{"id":6996,"date":"2024-04-09T16:47:05","date_gmt":"2024-04-09T20:47:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/?p=6996"},"modified":"2024-04-09T16:47:29","modified_gmt":"2024-04-09T20:47:29","slug":"way-out-here-the-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/?p=6996","title":{"rendered":"Way Out Here &#8211; the video"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cUSFR8_HU-s?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What was I thinking <br>when I pushed on that slide rule? <br>Was it the magic wand that led me here?<br>Ever since I was very small, <br>telescope in my hand, <br>That demon called my name <br><br>Through renewal in the fall, <br>watching the leaves blow <br>A little snow begins to swirl <br>Equations that mystify <br>hold all the worldly truths <br>Except how to fill the void. <br><br>Christmas comes and then it goes <br>HP made the slide rule obsolete <br>April, May, June, <br>Pomp and Circumstance <br>It&#8217;s suddenly not so clear. <br><br>All the aces in my squad <br>vied for the chance to get there first <br>No one had thought that honor would be mine <br>Out 100 million miles <br>and out of books to read. <br>What was I thinking? <br><br>Christmas comes and then it goes <br>AI lacks that gentle human touch <br>April, May, June Cognitive Decline <br>It&#8217;s suddenly very clear<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Space exploration<\/strong>&nbsp;is the use of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Astronomy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">astronomy<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space technology<\/a>&nbsp;to explore&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Outer_space\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">outer space<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[1]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;While the exploration of space is currently carried out mainly by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Astronomer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">astronomers<\/a>&nbsp;with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Telescope\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">telescopes<\/a>, its physical exploration is conducted both by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Robotic_spacecraft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">uncrewed robotic space probes<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Human_spaceflight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">human spaceflight<\/a>. Space exploration, like its classical form&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Astronomy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">astronomy<\/a>, is one of the main sources for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space science<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the observation of objects in space, known as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Astronomy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">astronomy<\/a>, predates reliable&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Recorded_history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recorded history<\/a>, it was the development of large and relatively efficient&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rocket\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rockets<\/a>&nbsp;during the mid-twentieth century that allowed physical space exploration to become a reality. Common rationales for exploring space include advancing scientific research, national prestige, uniting different nations, ensuring the future survival of humanity, and developing military and strategic advantages against other countries.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-NYT-20150828-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The early era of space exploration was driven by a &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_Race\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space Race<\/a>&#8221; between the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Soviet_Union\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Soviet Union<\/a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">United States<\/a>. A driving force of the start of space exploration was during the Cold War. After the ability to create nuclear weapons, the narrative of defense\/offense left land and the power to control the air became the focus. Both the Soviet and the U.S. were fighting to prove their superiority in technology through exploring the unknown: space. In fact, the reason NASA was made was due to the response of Sputnik I.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[3]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;The launch of the first human-made object to orbit&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Earth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Earth<\/a>, the Soviet Union&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sputnik_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sputnik 1<\/a>, on 4 October 1957, and the first&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moon_landing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Moon landing<\/a>&nbsp;by the American&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Apollo_11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apollo 11<\/a>&nbsp;mission on 20 July 1969 are often taken as landmarks for this initial period. The Soviet space program achieved many of the first milestones, including the first living being in orbit in 1957, the first&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Human_spaceflight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">human spaceflight<\/a>&nbsp;(<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yuri_Gagarin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yuri Gagarin<\/a>&nbsp;aboard&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vostok_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vostok 1<\/a><\/em>) in 1961, the first&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spacewalk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spacewalk<\/a>&nbsp;(by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alexei_Leonov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alexei Leonov<\/a>) on 18 March 1965, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Luna_9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">first automatic landing<\/a>&nbsp;on another celestial body in 1966, and the launch of the first&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_station\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space station<\/a>&nbsp;(<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Salyut_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Salyut 1<\/a><\/em>) in 1971. After the first 20 years of exploration, focus shifted from one-off flights to renewable hardware, such as the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_Shuttle_program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space Shuttle program<\/a>, and from competition to cooperation as with the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_Space_Station\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">International Space Station<\/a>&nbsp;(ISS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the substantial completion of the ISS<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-space-11078-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[4]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;following&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/STS-133\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">STS-133<\/a>&nbsp;in March 2011, plans for space exploration by the U.S. remain in flux.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Constellation_program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Constellation<\/a>, a Bush administration program for a return to the Moon by 2020<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-nasa-163092-5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[5]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;was judged inadequately funded and unrealistic by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Review_of_United_States_Human_Space_Flight_Plans_Committee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an expert review panel<\/a>&nbsp;reporting in 2009.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-sm-200910-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[6]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;The Obama administration proposed a revision of Constellation in 2010 to focus on the development of the capability for crewed missions beyond&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Low_Earth_orbit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">low Earth orbit<\/a>&nbsp;(LEO), envisioning extending the operation of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_Space_Station\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ISS<\/a>&nbsp;beyond 2020, transferring the development of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Launch_vehicle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">launch vehicles<\/a>&nbsp;for human crews from&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NASA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NASA<\/a>&nbsp;to the private sector, and developing technology to enable missions to beyond LEO, such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lagrange_point\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Earth\u2013Moon L1<\/a>, the Moon,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lagrange_point\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Earth\u2013Sun L2<\/a>, near-Earth asteroids, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Phobos_(moon)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Phobos<\/a>&nbsp;or Mars orbit.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-obama-7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[7]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 2000s,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/China\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">China<\/a>&nbsp;initiated a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chinese_space_program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">successful crewed spaceflight program<\/a>&nbsp;while&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/India\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">India<\/a>&nbsp;launched&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chandrayaan-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chandraayan 1<\/a>, while the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Union\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">European Union<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Japan<\/a>&nbsp;have also planned future crewed space missions. China, Russia, and Japan have advocated crewed missions to the Moon during the 21st century, while the European Union has advocated&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aurora_programme\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">crewed missions to both the Moon and Mars<\/a>&nbsp;during the 20th and 21st century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">History of exploration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>See also:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/History_of_astronomy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">History of astronomy<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Discovery_and_exploration_of_the_Solar_System\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Discovery and exploration of the Solar System<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Timeline_of_space_exploration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Timeline of space exploration<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Timeline_of_first_orbital_launches_by_country\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Timeline of first orbital launches by country<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Outer_space#Discovery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Outer space \u00a7&nbsp;Discovery<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Fus%C3%A9e_V2.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/6\/6d\/Fus%C3%A9e_V2.jpg\/220px-Fus%C3%A9e_V2.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/V-2_Rocket\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">V-2 Rocket<\/a>&nbsp;in the Peenem\u00fcnde Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First telescopes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The first&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Telescope\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">telescope<\/a>&nbsp;is said to have been invented in 1608 in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Netherlands\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Netherlands<\/a>&nbsp;by an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eyeglass\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">eyeglass<\/a>&nbsp;maker named&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hans_Lippershey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hans Lippershey<\/a>, but their first recorded use in astronomy was by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Galileo_Galilei\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Galileo Galilei<\/a>&nbsp;in 1609.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[8]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;In 1668&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Isaac_Newton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Isaac Newton<\/a>&nbsp;built&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Newton%27s_reflector\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">his own<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Reflecting_telescope\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reflecting telescope<\/a>, the first fully functional telescope of this kind, and a landmark for future developments due to its superior features over the previous&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Refracting_telescope#Galilean_telescope\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Galilean telescope<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-books.google.com-9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[9]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A string of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Timeline_of_discovery_of_Solar_System_planets_and_their_moons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">discoveries in the Solar System<\/a>&nbsp;(and beyond) followed, then and in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Scientific_Revolution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">next centuries<\/a>: the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lunar_craters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mountains of the Moon<\/a>, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Phases_of_Venus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">phases of Venus<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Galilean_Moons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the main satellites<\/a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Satellites_of_Jupiter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jupiter<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Satellites_of_Saturn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Saturn<\/a>, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Saturn%27s_rings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rings of Saturn<\/a>, many&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Comet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">comets<\/a>, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Asteroid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">asteroids<\/a>, the new planets&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Uranus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Uranus<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Neptune\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Neptune<\/a>, and many more&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_natural_satellites\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">satellites<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Orbiting_Astronomical_Observatory_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 2<\/a>&nbsp;was the first&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_telescope\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space telescope<\/a>&nbsp;launched 1968,<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-joseph-10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[10]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;but the launching of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hubble_Space_Telescope\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hubble Space Telescope<\/a>&nbsp;in 1990<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[11]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;set a milestone. As of 1 December 2022, there were 5,284 confirmed&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lists_of_exoplanets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">exoplanets<\/a>&nbsp;discovered. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Milky_Way\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Milky Way<\/a>&nbsp;is estimated to contain 100\u2013400 billion&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Star\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stars<\/a><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[12]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;and more than 100 billion&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Planets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">planets<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Space-20130102-13\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[13]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;There are at least 2 trillion&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Galaxy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">galaxies<\/a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Observable_universe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">observable universe<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Conselice-14\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[14]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-NYT-20161017-15\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[15]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/HD1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HD1<\/a>&nbsp;is the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_the_most_distant_astronomical_objects\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">most distant<\/a>&nbsp;known object from Earth, reported as 33.4 billion&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Light-year\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">light-years<\/a>&nbsp;away.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-ALMA-20220407-16\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[16]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-ARX-20220212-17\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[17]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-NS-20220407-18\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[18]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-MN-20220407-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[19]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-AST-20220407-20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[20]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-INV-20220407-21\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[21]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First outer space flights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Vostok_spacecraft.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/d\/df\/Vostok_spacecraft.jpg\/220px-Vostok_spacecraft.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Model of Vostok spacecraft<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Apollo_CSM_lunar_orbit.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/c\/c0\/Apollo_CSM_lunar_orbit.jpg\/220px-Apollo_CSM_lunar_orbit.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Apollo CSM in lunar orbit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/MW_18014\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MW 18014<\/a>&nbsp;was a German&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/V-2_rocket\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">V-2 rocket<\/a>&nbsp;test launch that took place on 20 June 1944, at the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Peenem%C3%BCnde_Army_Research_Center\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Peenem\u00fcnde Army Research Center<\/a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Peenem%C3%BCnde\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Peenem\u00fcnde<\/a>. It was the first man-made object to reach&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Outer_space\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">outer space<\/a>, attaining an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Apogee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">apogee<\/a>&nbsp;of 176 kilometers,<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-psv-22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[22]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;which is well above the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n_line\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">K\u00e1rm\u00e1n line<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Karman_line-23\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[23]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;It was a vertical test launch. Although the rocket reached space, it did not reach&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Orbital_speed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">orbital velocity<\/a>, and therefore returned to Earth in an impact, becoming the first&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sub-orbital_spaceflight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sub-orbital spaceflight<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-24\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[24]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First object in orbit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The first successful orbital launch was of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Soviet_Union\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Soviet<\/a>&nbsp;uncrewed&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sputnik_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sputnik 1<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;(&#8220;Satellite 1&#8221;) mission on 4 October 1957. The satellite weighed about 83&nbsp;kg (183&nbsp;lb), and is believed to have orbited Earth at a height of about 250&nbsp;km (160&nbsp;mi). It had two radio transmitters (20 and 40&nbsp;MHz), which emitted &#8220;beeps&#8221; that could be heard by radios around the globe. Analysis of the radio signals was used to gather information about the electron density of the ionosphere, while temperature and pressure data was encoded in the duration of radio beeps. The results indicated that the satellite was not punctured by a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meteoroid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">meteoroid<\/a>.&nbsp;<em>Sputnik 1<\/em>&nbsp;was launched by an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/R-7_Semyorka\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">R-7<\/a>&nbsp;rocket. It burned up upon re-entry on 3 January 1958.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First human outer space flight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The first successful human spaceflight was&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vostok_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vostok 1<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;(&#8220;East 1&#8221;), carrying the 27-year-old Russian&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cosmonaut\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cosmonaut<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yuri_Gagarin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yuri Gagarin<\/a>, on 12 April 1961. The spacecraft completed one orbit around the globe, lasting about 1 hour and 48 minutes. Gagarin&#8217;s flight resonated around the world; it was a demonstration of the advanced&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Soviet_space_program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Soviet space program<\/a>&nbsp;and it opened an entirely new era in space exploration:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Human_spaceflight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">human spaceflight<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First astronomical body space explorations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The first artificial object to reach another celestial body was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Luna_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Luna 2<\/a>&nbsp;reaching the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Moon<\/a>&nbsp;in 1959.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-jpl-luna2-25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[25]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;The first&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Soft_landing_(aeronautics)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">soft landing<\/a>&nbsp;on another celestial body was performed by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Luna_9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Luna 9<\/a>&nbsp;landing on the Moon on 3 February 1966.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-jpl.luna9-26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[26]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Luna_10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Luna 10<\/a>&nbsp;became the first artificial satellite of the Moon, entering in a lunar orbit on 3 April 1966.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-jpl-luna10-27\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[27]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first crewed landing on another celestial body was performed by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Apollo_11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apollo 11<\/a>&nbsp;on 20 July 1969, landing on the Moon. There have been a total of six spacecraft with humans&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moon_landing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">landing on the Moon<\/a>&nbsp;starting from 1969 to the last human landing in 1972.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first interplanetary&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Flyby_(spaceflight)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">flyby<\/a>&nbsp;was the 1961&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venera_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Venera 1<\/a>&nbsp;flyby of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Venus<\/a>, though the 1962&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mariner_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mariner 2<\/a>&nbsp;was the first flyby of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Venus<\/a>&nbsp;to return data (closest approach 34,773 kilometers).&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pioneer_6,_7,_8,_and_9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pioneer 6<\/a>&nbsp;was the first satellite to orbit the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sun\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sun<\/a>, launched on 16 December 1965. The other planets were first flown by in 1965 for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mars<\/a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mariner_4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mariner 4<\/a>, 1973 for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jupiter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jupiter<\/a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pioneer_10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pioneer 10<\/a><\/em>, 1974 for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mercury_(planet)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mercury<\/a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mariner_10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mariner 10<\/a>, 1979 for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Saturn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Saturn<\/a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pioneer_11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pioneer 11<\/a><\/em>, 1986 for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Uranus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Uranus<\/a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Voyager_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Voyager 2<\/a><\/em>, 1989 for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Neptune\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Neptune<\/a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Voyager_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Voyager 2<\/a><\/em>. In 2015, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dwarf_planet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dwarf planets<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ceres_(dwarf_planet)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ceres<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pluto\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pluto<\/a>&nbsp;were orbited by&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dawn_(spacecraft)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dawn<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;and passed by&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Horizons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New Horizons<\/a><\/em>, respectively. This accounts for flybys of each of the eight planets in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Solar_System\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Solar System<\/a>, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sun\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sun<\/a>, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Moon<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ceres_(dwarf_planet)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ceres<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pluto\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pluto<\/a>&nbsp;(two of the five&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dwarf_planet#Recognized\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recognized dwarf planets<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first interplanetary surface mission to return at least limited surface data from another planet was the 1970 landing of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venera_7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Venera 7<\/a>, which returned data to Earth for 23 minutes from&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Venus<\/a>. In 1975 the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venera_9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Venera 9<\/a>&nbsp;was the first to return images from the surface of another planet, returning images from Venus. In 1971 the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mars_3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mars 3<\/a>&nbsp;mission achieved the first soft landing on Mars returning data for almost 20 seconds. Later much longer duration surface missions were achieved, including over six years of Mars surface operation by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Viking_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Viking 1<\/a>&nbsp;from 1975 to 1982 and over two hours of transmission from the surface of Venus by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venera_13\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Venera 13<\/a>&nbsp;in 1982, the longest ever Soviet planetary surface mission. Venus and Mars are the two planets outside of Earth on which humans have conducted surface missions with uncrewed&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Robotic_spacecraft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">robotic spacecraft<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First space station<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Salyut_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Salyut 1<\/a>&nbsp;was the first&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_station\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space station<\/a>&nbsp;of any kind, launched into&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Low_Earth_orbit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">low Earth orbit<\/a>&nbsp;by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Soviet_Union\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Soviet Union<\/a>&nbsp;on 19 April 1971. