Editing Space exploration (section)

==Topics==
{{Main|Space science|Human presence in space}}

===Spaceflight===
{{Main|Spaceflight|Astronautics}}
[[File:Delta-Vs for inner Solar System.svg|thumbnail|upright=1.1|[[delta-v budget|Delta-v's]] in km/s for various orbital maneuvers]]
''Spaceflight'' is the use of [[space technology]] to achieve the flight of [[spacecraft]] into and through outer space.

Spaceflight is used in space exploration, and also in commercial activities like [[space tourism]] and [[telecommunications satellite|satellite telecommunications]]. Additional non-commercial uses of spaceflight include [[Space observatory|space observatories]], [[reconnaissance satellite]]s and other [[Earth observation satellite]]s.

A spaceflight typically begins with a [[rocket launch]], which provides the initial thrust to overcome the force of [[gravity]] and propels the spacecraft from the surface of Earth. Once in space, the motion of a spacecraft—both when unpropelled and when under propulsion—is covered by the area of study called [[astrodynamics]]. Some spacecraft remain in space indefinitely, some disintegrate during [[atmospheric reentry]], and others reach a planetary or lunar surface for landing or impact.

===Satellites===
{{Main|Satellite}}

Satellites are used for a large number of purposes. Common types include military (spy) and civilian Earth observation satellites, communication satellites, navigation satellites, weather satellites, and research satellites. [[Space station]]s and human [[spacecraft]] in orbit are also satellites.

===Commercialization of space===
{{Main|Commercialization of space}}
The commercialization of space first started out with the launching of private satellites by NASA or other space agencies. Current examples of the commercial satellite use of space include [[satellite navigation system]]s, satellite television, satellite communications (such as internet services) and [[satellite radio]]. The next step of commercialization of space was seen as human spaceflight. Flying humans safely to and from space had become routine to NASA and Russia.<ref>Gregory, Frederick; Garber, S. J. ''Looking Backward, Looking Forward: Forty Years of U.S. Human Spaceflight, 2002,'' pp. 73–80. Making Human Spaceflight as Safe as Possible.</ref> Reusable spacecraft were an entirely new engineering challenge, something only seen in novels and films like Star Trek and War of the Worlds. Astronaut [[Buzz Aldrin]] supported the use of making a reusable vehicle like the space shuttle. Aldrin held that reusable spacecraft were the key in making space travel affordable, stating that the use of "passenger space travel is a huge potential market big enough to justify the creation of reusable launch vehicles".<ref>Aldrin, Buzz; Garber, S. J. ''Looking Backward, Looking Forward: Forty Years of U.S. Human Spaceflight,'' 2002. pp. 91–100. Apollo and Beyond.</ref> [[Space tourism]] is a next step in the use of reusable vehicles in the commercialization of space. The purpose of this form of [[Human spaceflight|space travel]] is personal pleasure.

[[Private spaceflight|Private spaceflight companies]] such as [[SpaceX]] and [[Blue Origin]], and [[Orbital Technologies Commercial Space Station|commercial space stations]] such as the Axiom Space and the [[Bigelow Commercial Space Station]] have changed the cost and overall landscape of space exploration, and are expected to continue to do so in the near future.

