ISS in earth orbit.

Spaceflight is the movement of spacecraft into and through outer space, primarily using rocket technology for propulsion. Spaceflight is used in space exploration, and also in commercial activities like space tourism and satellite telecommunications. Additional non-commercial uses of spaceflight include space observatories, reconnaissance satellites and other earth observation satellites. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 530 pixelsFull resolution (3032 × 2007 pixel, file size: 990 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 530 pixelsFull resolution (3032 × 2007 pixel, file size: 990 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The International Space Station (ISS) is a research facility currently being assembled in space. ... Two bodies with a slight difference in mass orbiting around a common barycenter. ... The Space Shuttle Discovery as seen from the International Space Station. ... Layers of Atmosphere - not to scale (NOAA)[1] Outer space, sometimes simply called space, refers to the relatively empty regions of the universe outside the atmospheres of celestial bodies. ... A Soyuz rocket, at Baikonur launch pad. ... A remote camera captures a close-up view of a Space Shuttle Main Engine during a test firing at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi Propulsion means to add speed or acceleration to an object, by an engine or other similar device. ... Space exploration is the physical exploration of outer space, both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft. ... The curvature of the Earth seen from orbit would be one of the main attractions for tourists paying to go into space Space tourism is the recent phenomenon of space travel by individuals for the purpose of personal pleasure. ... 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 using radio at microwave frequencies. ... Space telescopes A space observatory is any instrument in outer space which is used for observation of distant planets, galaxies, and other outer space objects. ... 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. ... Earth observation satellites are satellites specifically designed to observe Earth from orbit, similar to reconnaissance satellites but intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, map making etc. ...

A spaceflight begins with a launch, which provides the initial thrust to overcome the force of gravity and propel the spacecraft from the surface of the Earth. Once in space, the motion of a spacecraft -- both when unpropelled and when under propulsion -- is determined by astrodynamics. Some spacecraft remain in space indefinitely, some disintegrate during atmospheric reentry, and others reach the surface for landing or impact. Rockets (including missiles) can be launched from the following: for a launch into an orbital spaceflight and beyond: a launch pad, including a floating platform (see San Marco platform, Sea Launch) for the launch into a suborbital flight also: a missile silo a mobile launcher vehicle a submarine air launch... Gravity is a force of attraction that acts between bodies that have mass. ... Astrodynamics is the study of the motion of rockets, missiles, and space vehicles, as determined from Sir Isaac Newtons laws of motion and his law of universal gravitation. ... Reentry redirects here. ...

History of spaceflight

The realistic proposal of space travel goes back to Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. His most famous work, "Исследование мировых пространств реактивными приборами" (The Exploration of Cosmic Space by Means of Reaction Devices), was published in 1903, but this theoretical work was not widely influential outside of Russia. Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky (Константин Эдуардович Циолковский, Konstanty CioÅ‚kowski) (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 on the outskirts of the Russian town of Kaluga. ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ...

Spaceflight became an engineering possibility with the work of Robert H. Goddard's publication in 1919 of his paper 'A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes'; where his application of the de Laval nozzle to liquid fuel rockets gave sufficient power that interplanetary travel became possible. This paper was highly influential on Hermann Oberth and Wernher Von Braun, later key players in spaceflight. Robert Hutchings Goddard (1882-1945) Robert Hutchings Goddard (October 5, 1882 – August 10, 1945), U.S. professor and scientist, was a pioneer of controlled, liquid-fueled rocketry. ... Robert Hutchings Goddard (1882-1945) Robert Hutchings Goddard (October 5, 1882 – August 10, 1945), U.S. professor and scientist, was a pioneer of controlled, liquid-fueled rocketry. ... Diagram of a de Laval nozzle, showing approximate flow velocity increasing from green to red A de Laval nozzle (or convergent-divergent nozzle, CD nozzle or con-di nozzle) is a tube that is pinched in the middle, making an hourglass-shape. ... A liquid rocket engine has propellant and oxidiser in liquid form, as opposed to a solid rocket or hybrid rocket. ... Oberth (in front) with fellow ABMA employees. ... 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. ...

