The fascination with space has captured humans since the dawn of time. The development of rockets in the 20th century made it possible to send machines and eventually people above Earth’s atmosphere into outer space. This exploration has expanded the human imagination and opened new frontiers. It has inspired generations of scientists, engineers, artists, and dreamers. It has also advanced science and technology in many ways and changed our view of the Universe.
The first steps in this vast journey began with orbiting telescopes and satellites, followed by unmanned probes, then crewed missions into Earth orbit, Lunar orbit, Solar System, and the most distant regions of the Galaxy. These missions have taught us a great deal about the origins of our planet, our Solar System, and the Universe.
Until recently, the only way to visit an asteroid was to send a spacecraft. This was expensive, and therefore only national governments could afford to do this. However, the private sector has developed into a large part of the space industry with companies such as SpaceShipOne providing suborbital flights and a range of other services.
In addition to increasing knowledge, the benefits of space exploration are widely acknowledged. They include inspiring the next generation globally, encouraging interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), promoting international cooperation in areas such as robotics, and contributing to economic prosperity in nations with successful space programs. Technologies developed for space use have spin-off applications in other fields such as medicine and materials technology.
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