Editing Spaceflight (section)

==Spacefaring==
{{Further|Wiktionary:spacefaring}}
{{anchor|Spacefaring nations}}
[[File:List of countries by spaceflight development.svg|thumb|upright=1.8|Map showing countries with spaceflight capability
{{legend|#1d4066|Countries with independently developed human spaceflight programs}}
{{legend|#0d7288|Countries that have operated at least one human spaceflight program, if not independently}}
{{legend|#58becf|Countries seeking to develop a human spaceflight program but also have developed or currently own a launch vehicle}}
{{legend|#7b9eab|Countries who operate a launch vehicle and a satellite but currently have no plans to develop a crewed space vehicle}}
{{legend|#dbba23|Countries seeking to develop a launch vehicle}}
{{legend|#d3cc87|Countries who operate an orbiting satellite but do not own a launch vehicle or have plans to produce one}}
{{legend|#000000|Countries who have a launch vehicle but do not currently operate a satellite}}
]]
To be '''spacefaring''' is to be capable of and active in the operation of [[spacecraft]]. It involves a knowledge of a variety of topics and development of specialised skills including: [[aeronautics]]; [[astronautics]]; programs to train [[astronaut]]s; [[space weather]] and forecasting; spacecraft operations; operation of various equipment; spacecraft design and construction; atmospheric takeoff and reentry; [[orbital mechanics]] (a.k.a. astrodynamics); communications; engines and rockets; execution of evolutions such as towing, [[microgravity]] construction, and [[space docking]]; cargo handling equipment, dangerous cargos and cargo storage; [[spacewalk]]ing; dealing with emergencies; [[space survival|survival at space]] and first aid; fire fighting; [[life support]]. The degree of knowledge needed within these areas is dependent upon the nature of the work and the type of vessel employed. "Spacefaring" is analogous to [[seafaring]].

There has never been a crewed mission outside the [[Earth]]–[[Moon]] system. However, the United States, Russia, China, [[European Space Agency]] (ESA) countries, and a few corporations and enterprises have plans in various stages to travel to [[Mars]] (see [[Human mission to Mars]]).

Spacefaring entities can be [[sovereign state]]s, supranational entities, and private [[corporation]]s. Spacefaring nations are those capable of independently building and launching craft into space.<ref>{{Cite web |title=spacefaring – Definitions from Dictionary.com<!-- Bot generated title --> |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=spacefaring}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bartleby.com/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050326210048/http://www.bartleby.com/61/70/S0597000.html|url-status=dead|title=Homework Help and Textbook Solutions &#124; bartleby|archivedate=March 26, 2005|website=www.bartleby.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefreedictionary.com/space-faring+nation|title=space-faring nation|website=TheFreeDictionary.com}}</ref> A growing number of private entities have become or are becoming spacefaring.

=== Global coordination ===
The [[United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs]] (UNOOSA) has been the main multilateral body servicing international contact and exchange on space activity among spacefaring and non-spacefaring states.

===Crewed spacefaring nations===
{{Further|Human spaceflight}}

Currently [[Russia]], the [[United States]] and [[China]] are the only crewed spacefaring [[nation]]s.
Spacefaring nations listed by date of first crewed launch:
# [[Soviet Union]] ([[Russia]]) (1961)
# [[United States]] (1961)
# [[China]] (2003)

===Uncrewed spacefaring nations===
{{Further|Timeline of first orbital launches by country}}
The following nations or organizations have developed their own launch vehicles to launch uncrewed spacecraft into orbit either from their own territory or with foreign assistance (date of first launch in parentheses):<ref>{{Cite web |title=Space Today Online – Iran space satellite launch |url=http://www.spacetoday.org/Satellites/Iran/IranianSat.html |website=www.spacetoday.org}}</ref>

# [[Soviet Union]] (1957)
# [[United States]] (1958)
# [[France]] (1965)
# [[Italy]] (1967)★
# [[Australia]] (1967)★
# [[Japan]] (1970)
# [[China]] (1970)
# [[United Kingdom]] (1971)
# [[European Space Agency]] (1979)
# [[India]] (1980)
# [[Israel]] (1988)
# [[Ukraine]] (1991)*<ref>{{cite web|title=Launches of Ukrainian LV|url=http://www.nkau.gov.ua/nsau/catalogNEW.nsf/zapuskbydataE!OpenView&Start=117|work=State Space Agency of Ukraine|access-date=20 April 2014}}</ref>
# [[Russia]] (1992)*
# [[Iran]] (2009)<ref name=space20140101>{{cite news|title=Iran Launches Small Earth-Watching Satellite Into Orbit: Report|url=http://www.space.com/14464-iran-launches-small-satellite-orbit.html|access-date=2014-01-01|newspaper=space.com|date=2012-02-03}}</ref>
# [[North Korea]] (2012)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20690338|title=North Korea defies warnings to launch rocket|publisher=BBC|date=12 December 2012|access-date=12 December 2012}}</ref>
# [[South Korea]] (2013)★<ref name=xinhua20130130>{{cite news|title=S. Korea successfully launches space rocket|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-01/30/c_132138953.htm|access-date=2013-02-10|newspaper=xinhuanet.com|date=2013-01-30|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130204012038/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-01/30/c_132138953.htm|archive-date=2013-02-04}}</ref>
# [[New Zealand]] (2018)★
* *Previously a major region in the Soviet Union
* ★Launch vehicle fully or partially developed by another country

