cargo transport role is to be replaced by expendable rockets such as the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) or a Shuttle Derived Launch Vehicle. Image from NASA site Two planned configurations for a return to the moon, heavy lift (left) and crew (right) The Vision for Space Exploration is the United States space policy announced on January 14, 2004 by President George W. Bush. ... The Space Shuttle Columbia seconds after engine ignition, 1981 (NASA). ... For the film, see 2010: The Year We Make Contact. ... Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-104) is one of five NASA space shuttles. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Boeings early CEV concept CEV with lunar lander The Crew Exploration Vehicle is NASAs proposed series of human spaceflight spacecraft, intended to supersede the space shuttle system. ... 2014 (MMXIV) will be a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The U.S. Government–sponsored Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program was intended to develop affordable alternatives to legacy medium-to-heavy-lift launch vehicles (e. ... Comparison of the Saturn V, Space Shuttle and the two proposed Shuttle Derived Launch Vehicles. ...

Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne was a reusable suborbital spaceplane that carried pilots Mike Melvill and Brian Binnie on consecutive flights in 2004 to win the Ansari X Prize. The Spaceship Company will build its successor SpaceShipTwo. A fleet of SpaceShipTwos operated by Virgin Galactic should begin reusable private spaceflight carrying paying passengers in 2008. Scaled Composites (often abbreviated as Scaled) was founded in 1982 in Mojave, California by famous aircraft designer Burt Rutan out of what used to be the Rutan Aircraft Factory. ... SpaceShipOne is small, having a three-person cabin and short but wide wings. ... A spaceplane is a rocket plane designed to pass the edge of space. ... SpaceShipOne test pilot Mike Melvill Michael W. Melvill (born November 1941) is one of the test pilots for SpaceShipOne, the experimental spaceplane developed by Scaled Composites. ... SpaceShipOne test pilot Brian Binnie Brian Binnie is one of the test pilots for SpaceShipOne, the experimental spaceplane developed by Scaled Composites. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... The X prize logo shows a stylised letter X representing a spacecraft trajectory and containing a starfield. ... The Spaceship Company is a spacecraft manufacturing company formed by Burt Rutan and Richard Branson, jointly owned by Virgin Group and Scaled Composites, which will own the techology created by Scaled for Virgin Galctics Virgin SpaceShip program. ... The Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo is a suborbital spaceplane currenty under development to become the successor to SpaceShipOne. ... Virgin Galactic is a spaceline in Sir Richard Bransons Virgin Group, which plans to offer sub-orbital spaceflights and later orbital spaceflights to the paying public. ... This space for sale During the early years of spaceflight only nation states had the resources to develop and fly spacecraft. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Space agencies

While only the United States, Soviet Union/Russian and Chinese space programs have launched humans into orbit, a number of other countries have space agencies which design and launch satellites, conduct space research and coordinate national astronaut programs. In Europe, the European Space Agency serves several nations. Several nations have launched their own satellites including India, Japan and France. The European Space Agency (ESA), established in 1975, is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 17 member states. ...

See also List of space agencies This is a list of government agencies engaged in activities related to outer space. ...

See also

Spaceflight Portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Category:Space exploration

Image File history File links Portal. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

Unmanned missions

Main article: Unmanned space mission Unmanned space missions are those using remote-controlled spacecraft. ...

• Timeline of planetary exploration
• Landings on other planets

• Pioneer program
• Luna program
• Zond program
• Venera program
• Mars probe program
• Ranger program
• Mariner program
• Surveyor program
• Viking program
• Voyager program
• Vega program
• Phobos program
• Discovery program