The first rocket to reach space was a prototype of the German V-2, on a test flight on October 3, 1942. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, which became the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. The first human spaceflight was Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961, aboard which Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made one orbit around the Earth. The Vergeltungswaffe 2 (V-2) (Reprisal weapon 2 Propaganda name given by Joseph Goebbels) , also known, in the Development Process as the A4 (Aggregat 1-4), was the first and till date has the most lethal combat record of any ballistic missile. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Sputnik 1 (Russian: , Satellite-1, byname ПС-1 (PS-1, i. ... An Earth observation satellite, ERS 2 In the context of spaceflight, satellites are objects which have been placed into orbit by human endeavor. ... Earth orbit is an orbit around the planet Earth. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... Edward White on a spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission. ... Vostok 1 was the first manned space mission. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit outside the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger in 1984. ... Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin (Russian: , Yuriy Alekseyevich Gagarin IPA: ; 9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968), Hero of the Soviet Union, was a Soviet cosmonaut. ...

Rockets remain the only currently practical means of reaching space. Other technologies such as scramjets still fall far short of orbital speed, although show some potential.^{[citation needed]} X-43A with scramjet attached to the underside at Mach 7 A scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) is a variation of a ramjet with the key difference being that the flow in the combustor is supersonic. ...

Earth-launched spaceflight

Proton Rocket heading for space

Russian Proton rocket (NASA) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Russian Proton rocket (NASA) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Reaching space

Main article: Kármán line

The most commonly used definition of outer space is everything beyond the Kármán line, which is 100 kilometers (62 mi) above the Earth's surface. (The United States sometimes uses a 50 miles (80 km) definition.) Layers of Atmosphere - not to scale (NOAA)[1] Atmospheric gases scatter blue wavelengths of visible light more than other wavelengths, giving the Earth’s visible edge a blue halo. ... Layers of Atmosphere - not to scale (NOAA)[1] Atmospheric gases scatter blue wavelengths of visible light more than other wavelengths, giving the Earth’s visible edge a blue halo. ...

Sub-orbital spaceflight

Main article: Sub-orbital spaceflight

On a sub-orbital spaceflight the spacecraft reaches space, but does not achieve orbit. Instead, its trajectory brings it back to the surface of the Earth. Suborbital flights can last many hours. Pioneer 1 was NASA's first space probe, intended to reach the Moon. A partial failure caused it to instead follow a suborbital trajectory to an altitude of 113,854 kilometers (70,748 mi) before reentering the Earth's atmosphere 43 hours after launch. A sub-orbital spaceflight (or sub-orbital flight) is a spaceflight that does not involve putting a vehicle into orbit. ... A sub-orbital spaceflight (or sub-orbital flight) is a spaceflight that does not involve putting a vehicle into orbit. ... Pioneer 1 atop its launcher Pioneer 1, the second and most successful of three project Able space probes and the first spacecraft launched by the newly formed NASA, was intended to study the ionizing radiation, cosmic rays, magnetic fields, and micrometeorites in the vicinity of the Earth and in lunar...

On May 17, 2004, Civilian Space eXploration Team launched the GoFast Rocket on a suborbital flight, the first amateur space flight. On June 21, 2004, SpaceShipOne was used for the first privately-funded human spaceflight. is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... CSXT/GoFast space launch, May 17, 2004. ... is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... SpaceShipOne is small, having a three-person cabin and short but wide wings. ... This space for sale Private spaceflight is flight above 100km Earth altitude conducted by an entity other than a government. ... Edward White on a spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission. ...

Orbital spaceflight

Main article: Orbital spaceflight

A minimal orbital spaceflight requires much higher velocities than a minimal sub-orbital flight, and so it is technologically much more challenging to achieve. To achieve orbital spaceflight, the tangential velocity around the Earth is just as important as height. In order to perform a stable and lasting flight in space, the velocity of the launched craft should be such that a closed orbit is possible. 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. ... 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. ... Two bodies with a slight difference in mass orbiting around a common barycenter. ...

Direct ascent

Main article: Direct ascent

Achieving a closed orbit is not essential to interplanetary voyages, for which spacecrafts need to reach escape velocity. Early Russian space vehicles successfully achieved very high altitudes without going into orbit.^{[citation needed]} In its early Apollo mission planning NASA considered using a direct ascent to the moon, but abandoned that idea later due to weight considerations. Many unmanned space probes to the outer planets use direct ascent -- they do not orbit the earth before departing. Direct ascent was a proposed method for an American mission to the moon. ... Space Shuttle Atlantis launches on mission STS-71. ... Project Apollo was a series of human spaceflight missions undertaken by the United States of America (NASA) using the Apollo spacecraft and Saturn launch vehicle, conducted during the years 1961 – 1975. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... Direct ascent was a proposed method for an American mission to the moon. ...