===Alien life===
{{Main|Astrobiology|Extraterrestrial life}}
Astrobiology is the [[interdisciplinary]] study of life in the universe, combining aspects of [[astronomy]], [[biology]] and geology.<ref name="NASAastrobio">{{cite web |url=http://astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov/ |title=NASA Astrobiology |publisher=Astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov |access-date=24 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928003207/http://astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov/ |archive-date=28 September 2015}}</ref> It is focused primarily on the study of the [[origin of life|origin]], distribution and [[evolution]] of life. It is also known as '''exobiology''' (from Greek: έξω, ''exo'', "outside").<ref name="aleph-x">{{cite web |url=http://www.aleph.se/Trans/Words/x.html |title=X |publisher=Aleph.se |date=11 March 2000 |access-date=24 May 2012 }}</ref><ref name="www-pho">{{cite web |url=http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/phobias.htm |title=Fears and dreads |publisher=World Wide Words |date=31 May 1997 |access-date=24 May 2012 }}</ref><ref name="itw-1066">{{cite web |url=http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/11647/1066/ |title= Scientists will look for alien life, but Where and How? |publisher=iTWire |first1=William |last1=Atkins |date=27 April 2007 |access-date=24 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014092633/http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/11647/1066/ |archive-date=14 October 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The term "Xenobiology" has been used as well, but this is technically incorrect because its terminology means "biology of the foreigners".<ref name="bio-ast">{{cite web |url=http://biocab.org/Astrobiology.html |title=Astrobiology |publisher=Biocab.org |access-date=24 May 2012 |archive-date=12 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101212184044/http://biocab.org/Astrobiology.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Astrobiologists must also consider the possibility of life that is chemically entirely distinct from any life found on Earth.<ref name="AstroDNA">{{cite web |title=Launching the Alien Debates |last=Ward |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Ward (paleontologist) |url=http://www.astrobio.net/debate/2168/launching-the-alien-debates |date=8 December 2006 |work=[[Astrobiology Magazine]] |access-date=25 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023105824/https://www.astrobio.net/extreme-life/launching-the-alien-debates/ |archive-date=2020-10-23 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> In the Solar System, some of the prime locations for current or past astrobiology are on Enceladus, Europa, Mars, and Titan.<ref name="sc-extra">{{cite web|url=http://spacechronology.com/extra.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714162249/http://spacechronology.com/extra.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 July 2012 |title=Astrobiology: the quest for extraterrestrial life |publisher=Spacechronology.com |date=29 September 2010 |access-date=24 May 2012 }}</ref>

===Human spaceflight and habitation===
{{Main|Human spaceflight|Bioastronautics|Effect of spaceflight on the human body|Space medicine|Space architecture|Space station|Space habitat (facility)|Space habitat (settlement)}}
[[File:Yury Usachev in Russian crew quarters.jpg|thumb|200px|Crew quarters on [[Zvezda (ISS module)|Zvezda]], the base ISS crew module]]
To date, the longest human occupation of space is the [[International Space Station]] which has been in continuous use for {{age in years and days|2000|11|02}}. [[Valeri Polyakov]]'s record single spaceflight of almost 438 days aboard the [[Mir]] space station has not been surpassed. The health effects of space have been well documented through years of research conducted in the field of [[Aerospace Medicine|aerospace medicine]]. Analog environments similar to those experienced in space travel (like deep sea submarines), have been used in this research to further explore the relationship between isolation and extreme environments.<ref name="Doarn 2019 190">{{Cite journal |last1=Doarn |first1=Charles R. |last2=Polk |first2=J. D. |last3=Shepanek |first3=Marc |date=2019 |title=Health challenges including behavioral problems in long-duration spaceflight |journal=Neurology India |language=en |volume=67 |issue=8 |pages=S190–S195 |doi=10.4103/0028-3886.259116 |issn=0028-3886 |pmid=31134909 |s2cid=167219863 |doi-access=free}}</ref> It is imperative that the health of the crew be maintained as any deviation from baseline may compromise the integrity of the mission as well as the safety of the crew, hence the astronauts must endure rigorous medical screenings and tests prior to embarking on any missions. However, it does not take long for the environmental dynamics of spaceflight to commence its toll on the human body; for example, [[Space adaptation syndrome|space motion sickness (SMS)]] – a condition which affects the neurovestibular system and culminates in mild to severe signs and symptoms such as vertigo, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and disorientation – plagues almost all space travelers within their first few days in orbit.<ref name="Doarn 2019 190"/> Space travel can also have an impact on the psyche of the crew members as delineated in anecdotal writings composed after their retirement. Space travel can adversely affect the body's natural biological clock ([[circadian rhythm]]); sleep patterns causing sleep deprivation and fatigue; and social interaction; consequently, residing in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment for a prolonged amount of time can result in both mental and physical exhaustion.<ref name="Doarn 2019 190"/> Long-term stays in space reveal issues with bone and muscle loss in low gravity, immune system suppression, problems with eyesight, and radiation exposure. The lack of gravity causes fluid to rise upward which can cause pressure to build up in the eye, resulting in vision problems; the loss of bone minerals and densities; cardiovascular deconditioning; and decreased endurance and muscle mass.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/hrp/bodyinspace|title=The Human Body in Space|last=Perez|first=Jason|date=2016-03-30|website=NASA|access-date=2019-11-11}}</ref>

