Space Exploration Resources

"Astronauts on these long voyages need to be able to make their own spare parts, tools and materials essentially on demand – both for routine needs and to adapt quickly to unforeseen ones. In-space manufacturing (ISM) using 3D printing technology could be an answer."

This hub will lead you to NASA articles about technology being used and tested in space.

"While the reusability of low-Earth orbit launch vehicles and crew modules can improve cost efficiency, deep space missions require payloads on an inherently larger scale."

"Until recently, their iconic appearance has been driven by an adage of design—form follows function. They appear simple at first glance, but there is a level of complexity beneath a space suit’s surface layer that matches human motion and protects its occupant from the harsh environment of space."

"Advances in AI have allowed us to make progress in all kinds of disciplines – and these are not limited to applications on this planet. From designing missions to clearing Earth’s orbit of junk, here are a few ways artificial intelligence can help us venture further in space."

"Currently spacecraft need to communicate with Earth to do their job, but developing autonomous spacecraft that use artificial intelligence to take care of themselves would be very useful for exploring new parts of the Solar System and reducing mission costs."

This video from SciShow Space talks about some of the challenges of isolation and loneliness in space travel.

Astronaut Scott Kelly talks about his own personal experience with space travel and the challenges of a long space mission.

"Researchers don’t know every possible issue that astronauts will encounter during an extended stay in lunar orbit, a roundtrip flight to Mars, or a journey to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. But space medicine researchers are taking the data they do have — from analog long-term missions carried out on the ISS and human isolation experiments carried out on Earth, as well as animal studies — to prepare astronauts for what breaking the bonds of Earth will do to both their bodies and minds."

"To ensure success of these missions, health and performance risks associated with the unique hazards of spaceflight must be adequately controlled. These hazards—space radiation, altered gravity fields, isolation and confinement, closed environments, and distance from Earth—are linked with over 30 human health risks as documented by NASA’s Human Research Program. "

"Astronauts have been going to space since 1961, but they still don’t have a refrigerator to use for keeping food cold on long missions to the moon or Mars."

"When it comes to space missions, we normally think about the challenges in terms of technological developments. But if we ever hope to send a manned mission to Mars, then we’re going to have to confront not only our technological but also our psychological limitations."

Astronaut Sunita Williams demonstrates some of the adaptations for living and working in space.

"In the spring of 2019, Anne McClain and Christina Koch were set to perform the first all-female space walk outside the International Space Station. Then a problem arose: Both fit better in medium-sized upper torso spacesuit assemblies. While there were two mediums aboard, only one had been prepped for a spacewalk."

"Emphasizing that the benefits of outer space must be accessible to all countries, regardless of their development level, delegates said today that they should not be restricted to those with space programmes, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) began its general debate on international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space."

"Harris is among those who helped pave the way for Artemis, NASA’s diverse astronaut team selected to prepare for future lunar missions — including sending the first woman and the next man to walk on the moon in 2024. This program, established in 2017, will also land the first person of color on the moon, a goal the Biden-Harris administration announced in April."

“We are already in a position to say that certain qualities of the female space pilot are preferable to those of her male colleague.”

"Burning these propellants provides the energy needed to launch rockets into space — but it simultaneously generates greenhouse gases and air pollutants. "

"As a forward-thinking space agency, ESA is pioneering an eco-friendly approach to space exploration. With the amount of space debris on the rise, and the negative effects of industrial materials, processes and technologies on the environment, it is becoming vital that ESA not only reduces the impact of its own activities, but also sets an example to other agencies."

"With plans for a human mission to Mars under way, Monica Vidaurri warns that there can be no progress without first tackling the ethics of human space travel"

"Since Paleolithic times, settlement and development of new territories have been key to unlocking new resources and opportunities for our species. But along with the benefits have come catastrophe, including the spread of disease and destruction of cultures, the untimely death of explorers and pioneers, wars over newfound territories, and damage to the environment from the mixing of life from different ecosystems."

"But should we care about the universe beyond how it affects us as humans? That is the big question – call it question #1 of extraterrestrial environmental ethics, a field too many people have ignored for too long."

This video from SciShow Space talks about some space travel dangers you might not have considered.

"Humanity was born on Earth. Are we going to stay here? I suspect—I hope—the answer is no."

This hub will lead you to all of NASA's articles about research on human space exploration.

Visit this page to learn about the current research and projects of the European Space Agency.

A site for articles on all things space and space research.

A portal for space news.

A direct link to Science Daily's Space Exploration news section.