However, plans for future human spaceflight often include final vehicle assembly in Earth orbit.

Launch pads and spaceports, takeoff

Saturn V on the launch pad before the launch of Apollo 4

Main article: Launch pad

A launch pad is a fixed structure designed to dispatch airborne vehicles. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (576x800, 103 KB)Official NASA description of the image: Early morning view on November 9, 1967 of Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, showing Apollo 4 Saturn V (Spacecraft 017/Saturn 501) prior to launch later that day. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (576x800, 103 KB)Official NASA description of the image: Early morning view on November 9, 1967 of Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, showing Apollo 4 Saturn V (Spacecraft 017/Saturn 501) prior to launch later that day. ... The launch pad refers to the facilities where rockets or spacecrafts liftoff. ...

It generally consists of a launch tower and flame trench. It is surrounded by equipment used to erect, fuel, and maintain launch vehicles.

A spaceport, by way of contrast, is designed to facilitate winged launch vehicles and uses a long runway.^{[citation needed]} A spaceport is a site for launching spacecraft, by analogy with airport for aircraft. ...

Both spaceport and launch pads are situated well away from human habitation for noise and safety reasons.

Rockets run through a countdown sequence prior to Rocket launch. A countdown is the backward counting to indicate the seconds, days, etc. ... Rockets (including missiles) can be launched from the following: for a launch into an orbital spaceflight and beyond: a launch pad, including a floating platform (see San Marco platform, Sea Launch) for the launch into a suborbital flight also: a missile silo a mobile launcher vehicle a submarine air launch...

A launch is often restricted to certain launch windows. These windows depend upon the position of celestial bodies and orbits relative to the launch site. The biggest influence is often the rotation of the Earth itself. Once launched, orbits are normally located within relatively constant flat planes at a fixed angle to the axis of the Earth, and the Earth rotates within this orbit. Launch window is a term used in aerospace to describe a time period in which a particular rocket must be launched. ...

Reentry and landing/splashdown

Reentry shock waves- sharp points permit the shockwave to touch the vehicle and the vehicle melts; blunt shapes cause the shock wave to stand off and this greatly reduces heating of the vehicle.

Reentry

Main article: Atmospheric reentry

Vehicles in orbit have large amounts of kinetic energy. This energy must be discarded if the vehicle is to land safely without vaporizing in the atmosphere. Typically this process requires special methods to protect against aerodynamic heating. The theory behind reentry is due to Harry Julian Allen. Based on this theory, reentry vehicles present blunt shapes to the atmosphere for reentry. Blunt shapes mean that less than 1% of the kinetic energy ends up as heat that reaches the vehicle and the heat energy instead ends up in the atmosphere. Blunt body reentry shapes (NASA) File links The following pages link to this file: Atmospheric reentry Categories: NASA images ... Blunt body reentry shapes (NASA) File links The following pages link to this file: Atmospheric reentry Categories: NASA images ... Reentry redirects here. ... Aerodynamic heating is the heating of a solid body produced by passage of air or other gases over the body. ... Harvey Allen, 1957 Harry Julian Allen (1 April 1910 - 29 January 1977), also known as Harvey Allen, was an aeronautical engineer and a Director of the NASA Ames Research Center, most noted for his Blunt Body Theory of aerodynamics. ...

Landing

Main article: Splashdown (spacecraft landing)

The Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo capsules all landed in the sea. These capsules were designed to land at relatively slow speeds. Russian capsules for Soyuz make use of braking rockets as were designed to touchdown on land. The Space Shuttle glides into a touchdown at high speed. Atlantic splashdown locations of American spacecraft. ...

Recovery

Recovery of Discoverer 14 return capsule

After a successful landing the spacecraft, its occupants, and cargo can be recovered. In some cases, recovery has occurred before landing: while a spacecraft is still descending on its parachute, it can be snagged by a specially designed aircraft. This was the technique used to recover the film cannisters from the Corona spy satellites. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... 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. ...

