Space exploration

Space exploration is the physical exploration of outer-earth objects and generally anything that involves the technologies, science, and politics regarding space endeavors.

The idea of sending an object to space was conceived in the minds of many science fiction authors hundreds of years before it was actually feasible. Some of these works even included various descriptions of exactly how that would be done. During the 20th century, with the development of adequate propulsion technologies, stronger and lighter materials and other technological and scientific breakthroughs, the idea of outer-earth missions was no longer a dream, but a viable practice.

The first successful space launch was of the Russian unmanned Sputnik I mission on October 4, 1957. Manned space exploration began with the orbital flight of Yuri Gagarin in April, 1961.

See also:

• Space Race
• Manned space missions
  • Vostok program
  • Mercury program
  • Soyuz program
  • Gemini program
  • Apollo program and others
  • Skylab
  • Space Shuttle program
  • Shenzhou spacecraft
• Unmanned space missions
  • Mariner program and others
  • Surveyor program
• Astronauts
• Space stations
• Space tourism
• Space colonization