Timeline of planetary exploration by date of launch. ... Moon Luna 9 - February 3, 1966 Surveyor 1 - June 2, 1966 Luna 13 - December 24, 1966 Surveyor 3 - April 20, 1967 Surveyor 5 - September 11, 1967 Surveyor 6 - November 10, 1967 Surveyor 7 - January 10, 1968 Apollo 11 - manned mission, July 20, 1969 Apollo 12 - manned mission, November 18, 1969... The US Pioneer program of unmanned space missions was designed for planetary exploration. ... The Luna programme was a series of 24 unmanned space missions sent to the Moon by the Soviet Union between 1959 and 1976. ... The name Zond (meaning probe in Russian) is the name given to two series of Soviet unmanned space missions from 1964 to 1970 to gather information about nearby planets and test spacecraft. ... Color image taken from the surface of Venus by the Soviet Venera 13 lander The Venera series of probes was developed by the USSR for the gathering of data from Venus. ... The Mars program was a series of Mars unmanned landers and orbiters launched by the Soviet Union in the early 1970s. ... The Ranger program was a series of unmanned space missions by the United States in the 1960s whose objective was to obtain the first close-up images of the surface of the Moon. ... Launch of Mariner 1 (NASA) The Mariner program was a series of unmanned interplanetary probes designed to investigate Mars, Venus and Mercury. ... Diagram of Surveyor lunar landing spacecraft (NASA) The Surveyor Program comprised unmanned spaceflights to the Moon, with soft landings, without returning (although Surveyor 6 became the first spacecraft to lift off the moon). ... NASAs Viking program consisted of two unmanned space missions to Mars, Viking 1 and Viking 2. ... The Voyager spacecraft Launch of Voyager 2 Voyager is also the name of a planned series of unmanned probes to Mars, cancelled in 1968. ... The Vega mission was a Venus mission which also took advantage of the appearance of Comet Halley in 1986. ... Illustration of the Phobos spacecraft Image of Phobos taken by Phobos 2 spacecraft The Phobos program was an unmanned space mission consisting of two probes launched by the Soviet Union to study Mars and its moons Phobos and Deimos. ... NASAs Discovery Program is a series of lower-cost, highly focused scientific space missions. ...

Animals in space

• Animals in space
• Monkeys in space
• Russian space dogs

Squirrel monkey Baker rode a Jupiter missile into space in 1959 Animals in space originally served to test the survivability of spaceflight before manned space missions were attempted. ... Sam the rhesus monkey flew to an apogee of 88 km in 1959. ... Belka and Strelka orbited the Earth and returned safely on Korabl-Sputnik-2 During the 1950s and 1960s the USSR used a number of dogs for sub-orbital and orbital space flights to determine whether human spaceflight was feasible. ...

Humans in space

Main articles: Astronauts and human spaceflight U.S. Space Shuttle astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit (MMU) outside the Challenger in 1984. ... Human spaceflight is space exploration with a human crew, and possibly passengers (in contrast to dog-manned space missions, which are remotely-controlled or robotic space probes). ...

• List of human spaceflights
• List of human spaceflights chronologically
• List of human spaceflights by program
• Vostok program
• Mercury program
• Voskhod program
• Gemini program
• Soyuz program
• Apollo program
• Salyut program
• Skylab
• Space Shuttle program
• Mir
• International Space Station
• Shenzhou spacecraft
• Vision for Space Exploration
• Aurora Programme
• Tier One
• Human adaptation to space