Expendable launch systems

Apollo 6 launch vehicle jettisons interstage ring

Main article: Expendable launch system

All current spaceflight except NASA's Space Shuttle and the SpaceX Falcon 1 use multi-stage expendable launch systems to reach space. Download high resolution version (800x716, 74 KB)Staging of Apollo 6 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (800x716, 74 KB)Staging of Apollo 6 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... An expendable launch system or expendable launch vehicle, ELV, is a single-use launch vehicle usually used to launch a payload into space. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... NASAs Space Shuttle, officially called Space Transportation System (STS), is the United States governments current manned launch vehicle. ... The Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) is a space-transportation startup company whose stated goal is to improve the cost and reliability of access to space ultimately by a factor of ten. It is based in El Segundo, California, USA. SpaceX is developing a family of partially reusable two-stage... The Falcon 1 is a partially reusable launch system, designed and manufactured by SpaceX, a space-transportation startup company founded by entrepreneur and PayPal founder Elon Musk to provide commercial launch-to-space services. ... The second stage of a Minuteman III rocket A multistage (or multi-stage) rocket is, like any rocket, propelled by the recoil pressure of the burning gases it emits as it burns fuel. ...

Reusable launch systems

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

The first reusable spacecraft, the X-15, was air-launched on a suborbital trajectory on July 19, 1963. The first partially reusable orbital 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) A launch of the NASA Space Shuttle Columbia on STS-1 in April 1981. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (700x813, 126 KB) A launch of the NASA Space Shuttle Columbia on STS-1 in April 1981. ... Description Role: Research Aircraft Crew: one, pilot Dimensions Length: 50. ... is the 200th day of the year (201st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin (Russian: , Yuriy Alekseyevich Gagarin IPA: ; 9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968), Hero of the Soviet Union, was a Soviet cosmonaut. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... The Space Shuttle Enterprise (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-101) was the first Space Shuttle built for NASA. It was constructed without engines or a functional heat shield, and was therefore not capable of space operations; its purpose was to perform test flights in the atmosphere. ... The Boeing 747, commonly nicknamed the Jumbo Jet, is a long-haul, widebody commercial airliner manufactured by Boeing. ... 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. ... Space Shuttle Challenger (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-099) was NASAs second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service. ... Space Shuttle Discovery (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) is one of three remaining spacecraft in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), along with Atlantis and Endeavour. ... Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-104) is one of the fleet of space shuttles belonging to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). ... For the current mission, see STS-118 Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-105), is the fifth and final operational NASA space shuttle. ... 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. ... The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earths atmosphere, shortly before concluding its 28th mission, STS-107. ...

The first (and so far only) automatic partially 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. The Shuttle Buran, serial number 11F35 K1, was the only space shuttle to come out of the Shuttle Buran program that was completed. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 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 due mainly to its old age and high cost of the program reaching over a billion dollars per flight. 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. ... CEV with lunar lander CEV during a landing on earth CEV rocket, the Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) (right) along side the heavy-lift Cargo Launch Vehicle (CaLV) rocket. ... 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 Shuttle Derived Launch Vehicles proposed to replace the Shuttle. ...

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), formerly the Rutan Aircraft Factory, is located at the Mojave Spaceport, Mojave, California, United States and is headed by aircraft designer Burt Rutan. ... 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. ... 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. ... SpaceShipTwo is a suborbital spaceplane currently under development by The Spaceship Company, a joint venture between Scaled Composites and Sir Richard Bransons Virgin Group of the UK, as part of the Tier 1b program. ... Virgin Galactic is a company within Sir Richard Bransons Virgin Group, which plans to offer sub-orbital spaceflights and later orbital spaceflights to the paying public. ... This space for sale Private spaceflight is flight above 100km Earth altitude conducted by an entity other than a government. ...

Space disasters

Main article: Space disasters

All launch vehicles contain a huge amount of energy that is needed for some part of it to reach orbit. There is therefore some risk that this energy can be released prematurely, with effects often comparable to a small atomic bomb. When a Delta II rocket exploded 13 seconds after launch on January 17, 1997, there were reports of store windows 10 miles away being broken by the blast.^[1] Test pilot Stuart Present ejects safely from the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... The Delta II family of launch vehicles was designed and built by Boeings Integrated Defense Systems division and has been in service since 1989. ... is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ...

