Outline of space exploration



The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to space exploration.

Space exploration – use of astronomy and space technology to explore outer space. Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft.

Essence of space exploration
Space exploration

Branches of space exploration

 * Uncrewed spaceflight – Autonomous space travel without human
 * Uncrewed spaceflight – Autonomous space travel without human

History of space exploration

 * Remote sensing of Earth
 * Exploration of the Moon
 * Apollo program
 * Moon landings
 * Robotic exploration of the Moon
 * Exploration of Mercury
 * Exploration of Venus
 * Exploration of Mars
 * Mars landings
 * Mars rovers
 * Mars Rotorcrafts
 * Exploration of Jupiter
 * Exploration of Saturn
 * Exploration of Uranus
 * Exploration of Neptune
 * History of human spaceflight
 * Project Mercury
 * Project Gemini
 * Apollo program
 * Space Shuttle program
 * Vostok program
 * Voskhod program
 * Soyuz program
 * Shenzhou program
 * List of human spaceflights
 * List of Space Shuttle missions
 * Spaceflight records
 * Emergence of market forces in spaceflight
 * Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes
 * Timeline of astronauts by nationality
 * Timeline of first orbital launches by country
 * Timeline of rocket and missile technology
 * Timeline of space exploration
 * Timeline of space travel by nationality
 * Timeline of spaceflight
 * Timeline of the Space Race
 * Timeline of Solar System exploration

Space agencies

 * List of government space agencies
 * Space agencies capable of human spaceflight (as of January 2024)
 * NASA (USA)
 * CNSA (China)
 * RFSA (Russia)
 * Space agencies with full launch capability
 * NASA (USA)
 * RFSA (Russia)
 * CNSA (China)
 * ESA (Europe)
 * JAXA (Japan)
 * ISRO (India)
 * ISA (Israel)
 * KARI (South Korea)

Active deep space missions and space stations

 * International Space Station
 * Intuitive Machines Nova-C 1 Odysseus lander (NASA)
 * Tiangong space station (CNSA)
 * Chandrayaan-2 (ISRO)
 * Chang'e 6 service module (CNSA)
 * Tiandu-1 and 2 (CNSA)
 * Queqiao relay satellite (CNSA)
 * Queqiao-2 relay satellite (CNSA)
 * ICUBE-Q (SUPARCO)
 * Chang'e 5 service module (CNSA)
 * Chang'e 4 (CNSA)
 * CAPSTONE (NASA)
 * Danuri (KARI)
 * Advanced Composition Explorer – NASA mission to observe solar wind
 * Deep Space Climate Observatory – NOAA observatory for space weather
 * Aditya-L1 (ISRO)
 * Mars Odyssey (NASA)
 * Mars Express – ESA satellite orbiting Mars
 * Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (NASA)
 * Mars Science Laboratory – NASA rover to Mars
 * MAVEN – NASA satellite orbiting Mars
 * ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (ESA / Roscosmos) – Mars satellite
 * Tianwen-1 (CNSA)
 * Mars 2020 Perseverance rover – NASA rover to Mars
 * Akatsuki – JAXA satellite orbiting Venus
 * BepiColombo (ESA / JAXA)
 * STEREO – NASA mission to observe the Sun
 * Parker Solar Probe – NASA probe to Sun
 * Solar Orbiter – ESA probe to Sun
 * Hayabusa2♯ (JAXA) – sample return mission to asteroid Ryugu
 * OSIRIS-APEX (NASA) – probe to asteroid Apophis
 * Lucy – NASA probe to multiple Jupiter trojans
 * Psyche (NASA) – probe to asteroid Psyche
 * Juno – NASA satellite orbiting Jupiter
 * Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer – ESA probe to Jupiter and its moons
 * New Horizons – probe to Pluto
 * Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 (NASA) – probes to outer Solar System and interstellar space

Future of space exploration
Lunar (the Moon) Sun Mercury Venus Mars Outer Solar System Beyond the Solar System
 * Future lunar missions
 * Colonization of the Moon
 * Lunar outpost (NASA)
 * Sundiver (space mission)
 * Colonization of Mercury
 * Exploration of Venus
 * Colonization of Mars
 * Human mission to Mars
 * Mars to Stay
 * Colonization of the outer Solar System
 * Colonization of Titan
 * Interstellar travel
 * Nuclear rocket
 * Fusion rocket
 * Solar sail
 * Einstein-Rosen bridge
 * Alcubierre drive
 * Intergalactic travel

Leaders in space exploration

 * Yuri Gagarin – first man in space
 * Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin – first men to walk on the Moon
 * John Glenn – oldest man in orbit

Lists

 * List of spacecraft
 * List of crewed spacecraft
 * List of Solar System probes
 * List of active Solar System probes
 * List of lunar probes
 * List of Mars landers
 * List of Mars orbiters
 * List of space telescopes
 * List of proposed space observatories
 * List of cargo spacecraft
 * List of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters
 * List of heaviest spacecraft
 * List of spacecraft called Sputnik
 * List of spacecraft powered by non-rechargeable batteries
 * List of spacecraft with electric propulsion
 * List of spaceplanes
 * List of upper stages
 * List of spacecraft deployed from the International Space Station
 * Assembly of the International Space Station
 * Space Shuttle crews
 * List of Apollo astronauts
 * List of Apollo missions
 * List of Artemis missions
 * List of artificial objects on extra-terrestrial surfaces
 * List of astronauts by name
 * List of astronauts by selection
 * List of communication satellite companies
 * List of communications satellite firsts
 * List of Constellation missions
 * List of Cosmos satellites
 * List of crewed spacecraft
 * List of cumulative spacewalk records
 * List of Earth observation satellites
 * List of human spaceflight programs
 * List of human spaceflights
 * List of human spaceflights to the International Space Station
 * List of interplanetary voyages
 * List of ISS spacewalks
 * List of International Space Station expeditions
 * List of International Space Station visitors
 * List of landings on extraterrestrial bodies
 * List of launch vehicles
 * List of Mir expeditions
 * List of Mir spacewalks
 * List of NASA missions
 * List of objects at Lagrangian points
 * List of private spaceflight companies
 * List of probes by operational status
 * List of rockets
 * Lists of rocket launches
 * List of Ariane launches
 * List of Atlas launches
 * List of Black Brant launches
 * List of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches
 * List of Long March launches
 * List of Proton launches
 * List of R-7 launches
 * List of Scout launches
 * List of Space Launch System launches
 * List of Thor and Delta launches
 * List of Titan launches
 * List of V-2 test launches
 * List of Zenit launches
 * List of Russian human spaceflight missions
 * List of satellites in geosynchronous orbit
 * List of Solar System probes
 * List of Soviet human spaceflight missions
 * List of space agencies
 * List of Space Shuttle missions
 * List of space travelers by name
 * List of space travelers by nationality
 * List of spacecraft and crews that visited Mir
 * List of spacecraft manufacturers
 * List of spaceflight records
 * List of spaceports
 * List of spacewalks and moonwalks
 * List of the largest fixed satellite operators
 * List of uncrewed spacecraft by program
 * Uncrewed spaceflights to the International Space Station
 * Lists of astronomical objects
 * Lists of telescopes
 * List of government space agencies
 * Lists of astronauts
 * Lists of space scientists