For a detailed listing of human spaceflights, see: List of human spaceflights, 1961-1986 List of human spaceflights, 1987-1999 List of human spaceflights, 2000-present Also see: List of human spaceflights by program List of human spaceflights chronologically Spaceflight records Categories: Human spaceflight ... Some debate exists over the definition of space (see boundary to space), and hence that of spaceflight. ... List of human spaceflights: // Apollo Missions Apollo 7 Apollo 8 - first human flight around the moon Apollo 9 Apollo 10 Apollo 11 - first human moon landing Apollo 12 Apollo 13 - explosion en route to Moon forced emergency return to Earth by using free return trajectory Apollo 14 Apollo 15 Apollo... The Vostok program (Восто́к, translated as East) was a Soviet human spaceflight project that succeeded in putting a person into Earth orbit for the first time. ... Description Role: Orbital spaceflight Crew: one, pilot Dimensions Height: 11. ... The Voskhod programme (Восход, translated as Sunrise) was a Soviet human spaceflight project. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Soyuz human spaceflight programme was initiated in the early 1960s as part of the Luna programme that was intended to put a Soviet cosmonaut on the Moon. ... Description Role: Earth and Lunar Orbit Crew: 3; CDR, CM pilot, LM pilot Dimensions Height: 36. ... The Salyut (Russian: Салют, Salute or Firework) program was a series of space stations launched by the Soviet Union in the 1970s. ... Drawing of Skylab with components labelled Skylab was the first space station the United States launched into orbit. ... The Space Shuttle Columbia seconds after engine ignition, 1981 (NASA). ... Mir (Мир, which can mean both world and peace in Russian) was a highly successful Soviet (and later Russian) space station. ... International Space Station insignia ISS Statistics Crew: 2 As of March 5, 2006 Perigee: 352. ... 1:40 scale model of Shenzhou 1 Shenzhou (Chinese: 神舟; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is the name of a spacecraft from the Peoples Republic of China which first carried a Chinese astronaut into orbit on October 15, 2003. ... Image from NASA site Two planned configurations for a return to the moon, heavy lift (left) and crew (right) The Vision for Space Exploration is the United States space policy announced on January 14, 2004 by President George W. Bush. ... The Aurora Programme of the European Space Agency is an ambitious programme of manned and unmanned exploration of the Solar system, and particularly Mars. ... Tier One is Scaled Composites program of suborbital human spaceflight using the reusable spacecraft SpaceShipOne and its launcher White Knight. ... Human adaptation to space is a challenging field in the development of more practical human spaceflight. ...

Recent and future developments

• Crew Exploration Vehicle
• Exploration of Mars
• Future energy development
• Space tourism
• Private spaceflight
• Space colonization
• Interstellar spaceflight

Boeings early CEV concept CEV with lunar lander The Crew Exploration Vehicle is NASAs proposed series of human spaceflight spacecraft, intended to supersede the space shuttle system. ... Computer generated image of one of the two Mars Exploration Rovers which touched down on Mars in 2004. ... // Energy development is the ongoing effort to provide abundant and accessible energy, through knowledge, skills and constructions. ... Space tourism is the recent phenomenon of space travel by individuals for the purpose of personal pleasure. ... This space for sale During the early years of spaceflight only nation states had the resources to develop and fly spacecraft. ... Artists conception of a space habitat called the Stanford torus, by Don Davis Space colonization, also called space settlement and space humanization, is the hypothetical permanent autonomous (self-sufficient) human habitation of locations outside Earth. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Interstellar travel. ...

Other

• Atmospheric reentry
• Space station
• Space and survival
• Space disasters
• Space mathematics
• List of artificial objects on extra-terrestrial surfaces

Mars Exploration Rover (MER) aeroshell, artistic rendition. ... The space station Mir A space station is an artificial structure designed for humans to live in space, so far only low earth orbit. ... Space and survival is the relationship between space and the long-term survival of the human species and civilization. ... Test pilot Stuart Present ejects safely from the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle. ... The purpose of this article is to introduce non-scientists, non-engineers, and other laymen to the basic mathematics of space exploration. ... Artists Concept of Rover on Mars (credit: Maas Digital LLC) Huygens probe which landed on Titan List of artificial objects on the Moon List of artificial objects on Mars List of artificial objects on Venus Artificial objects on other solar-system bodies In 1995 the Galileo spacecraft released a...

External links

• http://www.space.gs Space and Astronautics News
• http://www.federalspace.ru/
• http://www.russianspaceweb.com/
• http://space.skyrocket.de/
• http://www.planet4589.org/space/
• http://www.nasa.gov
• http://www.spacefacts.de
• http://www.vastbeyond.com
• http://www.space.com
• http://www.spacelist.org
• Universe Today - space news from around the Internet
• National Space Society - non-profit organization that promotes a spacefaring civilization
• Recent Developments In Space Exploration
• Benefits of Space Exploration - bibliography fom NASA.gov
• Technology Spinoffs from Space Exploration - NASA.gov
• 20 minute video essay on space exploration
• Planet Surveyor

Human spaceflight is space exploration with a human crew, and possibly passengers (in contrast to dog-manned space missions, which are remotely-controlled or robotic space probes). ... The European Space Agency (ESA), established in 1975, is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 17 member states. ... The National Space Organization or NSPO is the civilian space agency of the Republic of China (Taiwan) under the auspices of the Executive Yuans National Science Council. ...