For centuries, humans have dreamed of reaching outer space. But it wasn’t until the development of rockets that it became possible, with the first artificial satellite launched on October 4, 1957, followed by Yuri Gagarin becoming the first human to orbit the planet in 1961 and Project Apollo sending Americans to the Moon in 1969. Today, focus has shifted to joint human and robotic missions to the Moon, near-Earth asteroids, Mars and destinations beyond our solar system. It also includes leveraging the resources on those planets and collecting solar energy to power Earth. And companies such as SpaceX are gaining traction with cost-effective and partially reusable rockets, as well as satellites that provide a wide range of information for business purposes.
But there’s no question that the costs associated with space exploration are hefty. It costs millions of dollars for just one robotic mission and billions to send people into orbit or on an interplanetary journey.
In addition to the hefty price tag, the challenges of long-duration missions in space are complex. Astronauts must deal with physiological and psychological effects of microgravity, as well as the logistics of living in a closed environment. Then there are the logistics of navigating and landing on another celestial body, not to mention the specialized equipment necessary for the task. Space explorers must plan ahead for everything from living quarters to science laboratories and fuel and water production. And all of this requires cooperation among multiple nations and companies.