"Human spaceflight (also referred to as manned spaceflight or crewed spaceflight) is spaceflight with a crew or passengers aboard a spacecraft."
The act of sending humans into space for scientific, commercial, or exploration purposes.
Early theories of space travel: This topic explores the ideas and concepts that led to the development of human spaceflight, including the works of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells.
Soviet and American space programs: The Soviet Union and the United States were the primary actors in the Cold War space race, and understanding their respective space programs is essential in understanding the early history of human spaceflight.
The first satellite: The launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 marked the beginning of the space age and was a significant moment in the history of space exploration.
The first human in space: Yuri Gagarin's 1961 flight aboard the Vostok 1 marked the first time a human had ever been to space.
The first spacewalk: In 1965, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov became the first human to walk in space, a critical achievement in the development of space exploration.
The Apollo program: The Apollo program was a series of manned missions to the moon, which culminated in the historic Apollo 11 mission in 1969 that put humans on the lunar surface for the first time.
Shuttle program: The space shuttle program began in the 1980s and represented a significant shift in the way we think about human spaceflight, enabling us to build and sustain space stations such as the International Space Station.
International Space Station: The International Space Station is a remarkable feat of human engineering and collaboration, representing a significant milestone in the history of human spaceflight.
Exploration of Mars: Mars has long fascinated scientists and space enthusiasts alike, and understanding the various missions to Mars is critical in understanding the history of space exploration.
Commercial spaceflight: The rise of commercial spaceflight represents a new era in human spaceflight, with private companies working towards the goal of making space accessible and affordable for everyone.
Suborbital flight: A brief vertical flight that travels only a short distance above the surface of the Earth before returning.
Orbital flight: When spacecraft such as the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station, or the Hubble Space Telescope orbit the Earth.
Lunar landing: A mission designed to land astronauts on the moon.
Interplanetary mission: A spacecraft sent to explore planets or moons in our solar system, such as probes such as Voyager 1 and 2.
Mars mission: A spacecraft sent to explore Mars, either orbiting or landing on the planet.
Commercial spaceflight: Privately funded companies, such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, that offer transportation to space for commercial or research purposes.
Tourist spaceflight: When people who are not professional astronauts take flights in space for leisure or tourism.
Deep space mission: A mission that travels beyond our solar system, such as the Voyager missions.
Space stations: Man-made structures that orbit the Earth, such as the International Space Station.
Re-entry: The return of a spacecraft from space to Earth, where it must re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and descend to the surface under parachute.
"Spacecraft can also be remotely operated from ground stations on Earth, or autonomously, without any direct human involvement."
"People trained for spaceflight are called astronauts (American or other), cosmonauts (Russian), or taikonauts (Chinese)."
"The first human in space was Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin."
"Yuri Gagarin... launched as part of the Soviet Union's Vostok program on 12 April 1961."
"Alan Shepard became the first American in space."
"On 5 May 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space."
"Humans traveled to the Moon nine times between 1968 and 1972 as part of the United States' Apollo program."
"Humans have had a continuous presence in space for 22 years and 316 days on the International Space Station (ISS)."
"On 15 October 2003, the first Chinese taikonaut, Yang Liwei, went to space as part of Shenzhou 5, the first Chinese human spaceflight."
"On 15 October 2003, the first Chinese taikonaut, Yang Liwei, went to space as part of Shenzhou 5, the first Chinese human spaceflight."
"As of June 2023, humans have not traveled beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 lunar mission in December 1972."
"Currently, the United States, Russia, and China are the only countries with public or commercial human spaceflight-capable programs."
"Non-governmental spaceflight companies have been working to develop human space programs of their own, e.g. for space tourism or commercial in-space research."
"The first private human spaceflight launch was a suborbital flight on SpaceShipOne on June 21, 2004."
"The first commercial orbital crew launch was by SpaceX in May 2020."
"The first commercial orbital crew launch was by SpaceX in May 2020, transporting NASA astronauts to the ISS under United States government contract."
"The first commercial orbital crew launch was by SpaceX in May 2020."
"The first private human spaceflight launch was a suborbital flight."
"The first commercial orbital crew launch was by SpaceX in May 2020, transporting NASA astronauts to the ISS under United States government contract."