The idea of going beyond Earth’s atmosphere has fascinated humans for millennia. With the invention of rockets and advances in electronics and other technologies in the 20th century, it became possible to send animals, machines, and eventually people above Earth’s atmospheric boundary. This is known as space exploration.
Since the first launch of a satellite into orbit around Earth on October 4, 1957, there has been an almost constant stream of new discoveries about our solar system and beyond. Unmanned probes have explored our Moon, the rings and moons of Mars, the giant planets of Jupiter and Saturn, as well as many comets and asteroids. In the 21st century, probes have travelled to the outer edges of our solar system, leaving behind data that will be used to study other star systems.
Many countries have invested billions in their national space programs. This has largely been done to serve specific utilitarian purposes, such as increasing knowledge, serving as an indicator of national prestige and power, or contributing to economic prosperity through commercial ventures like satellite communications.
However, space exploration also benefits humanity in ways that are more difficult to quantify. It inspires the next generation globally, motivating them to pursue education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. It promotes international cooperation and builds diplomatic relationships between nations that participate in space missions. And the technologies developed for space exploration have spin-off applications in areas such as medical devices, water and air filtration systems, and transportation.