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_Space_Station\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">International Space Station<\/a>&nbsp;is currently the largest and oldest of the 2 current fully functional space stations, inhabited continuously since the year 2000. The other, Tiangong space station built by China, is now fully crewed and operational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First interstellar space flight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Voyager_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Voyager 1<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;became the first human-made object to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_artificial_objects_leaving_the_Solar_System\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">leave the Solar System<\/a>&nbsp;into&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Outer_space#Interstellar_space\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">interstellar space<\/a>&nbsp;on 25 August 2012. The probe passed the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Heliopause_(astronomy)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">heliopause<\/a>&nbsp;at 121&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Astronomical_unit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AU<\/a>&nbsp;to enter&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Interstellar_medium\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">interstellar space<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-28\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[28]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Farthest from Earth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Apollo_13\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apollo 13<\/a>&nbsp;flight passed the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Far_side_of_the_Moon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">far side of the Moon<\/a>&nbsp;at an altitude of 254 kilometers (158 miles; 137 nautical miles) above the lunar surface, and 400,171&nbsp;km (248,655&nbsp;mi) from Earth, marking the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_spaceflight_records\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">record<\/a>&nbsp;for the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth in 1970.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As of 26&nbsp;November&nbsp;2022&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Voyager_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Voyager 1<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;was at a distance of 159&nbsp;AU (23.8&nbsp;billion&nbsp;km; 14.8&nbsp;billion&nbsp;mi) from Earth.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-voyager-29\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[29]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;It is the most distant human-made object from Earth.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-30\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[30]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Targets of exploration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting in the mid-20th century probes and then human mission were sent into Earth orbit, and then on to the Moon. Also, probes were sent throughout the known Solar System, and into Solar orbit. Uncrewed spacecraft have been sent into orbit around Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury by the 21st century, and the most distance active spacecraft,&nbsp;<em>Voyager 1<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>2<\/em>&nbsp;traveled beyond 100 times the Earth-Sun distance. The instruments were enough though that it is thought they have left the Sun&#8217;s heliosphere, a sort of bubble of particles made in the Galaxy by the Sun&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Solar_wind\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">solar wind<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Sun<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sun\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sun<\/a>&nbsp;is a major focus of space exploration. Being above the atmosphere in particular and Earth&#8217;s magnetic field gives access to the solar wind and infrared and ultraviolet radiations that cannot reach Earth&#8217;s surface. The Sun generates most&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_weather\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space weather<\/a>, which can affect power generation and transmission systems on Earth and interfere with, and even damage, satellites and space probes. Numerous spacecraft dedicated to observing the Sun, beginning with the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Apollo_Telescope_Mount\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apollo Telescope Mount<\/a>, have been launched and still others have had solar observation as a secondary objective.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Parker_Solar_Probe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Parker Solar Probe<\/a>, launched in 2018, will approach the Sun to within 1\/9th the orbit of Mercury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mercury<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Exploration_of_Mercury\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Exploration of Mercury<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:MESSENGER_EN0108828359M.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/7\/72\/MESSENGER_EN0108828359M.png\/220px-MESSENGER_EN0108828359M.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A&nbsp;<em>MESSENGER<\/em>&nbsp;image from 18,000&nbsp;km showing a region about 500&nbsp;km across (2008)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mercury_(planet)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mercury<\/a>&nbsp;remains the least explored of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Terrestrial_planets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Terrestrial planets<\/a>. As of May 2013, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mariner_10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mariner 10<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/MESSENGER\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MESSENGER<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;missions have been the only missions that have made close observations of Mercury.&nbsp;<em>MESSENGER<\/em>&nbsp;entered orbit around Mercury in March 2011, to further investigate the observations made by Mariner 10 in 1975 (Munsell, 2006b). A third mission to Mercury, scheduled to arrive in 2025,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/BepiColombo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BepiColombo<\/a>&nbsp;is to include two&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_probe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">probes<\/a>. BepiColombo is a joint mission between Japan and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Space_Agency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">European Space Agency<\/a>.&nbsp;<em>MESSENGER<\/em>&nbsp;and BepiColombo are intended to gather complementary data to help scientists understand many of the mysteries discovered by Mariner 10&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gravitational_slingshot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">flybys<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Flights to other planets within the Solar System are accomplished at a cost in energy, which is described by the net change in velocity of the spacecraft, or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Delta-v\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">delta-v<\/a>. Due to the relatively high delta-v to reach Mercury and its proximity to the Sun, it is difficult to explore and orbits around it are rather unstable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Venus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Observations_and_explorations_of_Venus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Observations and explorations of Venus<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Venus<\/a>&nbsp;was the first target of interplanetary flyby and lander missions and, despite one of the most hostile surface environments in the Solar System, has had more landers sent to it (nearly all from the Soviet Union) than any other planet in the Solar System. The first flyby was the 1961&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venera_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Venera 1<\/a>, though the 1962&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mariner_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mariner 2<\/a>&nbsp;was the first flyby&nbsp;to successfully return data. Mariner 2 has been followed by several other flybys by multiple space agencies often as part of missions using a Venus flyby to provide a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gravity_assist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gravitational assist<\/a>&nbsp;en route to other celestial bodies. In 1967&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venera_4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Venera 4<\/a>&nbsp;became the first probe to enter and directly examine the atmosphere of Venus. In 1970,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venera_7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Venera 7<\/a>&nbsp;became the first successful lander to reach the surface of Venus and by 1985 it had been followed by eight additional successful Soviet Venus landers which provided images and other direct surface data. Starting in 1975 with the Soviet orbiter&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venera_9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Venera 9<\/a>&nbsp;some ten successful orbiter missions have been sent to Venus, including later missions which were able to map the surface of Venus using&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Radar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">radar<\/a>&nbsp;to pierce the obscuring atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Earth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Earth_observation_satellite\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Earth observation satellite<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:TIROS-1-Earth.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/e\/e8\/TIROS-1-Earth.png\/221px-TIROS-1-Earth.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">First television image of Earth from space, taken by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/TIROS-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TIROS-1<\/a>&nbsp;(1960)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Space exploration has been used as a tool to understand Earth as a celestial object. Orbital missions can provide data for Earth that can be difficult or impossible to obtain from a purely ground-based point of reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the existence of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Van_Allen_radiation_belt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Van Allen radiation belts<\/a>&nbsp;was unknown until their discovery by the United States&#8217; first artificial satellite,&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Explorer_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Explorer 1<\/a><\/em>. These belts contain radiation trapped by Earth&#8217;s magnetic fields, which currently renders construction of habitable space stations above 1000&nbsp;km impractical. Following this early unexpected discovery, a large number of Earth observation satellites have been deployed specifically to explore Earth from a space-based perspective. These satellites have significantly contributed to the understanding of a variety of Earth-based phenomena. For instance, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ozone_depletion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hole in the ozone layer<\/a>&nbsp;was found by an artificial satellite that was exploring Earth&#8217;s atmosphere, and satellites have allowed for the discovery of archeological sites or geological formations that were difficult or impossible to otherwise identify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Moon<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Exploration_of_the_Moon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Exploration of the Moon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Apollo_16_LM_Orion.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/4\/4c\/Apollo_16_LM_Orion.jpg\/220px-Apollo_16_LM_Orion.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Apollo_16\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apollo 16<\/a>&nbsp;LEM Orion, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lunar_Roving_Vehicle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lunar Roving Vehicle<\/a>&nbsp;and astronaut&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Young_(astronaut)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">John Young<\/a>&nbsp;(1972)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Moon<\/a>&nbsp;was the first celestial body to be the object of space exploration. It holds the distinctions of being the first remote celestial object to be flown by, orbited, and landed upon by spacecraft, and the only remote celestial object ever to be visited by humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1959 the Soviets obtained the first images of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Far_side_of_the_Moon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">far side of the Moon<\/a>, never previously visible to humans. The U.S. exploration of the Moon began with the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ranger_4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ranger 4<\/a>&nbsp;impactor in 1962. Starting in 1966 the Soviets successfully deployed a number of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lander_(spacecraft)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">landers<\/a>&nbsp;to the Moon which were able to obtain data directly from the Moon&#8217;s surface; just four months later,&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Surveyor_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Surveyor 1<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;marked the debut of a successful series of U.S. landers. The Soviet uncrewed missions culminated in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lunokhod_programme\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lunokhod program<\/a>&nbsp;in the early 1970s, which included the first uncrewed rovers and also successfully&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sample_return_mission\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">brought lunar soil samples to Earth<\/a>&nbsp;for study. This marked the first (and to date the only) automated return of extraterrestrial soil samples to Earth. Uncrewed exploration of the Moon continues with various nations periodically deploying lunar orbiters, and in 2008 the Indian&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moon_Impact_Probe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Moon Impact Probe<\/a>&nbsp;and in 2023 the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chandrayaan-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chandrayaan-3<\/a>&nbsp;of India became the first spacecraft to land on the lunar south pole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Crewed exploration of the Moon began in 1968 with the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Apollo_8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apollo 8<\/a>&nbsp;mission that successfully orbited the Moon, the first time any extraterrestrial object was orbited by humans. In 1969, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Apollo_11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apollo 11<\/a>&nbsp;mission marked the first time humans set foot upon another world. Crewed exploration of the Moon did not continue for long. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Apollo_17\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apollo 17<\/a>&nbsp;mission in 1972 marked the sixth landing and the most recent human visit.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Artemis_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Artemis 2<\/a>&nbsp;is scheduled to complete a crewed flyby of the Moon in 2025, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Artemis_3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Artemis 3<\/a>&nbsp;will perform the first lunar landing since Apollo 17 with it scheduled for launch no earlier than 2026. Robotic missions are still pursued vigorously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Exploration_of_Mars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Exploration of Mars<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Spirit_rover_tracks.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/6\/6e\/Spirit_rover_tracks.jpg\/220px-Spirit_rover_tracks.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surface of Mars by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mars_Exploration_Rover\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Spirit<\/em>&nbsp;rover<\/a>&nbsp;(2004)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The exploration of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mars<\/a>&nbsp;has been an important part of the space exploration programs of the Soviet Union (later Russia), the United States, Europe, Japan and India. Dozens of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Robotic_spacecraft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">robotic spacecraft<\/a>, including&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Orbiter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">orbiters<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lander_(spacecraft)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">landers<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rover_(space_exploration)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rovers<\/a>, have been launched toward Mars since the 1960s. These missions were aimed at gathering data about current conditions and answering questions about the history of Mars. The questions raised by the scientific community are expected to not only give a better appreciation of the Red Planet but also yield further insight into the past, and possible future, of Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The exploration of Mars has come at a considerable financial cost with roughly two-thirds of all spacecraft destined for Mars failing before completing their missions, with some failing before they even began. Such a high failure rate can be attributed to the complexity and large number of variables involved in an interplanetary journey, and has led researchers to jokingly speak of&nbsp;<em>The Great Galactic Ghoul<\/em><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-space-232-31\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[31]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;which subsists on a diet of Mars probes. This phenomenon is also informally known as the &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mars_Curse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mars Curse<\/a>&#8220;.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-cnn-20061223-32\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[32]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;In contrast to overall high failure rates in the exploration of Mars,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/India\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">India<\/a>&nbsp;has become the first country to achieve success of its maiden attempt. India&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mars_Orbiter_Mission\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mars Orbiter Mission<\/a>&nbsp;(MOM)<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-33\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[33]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-34\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[34]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-NYT-20140924-GH-35\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[35]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;is one of the least expensive interplanetary missions ever undertaken with an approximate total cost of&nbsp;\u20b9&nbsp;450&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Crore\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Crore<\/a>&nbsp;(US$73 million).<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-ibtimes20131105-36\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[36]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-ndtv20131105-37\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[37]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;The first mission to Mars by any Arab country has been taken up by the United Arab Emirates. Called the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Emirates_Mars_Mission\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Emirates Mars Mission<\/a>, it was launched on 19 July 2020 and went into orbit around Mars on 9 February 2021. The uncrewed exploratory probe was named &#8220;Hope Probe&#8221; and was sent to Mars to study its atmosphere in detail.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-38\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[38]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Phobos<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Exploration_of_Phobos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Exploration of Phobos<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Russian space mission&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fobos-Grunt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fobos-Grunt<\/a>, which launched on 9 November 2011 experienced a failure leaving it stranded in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Low_Earth_orbit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">low Earth orbit<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-noburn-39\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[39]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;It was to begin exploration of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Phobos_(moon)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Phobos<\/a>&nbsp;and Martian circumterrestrial orbit, and study whether the moons of Mars, or at least Phobos, could be a &#8220;trans-shipment point&#8221; for spaceships traveling to Mars.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-yt-W0cUvK0Dgy8-40\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[40]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Asteroids<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Exploration_of_the_asteroids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Exploration of the asteroids<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Dawn-image-070911.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/3\/32\/Dawn-image-070911.jpg\/220px-Dawn-image-070911.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Asteroid&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/4_Vesta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">4 Vesta<\/a>, imaged by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dawn_(spacecraft)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Dawn<\/em>&nbsp;spacecraft<\/a>&nbsp;(2011)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Until the advent of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spaceflight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space travel<\/a>, objects in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Asteroid_belt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">asteroid belt<\/a>&nbsp;were merely pinpricks of light in even the largest telescopes, their shapes and terrain remaining a mystery. Several asteroids have now been visited by probes, the first of which was&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Galileo_(spacecraft)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Galileo<\/a><\/em>, which flew past two:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/951_Gaspra\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">951 Gaspra<\/a>&nbsp;in 1991, followed by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/243_Ida\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">243 Ida<\/a>&nbsp;in 1993. Both of these lay near enough to&nbsp;<em>Galileo&#8217;<\/em>s planned trajectory to Jupiter that they could be visited at acceptable cost. The first landing on an asteroid was performed by the&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NEAR_Shoemaker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NEAR Shoemaker<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;probe in 2000, following an orbital survey of the object,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/433_Eros\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">433 Eros<\/a>. The dwarf planet&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ceres_(dwarf_planet)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ceres<\/a>&nbsp;and the asteroid&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/4_Vesta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">4 Vesta<\/a>, two of the three largest asteroids, were visited by NASA&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dawn_(spacecraft)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Dawn<\/em>&nbsp;spacecraft<\/a>, launched in 2007.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hayabusa_(spacecraft)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hayabusa<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;was a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Robotic_spacecraft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">robotic spacecraft<\/a>&nbsp;developed by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan_Aerospace_Exploration_Agency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency<\/a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sample_return_mission\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">return a sample of material<\/a>&nbsp;from the small near-Earth asteroid&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/25143_Itokawa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">25143 Itokawa<\/a>&nbsp;to Earth for further analysis. Hayabusa was launched on 9 May 2003 and rendezvoused with Itokawa in mid-September 2005. After arriving at Itokawa,&nbsp;<em>Hayabusa<\/em>&nbsp;studied the asteroid&#8217;s shape, spin, topography, color, composition, density, and history. In November 2005, it landed on the asteroid twice to collect samples. The spacecraft returned to Earth on 13 June 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jupiter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Exploration_of_Jupiter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Exploration of Jupiter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Io_Tupan_Patera.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/0\/03\/Io_Tupan_Patera.jpg\/220px-Io_Tupan_Patera.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tupan_Patera\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tupan Patera<\/a>&nbsp;on Io<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The exploration of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jupiter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jupiter<\/a>&nbsp;has consisted solely of a number of automated NASA spacecraft visiting the planet since 1973. A large majority of the missions have been &#8220;flybys&#8221;, in which detailed observations are taken without the probe landing or entering orbit; such as in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pioneer_program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pioneer<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Voyager_program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Voyager<\/a>&nbsp;programs. The&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Galileo_spacecraft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Galileo<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Juno_spacecraft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Juno<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;spacecraft are the only spacecraft to have entered the planet&#8217;s orbit. As Jupiter is believed to have only a relatively small rocky core and no real solid surface, a landing mission is precluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reaching Jupiter from Earth requires a delta-v of 9.2&nbsp;km\/s,<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-delta-v-41\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[41]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;which is comparable to the 9.7&nbsp;km\/s delta-v needed to reach low Earth orbit.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-pma-delta-42\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[42]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;Fortunately,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gravitational_slingshot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gravity assists<\/a>&nbsp;through&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Planetary_flyby\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">planetary flybys<\/a>&nbsp;can be used to reduce the energy required at launch to reach Jupiter, albeit at the cost of a significantly longer flight duration.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-delta-v-41\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[41]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jupiter has 95&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moons_of_Jupiter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">known moons<\/a>, many of which have relatively little known information about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Saturn<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Exploration_of_Saturn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Exploration of Saturn<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Saturn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Saturn<\/a>&nbsp;has been explored only through uncrewed spacecraft launched by NASA, including one mission (<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cassini%E2%80%93Huygens\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cassini\u2013Huygens<\/a><\/em>) planned and executed in cooperation with other space agencies. These missions consist of flybys in 1979 by&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pioneer_11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pioneer 11<\/a><\/em>, in 1980 by&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Voyager_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Voyager 1<\/a><\/em>, in 1982 by&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Voyager_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Voyager 2<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;and an orbital mission by the&nbsp;<em>Cassini<\/em>&nbsp;spacecraft, which lasted from 2004 until 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Saturn has at least 62&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moons_of_Saturn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">known moons<\/a>, although the exact number is debatable since Saturn&#8217;s rings are made up of vast numbers of independently orbiting objects of varying sizes. The largest of the moons is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Titan_(moon)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Titan<\/a>, which holds the distinction of being the only moon in the Solar System with an atmosphere denser and thicker than that of Earth. Titan holds the distinction of being the only object in the Outer Solar System that has been explored with a lander, the&nbsp;<em>Huygens<\/em>&nbsp;probe deployed by the&nbsp;<em>Cassini<\/em>&nbsp;spacecraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Uranus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Exploration_of_Uranus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Exploration of Uranus<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The exploration of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Uranus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Uranus<\/a>&nbsp;has been entirely through the&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Voyager_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Voyager 2<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;spacecraft, with no other visits currently planned. Given its&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Axial_tilt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">axial tilt<\/a>&nbsp;of 97.77\u00b0, with its polar regions exposed to sunlight or darkness for long periods, scientists were not sure what to expect at Uranus. The closest approach to Uranus occurred on 24 January 1986.