Space Exploration
During the 20th century humanity came to realize a dream it had since ancient times: the possibility of space travel. Technological innovations, combined with the political climate of the Cold War, made space exploration a reality for the first time in history.
Astronomy in the Ancient Times
Astronomy in the Modern Times
History of Rockets
Space Race
Space exploration and the Cold War
Space Agencies
Science fiction and space exploration
Exploration of Mars
Exploration of the inner solar system
Exploration of the outer solar system
Modern orbital space exploration
History of Satellites
The Future of Space Exploration
One of the most dramatic moments of the twentieth century occurred on October 4, 1957. The Soviet Union sent a small shiny sphere with four long antennas into space. They called it Sputnik I. Sputnik is a Russian word that means “traveling companion.” The satellite traveled so fast that its ballistic flight continued all the way around Earth.
While the current lunar exploration initiative has been justified as a “stepping stone” toward Mars, human missions to Mars represent a major step up in complexity, scale, and rigour compared to lunar missions.