Also several countries, such as Canada, Italy, and Australia, had semi-independent spacefaring capability, launching locally-built satellites on foreign launchers. Canada had designed and built satellites (''[[Alouette 1]]'' and [[Alouette 2|2]]) in 1962 and 1965 which were orbited using U.S. launch vehicles. Italy has designed and built several satellites, as well as pressurized modules for the [[International Space Station]]. Early Italian satellites were launched using vehicles provided by NASA, first from [[Wallops Flight Facility]] in 1964 and then from a spaceport in Kenya ([[San Marco Platform]]) between 1967 and 1988;{{citation needed|date=February 2013}} Italy has led the development of the [[Vega (launcher)|Vega]] rocket programme within the European Space Agency since 1998.<ref name="ESA Vega Programme">{{cite web | url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Launchers/Launch_vehicles/Vega3/Vega_programme | title=Vega Programme | publisher=ESA | work=www.esa.int | access-date=February 10, 2013 | archive-date=March 14, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314131009/http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Launchers/Launch_vehicles/Vega3/Vega_programme | url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[United Kingdom]] abandoned its independent space launch program in 1972 in favour of co-operating with the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO) on launch technologies until 1974. Australia abandoned its launcher program shortly after the successful launch of [[WRESAT]], and became the only non-European member of ELDO.

===Suborbital===
Considering merely launching an object beyond the [[Kármán line]] to be the minimum requirement of spacefaring, [[Nazi Germany|Germany]], with the [[V-2 rocket]], became the first spacefaring nation in 1944.<ref>''Peenemünde,'' Walter Dornberger, Moewig, Berlin 1984. {{ISBN|3-8118-4341-9}}.</ref> The following nations have only achieved [[suborbital spaceflight]] capability by launching indigenous [[rocket]]s or [[missile]]s or both into suborbital space:

# [[Nazi Germany]] (June 20, 1944)
# [[East Germany]] (April 12, 1957)
# [[Canada]] (September 5, 1959)
# [[Lebanon]] (November 21, 1962)
# [[Switzerland]] (October 27, 1967)
# [[Argentina]] (April 16, 1969)
# [[Brazil]] (September 21, 1976)
# [[Spain]] (February 18, 1981)
# [[West Germany]] (March 1, 1981)
# [[Iraq]] (June 1984)
# [[South Africa]] (June 1, 1989)
# [[Sweden]] (May 8, 1991)
# [[Yemen]] (May 12, 1994)
# [[Pakistan]] (April 6, 1998)
# [[Taiwan]] (December 15, 1998)
# [[Syria]] (September 1, 2000)
# [[Indonesia]] (September 29, 2004)
# [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] (2007)
# [[New Zealand]] (November 30, 2009)
# [[Norway]] (September 27, 2018)
# [[Netherlands]] (September 19, 2020)<ref>{{Cite web |title=T-Minus Engineering – T-Minus DART |url=http://www.t-minus.nl/products/dart |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001150708/http://www.t-minus.nl/products/dart/ |archive-date=2020-10-01 |access-date=2020-09-19 |website=www.t-minus.nl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Couriermail.com.au {{!}} Subscribe to The Courier Mail for exclusive stories|url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=CMWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/south-australia/southern-launch-to-attempt-second-rocket-launch-to-the-edge-of-space-from-koonibba-in-outback-south-australia/news-story/624294b7d5b34107e1f5ba162a3898da&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&nk=7934fb08cbe5fff84b7aa72030829bbd-1600479859&v21suffix=97-a|access-date=2020-09-19|website=www.couriermail.com.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-14|title=Australia re-enters the space race|url=https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/exploration/australia-re-enters-the-space-race/|access-date=2020-09-19|website=Cosmos Magazine|language=en-AU}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Australian Space Agency|url=https://twitter.com/ausspaceagency/status/1307121671300673540|access-date=2020-09-19|website=Twitter|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Southern Launch|url=https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=46926.60|access-date=2020-09-19|website=forum.nasaspaceflight.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Upcoming Launches|url=https://southernlaunch.space/upcominglaunches|access-date=2020-09-19|website=Southern Launch|language=en-AU|archive-date=2020-11-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123140824/https://southernlaunch.space/upcominglaunches|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Successful fire|url=https://twitter.com/southernlaunch/status/1307117421648654337|access-date=2020-09-19|website=Twitter|language=en}}</ref>
#[[Turkey]] (October 29, 2020)