&nbsp;<em>Voyager 2<\/em>&nbsp;studied the planet&#8217;s unique atmosphere and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Magnetosphere\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">magnetosphere<\/a>.&nbsp;<em>Voyager 2<\/em>&nbsp;also examined its&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rings_of_Uranus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ring system<\/a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moons_of_Uranus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">moons of Uranus<\/a>&nbsp;including all five of the previously known moons, while discovering an additional ten previously unknown moons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Images of Uranus proved to have a very uniform appearance, with no evidence of the dramatic storms or atmospheric banding evident on Jupiter and Saturn. Great effort was required to even identify a few clouds in the images of the planet. The magnetosphere of Uranus, however, proved to be unique, being profoundly affected by the planet&#8217;s unusual axial tilt. In contrast to the bland appearance of Uranus itself, striking images were obtained of the Moons of Uranus, including evidence that&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Miranda_(moon)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Miranda<\/a>&nbsp;had been unusually geologically active.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Neptune<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Exploration_of_Neptune\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Exploration of Neptune<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The exploration of Neptune began with 25 August 1989&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Voyager_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Voyager 2<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;flyby, the sole visit to the system as of 2024. The possibility of a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Neptune_Orbiter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Neptune Orbiter<\/a>&nbsp;has been discussed, but no other missions have been given serious thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the extremely uniform appearance of Uranus during&nbsp;<em>Voyager 2<\/em>&#8216;s visit in 1986 had led to expectations that Neptune would also have few visible atmospheric phenomena, the spacecraft found that Neptune had obvious banding, visible clouds,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aurora_(astronomy)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">auroras<\/a>, and even a conspicuous&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Great_Dark_Spot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">anticyclone storm system<\/a>&nbsp;rivaled in size only by Jupiter&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Great_Red_Spot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Great Red Spot<\/a>. Neptune also proved to have the fastest winds of any planet in the Solar System, measured as high as 2,100&nbsp;km\/h.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Suomi1991-43\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[43]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;<em>Voyager 2<\/em>&nbsp;also examined&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rings_of_Neptune\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Neptune&#8217;s ring<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moons_of_Neptune\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">moon system<\/a>. It discovered 900 complete rings and additional partial ring &#8220;arcs&#8221; around Neptune. In addition to examining Neptune&#8217;s three previously known moons,&nbsp;<em>Voyager 2<\/em>&nbsp;also discovered five previously unknown moons, one of which,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Proteus_(moon)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Proteus<\/a>, proved to be the last largest moon in the system. Data from&nbsp;<em>Voyager 2<\/em>&nbsp;supported the view that Neptune&#8217;s largest moon,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Triton_(moon)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Triton<\/a>, is a captured&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kuiper_belt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kuiper belt<\/a>&nbsp;object.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Agnor06-44\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[44]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pluto<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pluto#Exploration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pluto \u00a7&nbsp;Exploration<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dwarf_planet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dwarf planet<\/a>&nbsp;Pluto presents significant challenges for spacecraft because of its great distance from Earth (requiring high velocity for reasonable trip times) and small mass (making capture into orbit very difficult at present).&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Voyager_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Voyager 1<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;could have visited Pluto, but controllers opted instead for a close flyby of Saturn&#8217;s moon Titan, resulting in a trajectory incompatible with a Pluto flyby.&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Voyager_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Voyager 2<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;never had a plausible trajectory for reaching Pluto.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-jpl-faq-45\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[45]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After an intense political battle, a mission to Pluto dubbed&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Horizons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New Horizons<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;was granted funding from the United States government in 2003.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-s4p-46\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[46]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;<em>New Horizons<\/em>&nbsp;was launched successfully on 19 January 2006. In early 2007 the craft made use of a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gravity_assist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gravity assist<\/a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jupiter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jupiter<\/a>. Its closest approach to Pluto was on 14 July 2015; scientific observations of Pluto began five months prior to closest approach and continued for 16 days after the encounter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Kuiper Belt Objects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<em>New Horizons<\/em>&nbsp;mission also did a flyby of the small planetesimal&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Arrokoth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arrokoth<\/a>, in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kuiper_belt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kuiper belt<\/a>, in 2019. This was its first extended mission.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-47\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[47]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Comets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_missions_to_comets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">List of missions to comets<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Comet_Hartley_2.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/e\/e6\/Comet_Hartley_2.jpg\/220px-Comet_Hartley_2.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Comet&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/103P\/Hartley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">103P\/Hartley<\/a>&nbsp;(2010)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Although many comets have been studied from Earth sometimes with centuries-worth of observations, only a few comets have been closely visited. In 1985, the&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_Cometary_Explorer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">International Cometary Explorer<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;conducted the first comet fly-by (<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/21P\/Giacobini-Zinner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">21P\/Giacobini-Zinner<\/a>) before joining the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Halley_Armada\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Halley Armada<\/a>&nbsp;studying the famous comet. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Deep_Impact_(spacecraft)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Deep Impact<\/em>&nbsp;probe<\/a>&nbsp;smashed into&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/9P\/Tempel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">9P\/Tempel<\/a>&nbsp;to learn more about its structure and composition and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stardust_(spacecraft)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Stardust<\/em>&nbsp;mission<\/a>&nbsp;returned samples of another comet&#8217;s tail. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Philae_(spacecraft)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Philae<\/em>&nbsp;lander<\/a>&nbsp;successfully landed on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/67P\/Churyumov%E2%80%93Gerasimenko\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Comet Churyumov\u2013Gerasimenko<\/a>&nbsp;in 2014 as part of the broader&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rosetta_(spacecraft)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Rosetta<\/em>&nbsp;mission<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Deep space exploration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Deep_space_exploration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Deep space exploration<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Hubble_ultra_deep_field_high_rez_edit1.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/0\/0d\/Hubble_ultra_deep_field_high_rez_edit1.jpg\/220px-Hubble_ultra_deep_field_high_rez_edit1.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This high-resolution image of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hubble_Ultra_Deep_Field\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hubble Ultra Deep Field<\/a>&nbsp;includes galaxies of various ages, sizes, shapes, and colors. The smallest, reddest galaxies, are some of the most distant galaxies to have been imaged by an optical telescope.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Deep space exploration is the branch of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Astronomy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">astronomy<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Astronautics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">astronautics<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space technology<\/a>&nbsp;that is involved with the exploration of distant regions of outer space.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-48\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[48]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;Physical exploration of space is conducted both by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Human_spaceflight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">human spaceflights<\/a>&nbsp;(deep-space astronautics) and by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Robotic_spacecraft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">robotic spacecraft<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the best candidates for future deep space engine technologies include&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Anti-matter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">anti-matter<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nuclear_power\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nuclear power<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Beam-powered_propulsion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">beamed propulsion<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-49\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[49]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;The latter, beamed propulsion, appears to be the best candidate for deep space exploration presently available, since it uses known physics and known technology that is being developed for other purposes.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Forward1996-50\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[50]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Future of space exploration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Future_of_space_exploration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Future of space exploration<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Innovative_Interstellar_Explorer_interstellar_space_probe_.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/3\/3d\/Innovative_Interstellar_Explorer_interstellar_space_probe_.jpg\/220px-Innovative_Interstellar_Explorer_interstellar_space_probe_.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Concept art for a NASA Vision mission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Rocket_launch_from_Saturn_moon.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/2\/21\/Rocket_launch_from_Saturn_moon.jpg\/220px-Rocket_launch_from_Saturn_moon.