Moon landingArrival of a spacecraft on the Moon's surfaceA still frame from a video transmission, taken moments before Neil Armstrong became the first human to step onto the surface of the Moon, at 02:56 UTC on 21 July 1969. An estimated 500 million people worldwide watched this event, the largest television audience for a live broadcast at that time.A Moon landing (also known as a lunar landing) is the arrival of a crewed or robotic lander on the Moon.
Outer spaceVoid between celestial bodiesFor other uses, see Outer space (other).Being essentially empty, outer space allows the earliest (redder) galaxies to be viewed without obstruction, as in the Webb's First Deep Field image.Outer space, or simply space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth's atmosphere and between celestial bodies.
EarthThird planet from the SunSurface equivalent doserate0.274 μSv/hAbsolute magnitude (H)−3.99AtmosphereSurface pressure101.325 kPa (at sea level)Composition by volume78.08% nitrogen (dry air)20.95% oxygen (dry air)≤1% water vapor (variable)0.9340% argon0.0430% carbon dioxide0.00182% neon0.00052% helium0.00017% methane0.00011% krypton0.00006% hydrogen Source:Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life.
Human spaceflightSpaceflight with a crew or passengers Part of a series onSpaceflight History History of spaceflight Space Race Timeline of spaceflight Space probes Lunar missions Mars missions Applications Communications Earth observation Exploration Espionage Military Navigation Colonization Habitation Exploration Telescopes Tourism Spacecraft Robotic spacecraft Satellite Space probe Cargo spacecraft Crewed spacecraft Apollo Lunar Module Space capsules Space Shuttle Space stations Spaceplanes Vostok Space launch Spaceport Launch pad Expendable and reusable launch vehicles Escape velocity Non-rocket spacelaunch Spaceflight types Sub-orbital Orbital Interplanetary Interstellar Intergalactic List of space organizations Space agencies Space forces Companies Spaceflight portalvte Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the Moon, 1969Gemini 4 astronaut Ed White in open space, 1965Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide taking a space selfie in 2012 Human spaceflight (also referred to as crewed spaceflight, and historically as manned spaceflight) is spaceflight with a crew or passengers aboard a spacecraft, often with the spacecraft being operated directly by the onboard crew.
AstronomyAstronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies, meteoroids, asteroids, and comets. Relevant phenomena include supernova explosions, gamma ray bursts, quasars, blazars, pulsars, and cosmic microwave background radiation.
Sputnik 1Sputnik 1 (, Russian: Спутник-1, Satellite 1), often referred to as simply Sputnik, was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program. It sent a radio signal back to Earth for three weeks before its three silver-zinc batteries became depleted. Aerodynamic drag caused it to fall back into the atmosphere on 4 January 1958.
RocketVehicle propelled by ejection of gasesA Soyuz-FG rocket launches from "Gagarin's Start" (Site 1/5), Baikonur CosmodromeA rocket (from Italian: rocchetto, lit. ''bobbin/spool'', and so named for its shape) is an elongated flying vehicle that uses a rocket engine to accelerate without using any surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed.
Soviet UnionThe Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from its formation in 1922 until its dissolution in 1991. It was the world's third-most populous country, the largest by area, and bordered twelve other countries.
Uncrewed spacecraftSpacecraft without people on boardTop: The uncrewed resupply vessel Progress M-06M (left). Galileo space probe, prior to departure from Earth orbit in 1989 (right). Bottom: Spaceplane Buran was launched, orbited Earth, and landed as an uncrewed spacecraft in 1988 (left). Model of James Webb Space Telescope (right).
Space RaceBelligerentsUnited StatesSoviet UnionCommanders and leadersDwight EisenhowerJohn KennedyLyndon JohnsonRichard NixonWernher von BraunT.
Recorded historyRecorded history or written history describes historical events recorded in written form or other documented communication that are subsequently evaluated by historians using the historical method. For broader world history, recorded history begins with the accounts of the ancient world around the 4th millennium BCE, and it coincides with the invention of writing.
United StatesCountry primarily in North AmericaThe United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous states border Canada to the north and Mexico to the south, with the semi-exclave of Alaska in the northwest and the archipelago of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.