space exploration

CE5

Moon mission assembly

CE5

Stages in a moon mission shown counterclockwise from launching on the first day to splashdown on the ninth day.

space exploration, the investigation of physical conditions in space and on stars, planets, and other celestial bodies through the use of artificial satellites (spacecraft that orbit the earth), space probes (spacecraft that pass through the solar system and that may or may not orbit another celestial body), and spacecraft with human crews.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• The Chinese Space Program
• The Space Shuttle
• Space Stations
• The Soyuz Program
• The Apollo Program
• Human Space Exploration
• Interplanetary Probes
• Lunar Probes
• Satellites and Probes
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2025, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Space Exploration