human spaceflight
Astronauts beyond atmosphere
Human spaceflight is the practice of sending people into space aboard spacecraft, as distinguished from unmanned missions using only robotic probes or satellites.
The term encompasses everything from brief suborbital trips to extended stays on space stations: The era of human spaceflight began in 1961 when Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth.
Also called crewed spaceflight or manned spaceflight, though the latter has fallen from favor as gender-neutral language has spread.
Enclosed dose container
- moduleIndependent functional component
- rocketPropulsion-driven spacecraft
- shuttleShort-distance transport
- SoyuzRussian crewed spacecraft
Orion · booster · heat shield · ablative · service module · command module · docking · hatch
Set into motion
- liftoffMoment of ascent
- countdownBackward enumeration to zero
- reentryComing back in
- splashdownSpacecraft's water landing
landing · rendezvous · docking · trajectory · mission control · flight director · telemetry · abort
Curved celestial path
- space stationOrbiting crewed research facility
- ISSOrbiting multinational research facility
- MirRussian space station
- SkylabPioneering American orbital habitat
geosynchronous · inclination · altitude · revolution · velocity · microgravity · free fall · docking port
Activity outside spacecraft
- cosmonautRussian orbital traveler
- taikonautChinese space traveler
- microgravityExtremely weak gravitational force
- zero-gInformal term for weightlessness
training · simulation · life support · crew · commander · pilot · exercise regimen · radiation exposure
Red planet, war deity
- lunarOf the moon
- interplanetaryBetween celestial bodies
- deep spaceRemote regions beyond planets
- cislunarBetween Earth and moon
gateway · outpost · colony · settlement · habitation · terraforming · resource extraction · landing
capsule
Enclosed dose container
- moduleIndependent functional component
- rocketPropulsion-driven spacecraft
- shuttleShort-distance transport
Soyuz · Orion · booster · heat shield · ablative · service module · command module · docking · hatch · airlock
launch
Set into motion
splashdown · landing · rendezvous · docking · trajectory · mission control · flight director · telemetry · abort · contingency
orbit
Curved celestial path
- space stationOrbiting crewed research facility
- ISSOrbiting multinational research facility
- MirRussian space station
Skylab · geosynchronous · inclination · altitude · revolution · velocity · microgravity · free fall · docking port · berthing
EVA
Activity outside spacecraft
- cosmonautRussian orbital traveler
- taikonautChinese space traveler
- microgravityExtremely weak gravitational force
zero-g · training · simulation · life support · crew · commander · pilot · exercise regimen · radiation exposure · bone density
Mars
Red planet, war deity
- lunarOf the moon
- interplanetaryBetween celestial bodies
- deep spaceRemote regions beyond planets
cislunar · gateway · outpost · colony · settlement · habitation · terraforming · resource extraction · landing · rover
human, humans, humane, humanity, inhuman, spaceship, spacecraft, manned, inhumanity