Space exploration is the activity of humans and machines beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Since the advent of rockets and related technologies in the 20th century, human beings have been able to fly into space aboard aircraft and to live in orbit on space stations. They have surveyed the Moon, visited Venus and Mars, probed the rings of Saturn and its satellites, and studied asteroids, comets, and the vast reaches between the stars in our galaxy and in many others.
The primary reason for space exploration is scientific discovery. In addition to the research carried out by human astronauts themselves, scientists have conducted a broad range of biological and physical experiments in the virtual absence of gravity, using living organisms from Earth and from other planets. The conditions of space have also allowed them to perform a variety of other studies that could not be carried out on the Earth’s surface, including the effects of weightlessness on the body and the mind.
A secondary reason is to test technology and develop a greater understanding of space flight. In particular, the development of reusable rockets will allow for low-cost passenger space travel and lead to the establishment of a sustainable commercial presence in space. NASA is also working to expand the American economy by promoting in-space work and research by private companies.
Space exploration is a complex endeavor that demands extraordinary ingenuity to permit people and machines to survive the hostile environment of outer space, where radiation, charged particles, and matter (ranging from large meteoroids to microscopic dust) are constantly present. It is also a profoundly inspirational endeavor, as contemplating the great reaches of space and our planet’s relative insignificance and value can grant a unique perspective on life.
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