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Artistic image of a rocket lifting from a Saturn moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Breakthrough Starshot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Breakthrough_Starshot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Breakthrough Starshot<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Breakthrough Starshot is a research and engineering project by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Breakthrough_Initiatives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Breakthrough Initiatives<\/a>&nbsp;to develop a proof-of-concept fleet of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Light_sail\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">light sail<\/a>&nbsp;spacecraft named&nbsp;<em>StarChip<\/em>,<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-CD-20160412-51\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[51]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;to be capable of making the journey to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alpha_Centauri\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alpha Centauri<\/a>&nbsp;star system 4.37&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Light-years\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">light-years<\/a>&nbsp;away. It was founded in 2016 by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yuri_Milner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yuri Milner<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stephen_Hawking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stephen Hawking<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mark_Zuckerberg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mark Zuckerberg<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-52\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[52]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-53\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[53]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Asteroids<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Exploration_of_the_asteroids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Exploration of the asteroids<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An article in science magazine&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nature_(journal)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nature<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;suggested the use of asteroids as a gateway for space exploration, with the ultimate destination being Mars. In order to make such an approach viable, three requirements need to be fulfilled: first, &#8220;a thorough asteroid survey to find thousands of nearby bodies suitable for astronauts to visit&#8221;; second, &#8220;extending flight duration and distance capability to ever-increasing ranges out to Mars&#8221;; and finally, &#8220;developing better robotic vehicles and tools to enable astronauts to explore an asteroid regardless of its size, shape or spin&#8221;. Furthermore, using asteroids would provide astronauts with protection from galactic cosmic rays, with mission crews being able to land on them without great risk to radiation exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">James Webb Space Telescope<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/James_Webb_Space_Telescope\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James Webb Space Telescope<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST or &#8220;Webb&#8221;) is a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_telescope\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space telescope<\/a>&nbsp;that is the successor to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hubble_Space_Telescope\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hubble Space Telescope<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-about-54\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[54]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-55\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[55]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;The JWST will provide greatly improved resolution and sensitivity over the Hubble, and will enable a broad range of investigations across the fields of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Astronomy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">astronomy<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cosmology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cosmology<\/a>, including observing some of the most distant events and objects in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Universe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">universe<\/a>, such as the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Galaxy_formation_and_evolution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">formation of the first galaxies<\/a>. Other goals include understanding the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Formation_of_stars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">formation of stars<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Planet_formation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">planets<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_directly_imaged_exoplanets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">direct imaging<\/a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Exoplanets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">exoplanets<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nova\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">novas<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-facts-56\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[56]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The primary mirror of the JWST, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Optical_Telescope_Element\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Optical Telescope Element<\/a>, is composed of 18 hexagonal mirror segments made of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gold\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gold<\/a>-plated&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Beryllium\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">beryllium<\/a>&nbsp;which combine to create a 6.5-meter (21&nbsp;ft; 260&nbsp;in) diameter mirror that is much larger than the Hubble&#8217;s 2.4-meter (7.9&nbsp;ft; 94&nbsp;in) mirror. Unlike the Hubble, which observes in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Near_ultraviolet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">near ultraviolet<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Visible_spectrum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">visible<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Near_infrared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">near infrared<\/a>&nbsp;(0.1 to 1 \u03bcm) spectra, the JWST will observe in a lower frequency range, from long-wavelength visible light through&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Infrared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mid-infrared<\/a>&nbsp;(0.6 to 27 \u03bcm), which will allow it to observe high&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Redshift\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">redshift<\/a>&nbsp;objects that are too old and too distant for the Hubble to observe.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-ReferenceB-57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[57]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;The telescope must be kept very cold in order to observe in the infrared without interference, so it will be deployed in space near the Earth\u2013Sun&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lagrange_point#L2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">L<sub>2<\/sub><\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lagrangian_point\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lagrangian point<\/a>, and a large&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sunshield_(JWST)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sunshield<\/a>&nbsp;made of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Silicon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">silicon<\/a>&#8211; and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aluminum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">aluminum<\/a>-coated&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kapton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kapton<\/a>&nbsp;will keep its&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cold_mirror\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mirror<\/a>&nbsp;and instruments below 50&nbsp;K (\u2212220&nbsp;\u00b0C; \u2212370&nbsp;\u00b0F).<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-nasasunshield-58\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[58]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Artemis program<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Artemis_program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Artemis program<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Artemis program is an ongoing&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_human_spaceflight_programs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">crewed spaceflight program<\/a>&nbsp;carried out by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NASA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NASA<\/a>, U.S.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Private_spaceflight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">commercial spaceflight companies<\/a>, and international partners such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Space_Agency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESA<\/a>,<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Artemis_home-59\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[59]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;with the goal of landing &#8220;the first woman and the next man&#8221; on the Moon, specifically at the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lunar_south_pole\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lunar south pole<\/a>&nbsp;region by 2024. Artemis would be the next step towards the long-term goal of establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon, laying the foundation for private companies to build a lunar economy, and eventually sending humans to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mars<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2017, the lunar campaign was authorized by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NASA#Space_Policy_Directive_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space Policy Directive 1<\/a>, utilizing various ongoing spacecraft programs such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Orion_(spacecraft)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Orion<\/a>, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lunar_Gateway\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lunar Gateway<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commercial_Lunar_Payload_Services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Commercial Lunar Payload Services<\/a>, and adding an undeveloped crewed lander. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_Launch_System\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space Launch System<\/a>&nbsp;will serve as the primary launch vehicle for Orion, while commercial launch vehicles are planned for use to launch various other elements of the campaign.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Verge_May2019-60\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[60]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;NASA requested $1.6 billion in additional funding for Artemis for fiscal year 2020,<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Harwood_CBS-61\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[61]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;while the Senate Appropriations Committee requested from NASA a five-year budget profile<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-62\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[62]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;which is needed for evaluation and approval by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States_Congress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Congress<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-63\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[63]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-64\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[64]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rationales<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_advocacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space advocacy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Aldrin_Apollo_11_original.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/9\/98\/Aldrin_Apollo_11_original.jpg\/220px-Aldrin_Apollo_11_original.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Astronaut&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Buzz_Aldrin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Buzz Aldrin<\/a>&nbsp;had a personal Communion service when he first arrived on the surface of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Moon<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The research that is conducted by national space exploration agencies, such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NASA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NASA<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Roscosmos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Roscosmos<\/a>, is one of the reasons supporters cite to justify government expenses. Economic analyses of the NASA programs often showed ongoing economic benefits (such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NASA_spin-off\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NASA spin-offs<\/a>), generating many times the revenue of the cost of the program.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-doi-1023-65\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[65]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;It is also argued that space exploration would lead to the extraction of resources on other planets and especially asteroids, which contain billions of dollars worth of minerals and metals. Such expeditions could generate a lot of revenue.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-nature-2012-66\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[66]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;In addition, it has been argued that space exploration programs help inspire youth to study in science and engineering.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-freakonomics-67\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[67]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;Space exploration also gives scientists the ability to perform experiments in other settings and expand humanity&#8217;s knowledge.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-68\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[68]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another claim is that space exploration is a necessity to mankind and that staying on Earth will lead to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Human_extinction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">extinction<\/a>. Some of the reasons are lack of natural resources, comets, nuclear war, and worldwide epidemic.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stephen_Hawking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stephen Hawking<\/a>, renowned British theoretical physicist, said that &#8220;I don&#8217;t think the human race will survive the next thousand years, unless we spread into space. There are too many accidents that can befall life on a single planet. But I&#8217;m an optimist. We will reach out to the stars.&#8221;<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-tele-20011016-69\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[69]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Arthur_C._Clarke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arthur C. Clarke<\/a>&nbsp;(1950) presented a summary of motivations for the human exploration of space in his non-fiction semi-technical monograph&nbsp;<em>Interplanetary Flight<\/em>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-intro-ast-70\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[70]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;He argued that humanity&#8217;s choice is essentially between expansion off Earth into space, versus cultural (and eventually biological) stagnation and death. These motivations could be attributed to one of the first rocket scientists in NASA,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wernher_von_Braun\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wernher von Braun<\/a>, and his vision of humans moving beyond Earth. The basis of this plan was to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Develop multi-stage rockets capable of placing satellites, animals, and humans in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Development of large, winged reusable spacecraft capable of carrying humans and equipment into Earth orbit in a way that made space access routine and cost-effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Construction of a large, permanently occupied space station to be used as a platform both to observe Earth and from which to launch deep space expeditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Launching the first human flights around the Moon, leading to the first landings of humans on the Moon, with the intent of exploring that body and establishing permanent lunar bases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Assembly and fueling of spaceships in Earth orbit for the purpose of sending humans to Mars with the intent of eventually colonizing that planet.