[[Health threat from cosmic rays|Radiation]] is an insidious health hazard to space travelers as it is invisible and can cause cancer. When above the Earth's magnetic field, spacecraft are no longer protected from the sun's radiation; the danger of radiation is even more potent in deep space. The hazards of radiation can be ameliorated through protective shielding on the spacecraft, alerts, and [[dosimetry]].<ref name="Mars">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/hrp/5-hazards-of-human-spaceflight|title=5 Hazards of Human Spaceflight|last=Mars|first=Kelli|date=2018-03-27|website=NASA|access-date=2019-10-06|archive-date=28 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428014359/https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/5-hazards-of-human-spaceflight/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Fortunately, with new and rapidly evolving technological advancements, those in [[Mission control center|Mission Control]] are able to monitor the health of their [[astronaut]]s more closely using [[telemedicine]]. One may not be able to completely evade the physiological effects of space flight, but those effects can be mitigated. For example, medical systems aboard space vessels such as the [[International Space Station|International Space Station (ISS)]] are well equipped and designed to counteract the effects of lack of gravity and weightlessness; on-board treadmills can help prevent muscle loss and reduce the risk of developing premature [[osteoporosis]].<ref name="Doarn 2019 190"/><ref name="Mars"/> Additionally, a crew medical officer is appointed for each ISS mission and a [[flight surgeon]] is available 24/7 via the [[Mission control center|ISS Mission Control Center]] located in [[Houston|Houston, Texas.]]<ref name="Mars"/> Although the interactions are intended to take place in real time, communications between the space and terrestrial crew may become delayed – sometimes by as much as 20 minutes<ref name="Mars"/> – as their distance from each other increases when the spacecraft moves further out of low Earth orbit; because of this the crew are trained and need to be prepared to respond to any medical emergencies that may arise on the vessel as the ground crew are hundreds of miles away.

Many past and current concepts for the continued exploration and colonization of space focus on a return to the Moon as a "steppingstone" to the other planets, especially Mars. At the end of 2006, NASA announced they were planning to build a permanent Moon base with continual presence by 2024.<ref name="nasa-164021">{{cite press release |title=Global Exploration Strategy and Lunar Architecture |publisher=NASA |date=4 December 2006 |url=http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/164021main_lunar_architecture.pdf |access-date=5 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614040311/http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/164021main_lunar_architecture.pdf |archive-date=14 June 2007 }}</ref>

Beyond the technical factors that could make living in space more widespread, it has been suggested that the lack of [[private property]], the inability or difficulty in establishing [[property rights]] in space, has been an impediment to the development of space for human habitation. Since the advent of [[space technology]] in the latter half of the twentieth century, the ownership of property in space has been murky, with strong arguments both for and against. In particular, the making of [[Sovereign state|national]] [[Land claim|territorial claims]] in [[outer space]] and on [[celestial body|celestial bodies]] has been specifically proscribed by the [[Outer Space Treaty]], which had been, {{as of|2012|lc=y}}, ratified by all [[Spacefaring|spacefaring nations]].<ref name="tna2012fall">{{cite journal|last=Simberg |first=Rand |title=Property Rights in Space |journal=The New Atlantis |date=Fall 2012 |issue=37 |pages=20–31 |url=http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/property-rights-in-space |access-date=14 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121215001750/http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/property-rights-in-space |archive-date=15 December 2012 }}</ref> Space colonization, also called space settlement and space humanization, would be the permanent autonomous (self-sufficient) human [[Space habitat|habitation]] of locations outside Earth, especially of natural satellites or planets such as the [[Colonization of the Moon|Moon]] or [[Colonization of Mars|Mars]], using significant amounts of [[in-situ resource utilization]].

