List of basic space exploration topics

Space exploration is the use of astronomy and space technology to explore outer space.[1] Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft.

The following list of topics is provided as an overview of and introduction to space exploration:

Spaceflight Portal

1 Essence of space exploration
2 Branches of space exploration
3 History of space exploration
4 Current space exploration
- 4.1 Space agencies
- 4.2 Active space missions
5 Future of space exploration
6 Basic space exploration concepts
7 Space exploration scholars
8 Leaders in space exploration
9 Space exploration lists
10 See also
11 References
12 External links

Essence of space exploration

Main article: Space exploration

Space exploration is a high technology domain in which relatively few countries have made major investments. Near-term practical applications include communications, meteorology, Earth resources exploitation and assessment, search and rescue, and military intelligence gathering. Longer-term activities, often with a mixture of practical and cultural justifications, include such areas as scientific investigation, asteroidal impact hazard assessment and its mitigation, and microgravity materials science and biology research, both pure and applied. A further strong justification, somewhat speculative and often quite controversial, is human expansion into the space environment, for solar energy and space materials utilization, exploration, and eventual colonization and habitation.

Terms that describe space exploration include:

Branches of space exploration

Space exploration can be divided into two branches: manned and unmanned. Unmanned, or robotic, missions entail the use of untended satellites and probes for communications, various military purposes,space is big and observation, solar and heliospheric science, Solar System exploration, space-based astronomy, and so on. Manned missions include trained human personnel who go into space for various purposes such as constructing a space station, repair or upgrade of previously launched spacecraft (notably the HST), performing human-tended experiments as in micro-gravity or biology, and especially understanding the effects on humans of the space environment in preparation for future human exploration and possible habitation. In the past decade there have also been several fee-paying "space tourists", mostly accommodated on a space-available basis. While the utility of robotic missions seems established, the merit and value of human presence in space has been hotly debated and remains somewhat controversial in some quarters, though it does appear to have wide popular appeal.

History of space exploration

Main articles: History of space exploration and Timeline of space exploration

Current space exploration

Space agencies

The best funded space agencies are:

Country Agency Budget United States NASA$16 billion ESA(European Space Agency) $4.260 billion France CNES(French space agency) $2.49 billion Japan JAXA(Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) $2.0 billion Russia RKA(Russian Federal Space Agency) $1.4 billion Germany DLR(German Aerospace Center) $1.242 billion Italy ASI(Italian Space Agency) $978 million India ISRO(Indian Space Research Organization) $815 million China CNSA(Chinese National Space Administration) $500 million United Kingdom BNSC(British National Space Centre) $414 million [2] Canada CSA(Canadian Space Agency) $321 million Ukraine NSAU(National Space Agency of Ukraine) $250-300 million BelgiumBelgian science policy and space policy $230 million SpainCDTI (Spanish space agency $175 million Netherlands SRON(Netherlands Institute for Space Research) $160 million South Korea KARI(Korea Aerospace Research Institute) $150 million Brazil AEB(Brazilian Space Agency) $120 million SwitzerlandSSO (Swiss Space Office) $110 million Sweden SNSB(Swedish National Space Board) $100 million