In addition, once in space, while space is a fairly predictable environment, there are risks of accidental depressurisation, and the potential for failure of equipment that is often very newly developed.

Spacecraft

The Apollo Lunar Module on the lunar surface

Main article: Spacecraft

Spacecraft are vehicles capable of controlling their trajectory through space. Apollo 16 LM on lunar surface (NASA) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Apollo 16 LM on lunar surface (NASA) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Space Shuttle Discovery as seen from the International Space Station. ...

The first 'true spacecraft' is sometimes said to be Apollo Lunar Module since this was the only vehicle to have been designed for, and operated only in space; and is notable for its non aerodynamic shape. The LEM flight instrumentation panel and front windows. ...

Private versus Governmental spaceflight

Main article: Private spaceflight

There is growing interest in spacecraft and flights paid for by commercial companies and even private individuals. It is thought that some of the high cost of access to space is due to governmental inefficiencies; and certainly the costs of the governmental paperwork surrounding NASA is legendary. If a commercial company were able to be more efficient, costs could come down significantly. Space launch vehicles such as Falcon I have been wholly developed with private finance, and the quoted costs for launch are lower.
This space for sale Private spaceflight is flight above 100km Earth altitude conducted by an entity other than a government. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... The Falcon I is a two stage to orbit RP-1 kerosene/liquid oxygen semi-reusable launch vehicle designed and manufactured by SpaceX. The lower stage includes one Merlin engine and the upper stage includes one Kestrel engine. ...

Human spaceflight

Main article: Human spaceflight

The first human spaceflight was Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961, on which cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin of the USSR made one orbit around the Earth. Currently the only spacecraft regularly used for human spaceflight are Russian Soyuz spacecraft and the U.S. Space Shuttle fleet. Each of those space programs have used other spacecraft in the past. Recently, the Shenzhou spacecraft has been used twice for human spaceflight, as has SpaceshipOne. Edward White on a spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission. ... Vostok 1 was the first manned space mission. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit outside the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger in 1984. ... Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin (Russian: , Yuriy Alekseyevich Gagarin IPA: ; 9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968), Hero of the Soviet Union, was a Soviet cosmonaut. ... Soyuz (Russian: Союз, pronounced sah-YOUS, meaning union) is a series of spacecraft designed by Sergey Korolyov for the Soviet Unions space program. ... NASAs Space Shuttle, officially called Space Transportation System (STS), is the United States governments current manned launch vehicle. ... Shenzhou (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) is a spacecraft from the Peoples Republic of China which first carried a Chinese astronaut into orbit on October 15, 2003. ... SpaceShipOne is small, having a three-person cabin and short but wide wings. ...

Astronauts on the ISS in weightless conditions. Michael Foale can be seen exercising in the foreground

Image File history File links Foale_ZeroG.jpg‎ [edit] Summary ISS008-E-21996 (22 April 2004) --- Cosmonaut Gennady I. Padalka (left), Expedition 9 commander, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andre Kuipers of the Netherlands, look over a procedures checklist for the Dutch Expedition for Life Science, Technology and Atmospheric (DELTA... Image File history File links Foale_ZeroG.jpg‎ [edit] Summary ISS008-E-21996 (22 April 2004) --- Cosmonaut Gennady I. Padalka (left), Expedition 9 commander, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andre Kuipers of the Netherlands, look over a procedures checklist for the Dutch Expedition for Life Science, Technology and Atmospheric (DELTA... The International Space Station (ISS) is a research facility currently being assembled in space. ... Colin Michael Foale PhD CBE (born 6 January 1957) is a British-born astronaut with dual UK-US citizenship; he is a veteran of four space shuttle missions and extended stays on both Mir and the International Space Station. ...

Zero-gravity

Main article: Weightlessness

Long term zero gravity exposure causes multiple health issues; most significantly bone loss, some of which is permanent, but also significant deconditioning of muscular and cardiovascular tissues. Astronauts on the International Space Station display an example of weightlessness. ...

Short term zero gravity causes space adaptation syndrome, a self-limiting nausea due to lack of gravity causing derangement of the vestibular system. Space adaptation syndrome, or space sickness, is what astronauts go through during adaptation to zero gravity. ... It has been suggested that Equilibrioception be merged into this article or section. ...

