Spaceflight

Spaceflight (also written space flight) is ballistic flight into or through outer space. Spaceflight can occur with spacecraft with or without humans on board. Examples of human spaceflight include the U.S. Apollo Moon landing and Space Shuttle programs and the Russian Soyuz program, as well as the ongoing International Space Station. Examples of unmanned spaceflight include space probes that leave Earth orbit, as well as satellites in orbit around Earth, such as communications satellites. These operate either by telerobotic control or are fully autonomous.

Spaceflight is used in space exploration, and also in commercial activities like space tourism and satellite telecommunications. Additional non-commercial uses of spaceflight include space observatories, reconnaissance satellites and other Earth observation satellites.

A spaceflight typically begins with a rocket launch, which provides the initial thrust to overcome the force of gravity and propels the spacecraft from the surface of the Earth. Once in space, the motion of a spacecraft—both when unpropelled and when under propulsion—is covered by the area of study called astrodynamics. Some spacecraft remain in space indefinitely, some disintegrate during atmospheric reentry, and others reach a planetary or lunar surface for landing or impact.

Spaceflight (TV series)

Spaceflight is a 1985 American documentary miniseries about manned spaceflight, originally broadcast by PBS in four parts. It is narrated by Martin Sheen and features interviews with many former astronauts from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs. The series is a co-production of WETA-TV and WYES-TV. The final episode (Part 4) was redone after the Challenger explosion (the revision covered the inquiry and the return to flight as well).

Episodes

  • Thunder in the Skies
  • The Wings of Mercury
  • One Giant Leap
  • The Territory Ahead
  • External links

  • Spaceflight at the Internet Movie Database

  • Spaceflight (disambiguation)

    Spaceflight is the act of traveling in outer space.

    Spaceflight or Space flight may also refer to:

  • Spaceflight (magazine), published by the British Interplanetary Society
  • Spaceflight (TV series), a 1985 American documentary miniseries about manned spaceflight
  • CU Spaceflight, a student-run Cambridge University society
  • Space Flight (album), by Sam Layzar
  • Podcasts:

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