Space exploration

Space exploration is the ongoing discovery and exploration of celestial structures in outer space by means of continuously evolving and growing space technology. While the study of space is carried out mainly by astronomers with telescopes, the physical exploration of space is conducted both by unmanned robotic probes and human spaceflight.

While the observation of objects in space, known as astronomy, predates reliable recorded history, it was the development of large and relatively efficient rockets during the early 20th century that allowed physical space exploration to become a reality. Common rationales for exploring space include advancing scientific research, national prestige, uniting different nations, ensuring the future survival of humanity, and developing military and strategic advantages against other countries.

Space exploration has often been used as a proxy competition for geopolitical rivalries such as the Cold War. The early era of space exploration was driven by a "Space Race" between the Soviet Union and the United States. The launch of the first human-made object to orbit Earth, the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1, on 4 October 1957, and the first Moon landing by the American Apollo 11 mission on 20 July 1969 are often taken as landmarks for this initial period. The Soviet space program achieved many of the first milestones, including the first living being in orbit in 1957, the first human spaceflight (Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1) in 1961, the first spacewalk (by Aleksei Leonov) on 18 March 1965, the first automatic landing on another celestial body in 1966, and the launch of the first space station (Salyut 1) in 1971.

Space

Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum known as spacetime. The concept of space is considered to be of fundamental importance to an understanding of the physical universe. However, disagreement continues between philosophers over whether it is itself an entity, a relationship between entities, or part of a conceptual framework.

Exploration

Exploration is the act of searching for the purpose of discovery of information or resources. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans. In human history, its most dramatic rise was during the Age of Discovery when European explorers sailed and charted much of the rest of the world for a variety of reasons. Since then, major explorations after the Age of Discovery have occurred for reasons mostly aimed at information discovery.

In scientific research, exploration is one of three purposes of empirical research (the other two being description and explanation). The term is commonly used metaphorically. For example, an individual may speak of exploring the Internet, sexuality, etc.

Notable periods of human exploration

Phoenician galley sailings

The Phoenicians (1550 BCE–300 BCE) traded throughout the Mediterranean Sea and Asia Minor though many of their routes are still unknown today. The presence of tin in some Phoenician artifacts suggests that they may have traveled to Britain. Some scientists speculate that they voyaged all the way to Central America, although this is disputed. According to Virgil's Aeneid and other ancient sources, the legendary Queen Dido was a Phoenician from Asia Minor who sailed to North Africa and founded the city of Carthage.

Space (disambiguation)

Space is a three-dimensional framework in which we can sense direction and quantify distances between objects or points.

Space, spacing or the space may also refer to:

General meanings

Science

Computers

Emily Calandrelli

Emily Calandrelli is the host and producer of Xploration Outer Space, a show in the STEM block, Xploration Station.

She is a professional speaker and presents on the topics of space exploration scientific literacy and equality of the sexes in STEM. Calandrelli is also a contributing writer at TechCrunch where she writes on technology developments in the space industry.

Life

Emily Calandrelli was raised in Morgantown, West Virginia. Calandrelli attended West Virginia University for her undergraduate education. In her freshman year, she took a semester off to work in the college program at Disney World with Disney Imagineering and was interested in designing rides. In her sophomore year, Calandrelli had an engineering internship with NASA at Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. She had a second NASA internship in the summer after her junior year at the NASA Academy in California. In her first senior year, she won the Truman Scholarship, which led to her working for her US Representative Alan B. Mollohan. She received two Bachelor of Science degrees in Aerospace Engineering and in Mechanical Engineering. Upon graduation, Calandrelli moved to China for a National Science Foundation internship.