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-doi:10.1016-71\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[71]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Known as the Von Braun Paradigm, the plan was formulated to lead humans in the exploration of space. Von Braun&#8217;s vision of human space exploration served as the model for efforts in space exploration well into the twenty-first century, with NASA incorporating this approach into the majority of their projects.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-doi:10.1016-71\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[71]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;The steps were followed out of order, as seen by the Apollo program reaching the moon before the space shuttle program was started, which in turn was used to complete the International Space Station. Von Braun&#8217;s Paradigm formed NASA&#8217;s drive for human exploration, in the hopes that humans discover the far reaches of the universe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA has produced a series of public service announcement videos supporting the concept of space exploration.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-yt-EewrC22ysus-72\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[72]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, the public remains largely supportive of both crewed and uncrewed space exploration. According to an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Associated_Press\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>&nbsp;Poll conducted in July 2003, 71% of U.S. citizens agreed with the statement that the space program is &#8220;a good investment&#8221;, compared to 21% who did not.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-poll-2-73\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[73]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Human nature<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_advocacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space advocacy<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space policy<\/a><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-AtlanticDestiny-74\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[74]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;regularly invokes exploration as a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Human_nature\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">human nature<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Destiny-75\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[75]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Topics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Main articles:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space science<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Human_presence_in_space\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Human presence in space<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Spaceflight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main articles:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spaceflight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Spaceflight<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Astronautics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Astronautics<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Delta-Vs_for_inner_Solar_System.svg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/7\/74\/Delta-Vs_for_inner_Solar_System.svg\/220px-Delta-Vs_for_inner_Solar_System.svg.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Delta-v_budget\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Delta-v&#8217;s<\/a>&nbsp;in km\/s for various orbital maneuvers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Spaceflight<\/em>&nbsp;is the use of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space technology<\/a>&nbsp;to achieve the flight of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spacecraft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spacecraft<\/a>&nbsp;into and through outer space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spaceflight is used in space exploration, and also in commercial activities like&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_tourism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space tourism<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Telecommunications_satellite\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">satellite telecommunications<\/a>. Additional non-commercial uses of spaceflight include&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_observatory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space observatories<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Reconnaissance_satellite\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reconnaissance satellites<\/a>&nbsp;and other&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Earth_observation_satellite\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Earth observation satellites<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A spaceflight typically begins with a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rocket_launch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rocket launch<\/a>, which provides the initial thrust to overcome the force of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gravity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gravity<\/a>&nbsp;and propels the spacecraft from the surface of Earth. Once in space, the motion of a spacecraft\u2014both when unpropelled and when under propulsion\u2014is covered by the area of study called&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Astrodynamics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">astrodynamics<\/a>. Some spacecraft remain in space indefinitely, some disintegrate during&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Atmospheric_reentry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">atmospheric reentry<\/a>, and others reach a planetary or lunar surface for landing or impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Satellites<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Satellite\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Satellite<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Satellites are used for a large number of purposes. Common types include military (spy) and civilian Earth observation satellites, communication satellites, navigation satellites, weather satellites, and research satellites.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_station\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space stations<\/a>&nbsp;and human&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spacecraft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spacecraft<\/a>&nbsp;in orbit are also satellites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Commercialization of space<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commercialization_of_space\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Commercialization of space<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The commercialization of space first started out with the launching of private satellites by NASA or other space agencies. Current examples of the commercial satellite use of space include&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Satellite_navigation_system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">satellite navigation systems<\/a>, satellite television and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Satellite_radio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">satellite radio<\/a>. The next step of commercialization of space was seen as human spaceflight. Flying humans safely to and from space had become routine to NASA.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-76\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[76]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;Reusable spacecraft were an entirely new engineering challenge, something only seen in novels and films like Star Trek and War of the Worlds. Great names like&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Buzz_Aldrin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Buzz Aldrin<\/a>&nbsp;supported the use of making a reusable vehicle like the space shuttle. Aldrin held that reusable spacecraft were the key in making space travel affordable, stating that the use of &#8220;passenger space travel is a huge potential market big enough to justify the creation of reusable launch vehicles&#8221;.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-77\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[77]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;How can the public go against the words of one of America&#8217;s best known heroes in space exploration? After all exploring space is the next great expedition, following the example of Lewis and Clark.<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_tourism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space tourism<\/a>&nbsp;is the next step reusable vehicles in the commercialization of space. The purpose of this form of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Human_spaceflight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space travel<\/a>&nbsp;is used by individuals for the purpose of personal pleasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Private_spaceflight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Private spaceflight companies<\/a>&nbsp;such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SpaceX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SpaceX<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Blue_Origin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Blue Origin<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Orbital_Technologies_Commercial_Space_Station\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">commercial space stations<\/a>&nbsp;such as the Axiom Space and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bigelow_Commercial_Space_Station\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bigelow Commercial Space Station<\/a>&nbsp;have dramatically changed the landscape of space exploration, and will continue to do so in the near future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Alien life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main articles:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Astrobiology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Astrobiology<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Extraterrestrial_life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Extraterrestrial life<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Astrobiology is the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Interdisciplinary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">interdisciplinary<\/a>&nbsp;study of life in the universe, combining aspects of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Astronomy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">astronomy<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Biology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">biology<\/a>&nbsp;and geology.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-NASAastrobio-78\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[78]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;It is focused primarily on the study of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Origin_of_life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">origin<\/a>, distribution and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Evolution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">evolution<\/a>&nbsp;of life. It is also known as&nbsp;<strong>exobiology<\/strong>&nbsp;(from Greek: \u03ad\u03be\u03c9,&nbsp;<em>exo<\/em>, &#8220;outside&#8221;).<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-aleph-x-79\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[79]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-www-pho-80\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[80]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-itw-1066-81\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[81]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;The term &#8220;Xenobiology&#8221; has been used as well, but this is technically incorrect because its terminology means &#8220;biology of the foreigners&#8221;.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-bio-ast-82\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[82]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;Astrobiologists must also consider the possibility of life that is chemically entirely distinct from any life found on Earth.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-AstroDNA-83\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[83]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;In the Solar System some of the prime locations for current or past astrobiology are on Enceladus, Europa, Mars, and Titan.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-sc-extra-84\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[84]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Human spaceflight and habitation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Main articles:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Human_spaceflight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Human spaceflight<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bioastronautics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bioastronautics<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Effect_of_spaceflight_on_the_human_body\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Effect of spaceflight on the human body<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_medicine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space medicine<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_architecture\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space architecture<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_station\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space station<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_habitat_(facility)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space habitat (facility)<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_habitat_(settlement)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space habitat (settlement)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Yury_Usachev_in_Russian_crew_quarters.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/3\/38\/Yury_Usachev_in_Russian_crew_quarters.jpg\/200px-Yury_Usachev_in_Russian_crew_quarters.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Crew quarters on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zvezda_(ISS_module)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Zvezda<\/a>, the base ISS crew module<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>To date, the longest human occupation of space is the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_Space_Station\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">International Space Station<\/a>&nbsp;which has been in continuous use for 23&nbsp;years, 156&nbsp;days.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Valeri_Polyakov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Valeri Polyakov<\/a>&#8216;s record single spaceflight of almost 438 days aboard the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mir\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mir<\/a>&nbsp;space station has not been surpassed. The health effects of space have been well documented through years of research conducted in the field of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aerospace_Medicine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">aerospace medicine<\/a>. Analog environments similar to those one may experience in space travel (like deep sea submarines) have been used in this research to further explore the relationship between isolation and extreme environments.