==== Human representation and participation ====
{{See also|Space law}}

Participation and representation of humanity in space is an issue ever since the first phase of space exploration.<ref name="Durrani"/> Some rights of non-spacefaring countries have been mostly secured through international [[space law]], declaring space the "[[Common heritage of mankind|province of all mankind]]", understanding [[spaceflight]] as its resource, though sharing of space for all humanity is still criticized as [[imperialism|imperialist]] and lacking.<ref name="Durrani">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/apollo-space-lunar-rockets-colonialism/ |title=Is Spaceflight Colonialism? |magazine=The Nation|first=Haris |last=Durrani |access-date=2 October 2020 |date=19 July 2019}}</ref> Additionally to international inclusion, the inclusion of women and [[people of colour]] has also been lacking. To reach a more inclusive spaceflight, some organizations like the ''Justspace Alliance''<ref name="Durrani"/> and [[IAU]] featured ''Inclusive Astronomy''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.inclusiveastronomy.org/ |title=Website of the IAU100 ''Inclusive Astronomy'' project |access-date=8 January 2022 |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222220447/https://www.inclusiveastronomy.org/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> have been formed in recent years.

=====Women=====
{{Main|Women in space}}
The first woman to go to space was [[Valentina Tereshkova]]. She flew in 1963 but it was not until the 1980s that another woman entered space again. All astronauts were required to be military test pilots at the time and women were not able to join this career. This is one reason for the delay in allowing women to join space crews.<ref>Healey, Devlin. (2018). There are no bras in space: how spaceflight adapted to women and how women adapt to spaceflight. ''Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law, 19(3),'' 593-618. </ref> After the rule changed, [[Svetlana Savitskaya]] became the second woman to go to space, she was also from the [[Soviet Union]]. [[Sally Ride]] became the next woman in space and the first woman to fly to space through the United States program.

Since then, eleven other countries have allowed women astronauts. The first all-female space walk occurred in 2018, including [[Christina Koch]] and [[Jessica Meir]]. They had both previously participated in space walks with NASA. The first woman to go to the Moon is planned for 2026.

Despite these developments, women are underrepresented among astronauts and especially cosmonauts. Issues that block potential applicants from the programs, and limit the space missions they are able to go on, include:
* agencies limiting women to half as much time in space than men, arguing that there may be unresearched additional risks for cancer.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.space.com/22252-women-astronauts-radiation-risk.html | title = Female Astronauts Face Discrimination from Space Radiation Concerns, Astronauts Say | first = Miriam | last = Kramer | date = 27 August 2013 | access-date = 7 January 2017 | work = Space.com | publisher = Purch}}</ref>
* a lack of space suits sized appropriately for female astronauts.<ref name="clothing">{{cite magazine |last=Sokolowski |first=Susan L.|title= Female astronauts: How performance products like space suits and bras are designed to pave the way for women's accomplishments|url=https://theconversation.com/female-astronauts-how-performance-products-like-space-suits-and-bras-are-designed-to-pave-the-way-for-womens-accomplishments-114346 |date=5 April 2019 | magazine =The Conversation |access-date=10 May 2020 }}</ref>

===Art===
{{See also|Space art#Art in space}}

Artistry in and from space ranges from signals, capturing and arranging material like [[Yuri Gagarin]]'s [[selfie]] in space or the image [[The Blue Marble]], over drawings like the first one in space by cosmonaut and artist [[Alexei Leonov]], music videos like [[Space Oddity#Chris Hadfield version|Chris Hadfield's cover of Space Oddity]] on board the ISS, to permanent installations on celestial bodies like [[Moon#Human impact|on the Moon]].