Methods and Achievements
- Robotic Exploration: Uncrewed spacecraft and rovers are sent to explore planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. They collect data, conduct experiments, and transmit images and scientific measurements back to Earth. Examples include NASA's Mars rovers (Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, Perseverance) and ESA's Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.
- Human Spaceflight: Crewed missions involve astronauts traveling beyond Earth's atmosphere to conduct experiments, assemble space stations (e.g., ISS), and explore celestial bodies. The Apollo missions (1960s-1970s) landed astronauts on the Moon, while ongoing missions focus on long-duration stays aboard the ISS and future plans for lunar and Mars exploration (Artemis program).
- Space Telescopes: Orbiting observatories such as the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) provide unprecedented views of distant galaxies, stars, and planetary systems across various wavelengths of light. They contribute to astronomical research and discoveries about the origins and evolution of the universe.
- Interplanetary Missions: Probes like Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have traveled beyond the solar system, exploring the outer planets and continuing into interstellar space. These missions provide data on planetary atmospheres, magnetic fields, and the cosmic environment.