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Doarn_2019_190-85\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[85]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;It is imperative that the health of the crew be maintained as any deviation from baseline may compromise the integrity of the mission as well as the safety of the crew, hence the reason why astronauts must endure rigorous medical screenings and tests prior to embarking on any missions. However, it does not take long for the environmental dynamics of spaceflight to commence its toll on the human body; for example,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_adaptation_syndrome\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space motion sickness (SMS)<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 a condition which affects the neurovestibular system and culminates in mild to severe signs and symptoms such as vertigo, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and disorientation \u2013 plagues almost all space travelers within their first few days in orbit.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Doarn_2019_190-85\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[85]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;Space travel can also have a profound impact on the psyche of the crew members as delineated in anecdotal writings composed after their retirement. Space travel can adversely affect the body&#8217;s natural biological clock (<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Circadian_rhythm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">circadian rhythm<\/a>); sleep patterns causing sleep deprivation and fatigue; and social interaction; consequently, residing in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment for a prolonged amount of time can result in both mental and physical exhaustion.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Doarn_2019_190-85\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[85]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;Long-term stays in space reveal issues with bone and muscle loss in low gravity, immune system suppression, and radiation exposure. The lack of gravity causes fluid to rise upward which can cause pressure to build up in the eye, resulting in vision problems; the loss of bone minerals and densities; cardiovascular deconditioning; and decreased endurance and muscle mass.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-86\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[86]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Health_threat_from_cosmic_rays\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Radiation<\/a>&nbsp;is an insidious health hazard to space travelers as it is invisible and can cause cancer. When above the Earth&#8217;s magnetic field spacecraft are no longer protected from the sun&#8217;s radiation; the danger of radiation is even more potent in deep space. The hazards of radiation can be ameliorated through protective shielding on the spacecraft, alerts, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dosimetry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dosimetry<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Mars-87\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[87]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, with new and rapidly evolving technological advancements, those in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mission_control_center\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mission Control<\/a>&nbsp;are able to monitor the health of their&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Astronaut\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">astronauts<\/a>&nbsp;more closely utilizing&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Telemedicine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">telemedicine<\/a>. One may not be able to completely evade the physiological effects of space flight, but they can be mitigated. For example, medical systems aboard space vessels such as the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_Space_Station\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">International Space Station (ISS)<\/a>&nbsp;are well equipped and designed to counteract the effects of lack of gravity and weightlessness; on-board treadmills can help prevent muscle loss and reduce the risk of developing premature osteoporosis.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Doarn_2019_190-85\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[85]<\/a><\/sup><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Mars-87\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[87]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;Additionally, a crew medical officer is appointed for each ISS mission and a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Flight_surgeon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">flight surgeon<\/a>&nbsp;is available 24\/7 via the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mission_control_center\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ISS Mission Control Center<\/a>&nbsp;located in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Houston\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Houston, Texas.<\/a><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Mars-87\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[87]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;Although the interactions are intended to take place in real time, communications between the space and terrestrial crew may become delayed \u2013 sometimes by as much as 20 minutes<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Mars-87\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[87]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;\u2013 as their distance from each other increases when the spacecraft moves further out of LEO; because of this the crew are trained and need to be prepared to respond to any medical emergencies that may arise on the vessel as the ground crew are hundreds of miles away. As one can see, travelling and possibly living in space poses many challenges. Many past and current concepts for the continued exploration and colonization of space focus on a return to the Moon as a &#8220;stepping stone&#8221; to the other planets, especially Mars. At the end of 2006 NASA announced they were planning to build a permanent Moon base with continual presence by 2024.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-nasa-164021-88\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[88]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond the technical factors that could make living in space more widespread, it has been suggested that the lack of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Private_property\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">private property<\/a>, the inability or difficulty in establishing&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Property_rights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">property rights<\/a>&nbsp;in space, has been an impediment to the development of space for human habitation. Since the advent of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space technology<\/a>&nbsp;in the latter half of the twentieth century, the ownership of property in space has been murky, with strong arguments both for and against. In particular, the making of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sovereign_state\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">national<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Land_claim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">territorial claims<\/a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Outer_space\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">outer space<\/a>&nbsp;and on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Celestial_body\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">celestial bodies<\/a>&nbsp;has been specifically proscribed by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Outer_Space_Treaty\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Outer Space Treaty<\/a>, which had been, as of 2012, ratified by all&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spacefaring\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spacefaring nations<\/a>.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-tna2012fall-89\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[89]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;Space colonization, also called space settlement and space humanization, would be the permanent autonomous (self-sufficient) human&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_habitat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">habitation<\/a>&nbsp;of locations outside Earth, especially of natural satellites or planets such as the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Colonization_of_the_Moon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Moon<\/a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Colonization_of_Mars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mars<\/a>, using significant amounts of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/In-situ_resource_utilization\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in-situ resource utilization<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Human representation and participation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>See also:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_law\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space law<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Participation and representation of humanity in space is an issue ever since the first phase of space exploration.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Durrani-90\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[90]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;Some rights of non-spacefaring countries have been mostly secured through international&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_law\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space law<\/a>, declaring space the &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Common_heritage_of_mankind\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">province of all mankind<\/a>&#8220;, understanding&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spaceflight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spaceflight<\/a>&nbsp;as its resource, though sharing of space for all humanity is still criticized as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Imperialism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">imperialist<\/a>&nbsp;and lacking.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Durrani-90\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[90]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;Additionally to international inclusion, the inclusion of women and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/People_of_colour\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">people of colour<\/a>&nbsp;has also been lacking. To reach a more inclusive spaceflight some organizations like the&nbsp;<em>Justspace Alliance<\/em><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-Durrani-90\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[90]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/IAU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IAU<\/a>&nbsp;featured&nbsp;<em>Inclusive Astronomy<\/em><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-91\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[91]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;have been formed in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Women<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Main article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Women_in_space\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Women in space<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first woman to go to space was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Valentina_Tereshkova\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Valentina Tereshkova<\/a>. She flew in 1963 but it was not until the 1980s that another woman entered space again. All astronauts were required to be military test pilots at the time and women were not able to join this career, this is one reason for the delay in allowing women to join space crews.<sup>[<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Citation_needed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">citation needed<\/a><\/em>]<\/sup>&nbsp;After the rule changed,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Svetlana_Savitskaya\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Svetlana Savitskaya<\/a>&nbsp;became the second woman to go to space, she was also from the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Soviet_Union\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Soviet Union<\/a>.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sally_Ride\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sally Ride<\/a>&nbsp;became the next woman in space and the first woman to fly to space through the United States program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since then, eleven other countries have allowed women astronauts. The first all-female space walk occurred in 2018, including&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Christina_Koch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Christina Koch<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jessica_Meir\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jessica Meir<\/a>. They had both previously participated in space walks with NASA. The first woman to go to the Moon is planned for 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite these developments women are still underrepresented among astronauts and especially cosmonauts. Issues that block potential applicants from the programs, and limit the space missions they are able to go on, include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>agencies limiting women to half as much time in space than men, arguing with unresearched potential risks for cancer.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-92\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[92]<\/a><\/sup><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>a lack of space suits sized appropriately for female astronauts.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_exploration#cite_note-clothing-93\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[93]<\/a><\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Art<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>See also:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_art#Art_in_space\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Space art \u00a7&nbsp;Art in space<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Artistry in and from space ranges from signals, capturing and arranging material like&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yuri_Gagarin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yuri Gagarin<\/a>&#8216;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Selfie\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">selfie<\/a>&nbsp;in space or the image&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Blue_Marble\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Blue Marble<\/a>, over drawings like the first one in space by cosmonaut and artist&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alexei_Leonov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alexei Leonov<\/a>, music videos like&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_Oddity#Chris_Hadfield_version\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chris Hadfield&#8217;s cover of Space Oddity<\/a>&nbsp;on board the ISS, to permanent installations on celestial bodies like&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moon#Human_impact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on the Moon<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<script>\nvar zbPregResult = '0';\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What was I thinking when I pushed on that slide rule? Was it the magic wand that led me here?Ever since I was very small, telescope in my hand, That demon called my name Through renewal in the fall, watching the leaves blow A little snow begins to swirl Equations that mystify hold all the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6996"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6997,"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6996\/revisions\/6997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}