Life support

Main article: Life support system

In human spaceflight, the life support system is a group of devices that allow a human being to survive in outer space. ...

Interplanetary spaceflight

Main article: Space probe

See also: Interplanetary travel

Technicians work on the Ulysses space probe. ... By definition, interplanetary travel is travel between bodies in a given star system; especially the solar system. ...

Interstellar spaceflight

An artist's imaginative impression of a vehicle entering a wormhole for interstellar travel

Main article: interstellar travel

Five spacecraft are currently leaving the Solar System on escape trajectories. The one farthest from the Sun is Voyager 1, which is more than 100 AU distant and is moving at 3.6 AU per year.^[2] In comparison Proxima Centauri, the closest star other than the Sun, is 267,000 AU distant. It will take Voyager 1 over 74,000 years to reach this distance. Vehicle designs using nuclear pulse propulsion might be able to reach the nearest star in a few decades however.^{[citation needed]} NASA conceptual art by Les Bossinas for the Breakthrough Propulsion Physics project - File links The following pages link to this file: Spacecraft propulsion User:Patrick/w Categories: NASA images ... NASA conceptual art by Les Bossinas for the Breakthrough Propulsion Physics project - File links The following pages link to this file: Spacecraft propulsion User:Patrick/w Categories: NASA images ... Artists depiction of a hypothetical Wormhole Induction Propelled Spacecraft, based loosely on the 1994 warp drive paper of Miguel Alcubierre. ... Major features of the Solar System (not to scale; from left to right): Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, the asteroid belt, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth and its Moon, and Mars. ... Trajectory of Voyager 1 using Celestia The Voyager 1 spacecraft is a 733-kilogram robotic space probe of the outer solar system and beyond, launched September 5, 1977, and is currently operational. ... The astronomical unit (AU or au or a. ... Proxima Centauri (Latin proximus, -a, -um: meaning next to or nearest to)[4] is a red dwarf star that is likely a part of the Alpha Centauri star system and is the nearest star to the Sun at a distance of 4. ... An artists conception of the Orion basic spacecraft, powered by nuclear pulse propulsion. ...

Astrodynamics

Main article: astrodynamics

Astrodynamics is the study of spacecraft trajectories, particularly as they relate to gravitational and propulsion effects. Astrodynamics allows for the spacecraft to arrive at their destination at the correct time; without excessive propellant use. Astrodynamics is the study of the motion of rockets, missiles, and space vehicles, as determined from Sir Isaac Newtons laws of motion and his law of universal gravitation. ...

Spacecraft propulsion

Main article: Spacecraft propulsion

Spacecraft today predominantly use rockets for propulsion, but other propulsion techniques such as ion drives are becoming more common, particularly for unmanned vehicles, and this can significantly reduce the vehicle's mass and increase its delta-v. A remote camera captures a close-up view of a Space Shuttle Main Engine during a test firing at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi Propulsion means to add speed or acceleration to an object, by an engine or other similar device. ... US Smarties (by Ce De Candy) US Smarties (by Ce De Candy) In the United States, Smarties are a type of artificially fruit-flavored candy produced by Ce De Candy. ... A remote camera captures a close-up view of a Space Shuttle Main Engine during a test firing at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi Propulsion means to add speed or acceleration to an object, by an engine or other similar device. ... An ion engine test An ion thruster is a type of spacecraft propulsion that uses beams of ions for propulsion. ... General In general physics delta-v is simply the change in velocity. ...

Lists of spaceflights

Main article: Timeline of spaceflight

See also

Spaceflight Portal

• Space exploration
• Space transport
• Aerial landscape

Image File history File links Portal. ... Space exploration is the physical exploration of outer space, both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft. ... Currently, the most common technology for space transport is rocket propulsion, which expels matter to provide a net forward thrust. ... An example of artistic depiction of an aerial landscape: Jane Frank (Jane Schenthal Frank, 1918-1986), Aerial Series: Ploughed Fields, Maryland, 1974, acrylic and mixed materials on apertured double canvas, 52x48. Aerial landscape art is painting or other visual art which depicts or evokes the appearance of a landscape...

External links

• Basics of Space Flight

References