Cosma / Communication / Transportation / Space
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Introduction1
Dictionary
spaceflight : flight beyond the earth’s atmosphere — Merriam-Webster See also OneLook
Thesaurus
Roget’s II (Thesaurus.com), Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, Visuwords
Encyclopedia
Spaceflight (also written space flight) is the act of traveling into or through outer space. Spaceflight can occur with spacecraft which may, or may not, have humans on board. Examples of human spaceflight include the Russian Soyuz program, the U.S. Space shuttle program, as well as the ongoing International Space Station. Examples of unmanned spaceflight include space probes which leave Earth’s orbit, as well as satellites in orbit around Earth, such as communication 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. — Wikipedia
Spaceflight (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Outline
Outline of Space Exploration (Wikipedia)
Search
Space Transport (Wolfram Alpha)
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Exploration
Touch the 360° image to begin exploring, touch the objects and doors to enter virtual 360° experiences, and touch “i”s to learn about the experiences.
If you can’t see it, or it isn’t working, you can also see it directly on Kuula.
Journey to the Edge Of Space (Seeker VR, YouTube 360° Video)
Apollo 11 VR Video Trailer (ENGAGE XR, YouTube 360° Video)
First-Ever 3D VR Filmed in Space One Strange Rock (National Geographic, YouTube 360° Video)
Take a Virtual Reality Journey into the Future of Spaceflight (CNN, YouTube 360° Video)
360° VR Spacewalk Experience (BBC Home, YouTube 360° Video)
Astronauts Answer 50 of the Most Googled Space Questions (WIRED, YouTube Video)
Astronaut Chris Hadfield Debunks Space Myths (WIRED, YouTube Video)
How Many People Are in Space Right Now? (Brad Eshbach)
Talks about Spaceflight (TED: Ideas Worth Spreading)
Articles about Spaceflight (Big Think)
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Adventures
Explore related posts on Cosma …
- A Golden Gift - If you’re looking for a perfect gift for your favorite geek, look no further. Now you can give them a copy of the Voyager Golden Record. Up until 2016, you couldn’t buy a copy, but then Ozma Records ran a brilliant Kickstarter campaign to issue a limited vinyl edition. Here’s a link to a video … Continue reading A Golden Gift
- Exoplanet Junket - This week NASA released a new project that they’ve dubbed the Exoplanet Travel Bureau. The core of the project consists of a set of interactive 360° images that show “imagined” surfaces of five exoplanets (TRAPPIST-1e, Kepler-16b, Kepler-186f, PSO J318.5-22 and HD 40307 g). Here are three articles about the experience. This Brilliant Interactive From NASA … Continue reading Exoplanet Junket
- Great Views of Earth - April 22nd is Earth Day! In honor of that, here are some great ways to see the honoree. First, you can get a nice view from this neat 360° Video from Seeker. It essentially shows you what it would feel like if you could just fly straight up and see the Earth from space. Seeker … Continue reading Great Views of Earth
- Lunar Landings - Saturday, July 20th is the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, and there’s a massive media blitz surrounding the occasion. Pretty much every major news outlet is covering it in some way, and it’s no surprise that NASA is leading the publicity frenzy. On Friday at 1 p.m. (EDT) NASA is broadcasting 50 … Continue reading Lunar Landings
- Octopuses from Space! - Did you hear the one about the octopuses from space? It sounds like the title of a cheesy sci-fi movie, doesn’t it? But it isn’t, this time, or at least, yet. Instead, it’s actually an oddball theory that’s been put forth in a recently published “scientific” article that’s getting quite a lot of buzz in … Continue reading Octopuses from Space!
- Perspectives on Earth - Last week NASA released this fascinating video entitled Our Living Planet based upon 20 years of data from satellites that observe all plant life at the surface of the land and ocean. NASA Goddard (YouTube Channel) Goddard Space Flight Center (Official Website) You can find out more about the video from this article. The Changing … Continue reading Perspectives on Earth
- RIP Rossetta! - The “Little Mission that Could” has come to an end, but what a mission it was to watch! In honor of the success, here are some videos and articles about the many, many accomplishments. Euronews (YouTube Channel) Euronews (Official Website) NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (YouTube Channel) NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Official Website) Rosetta Mission Ends … Continue reading RIP Rossetta!
- Space Art & Junk - In certain circles it is not uncommon to trip across the debate “Is graffiti art?” You can also find scads about it online if you are so inclined (Google). However, the debate doesn’t come up all that often in the context of conversations about satellites or space… until now. In 2018 a company named Rocket … Continue reading Space Art & Junk
- Space Rocks! - NASA engineers had quite a New Years celebration in 2019 when New Horizons successfully executed a flyby of a tiny object named 2014 MU69 while moving at 32,000 miles per hour. The planetesimal 2014 MU69 is better known by it’s nickname Ultima Thule, and it’s located way out past Pluto in a region of the … Continue reading Space Rocks!
- TRAPPIST-1 - You’ve probably heard that NASA has found a trove of “Earth-like” planets circling the TRAPPIST-1 system roughly 40 light years away, but just in case you haven’t, here’s a short video from NASA/JPL about the discovery. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (YouTube Channel) NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Official Website) Most entertainingly, here’s a 360° YouTube video … Continue reading TRAPPIST-1
- Umbraphiles - umbraphile : One who loves eclipses, often travelling to see them. You’ve probably heard about the April 8th solar eclipse (Wikipedia), and if you live near the path of totality, then you’ve probably also seen news stories like this one. Party in the Path of Totality at These Solar Eclipse Getaways Across New England (Kristi … Continue reading Umbraphiles
- Umbraphiles Rejoice! - umbraphile : One who loves eclipses, often travelling to see them. You are probably hearing a lot about the August 12th solar eclipse. It’s path of totality will pass over the Arctic Ocean, Greenland, Iceland, Atlantic Ocean, Portugal, and northern Spain. The National Solar Observatory has created a neat eclipse map that shows the path. … Continue reading Umbraphiles Rejoice!
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Innovation
Spinoff Publication Shares How NASA Innovations Benefit Life on Earth (NASA)
NASA Spinoff (NASA)
Science & Engineering (National Air and Space Museum)
Science
Astronautics (or cosmonautics) is the theory and practice of travel beyond Earth’s atmosphere into outer space. Spaceflight is one of its main applications and space science its overarching field. — Wikipedia
Technology
Aerospace engineering is the field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Aeronautical engineering was the original term for the field. As flight technology advanced to include vehicles operating in outer space, the broader term aerospace engineering has come into use. Aerospace engineering, particularly the astronautics branch, is often colloquially referred to as “rocket science.” — Wikipedia
Aerospace Engineering (American Society for Engineering Education)
Aerospace Engineering (Wolfram Alpha)
Space Technology (Wolfram Alpha)
Product
Spaceflight Gifts (Zazzle)
Spaceflight (Etsy)
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Preservation
History
The Evolution of Things (YouTube Channel)
Human Space Flight: 60 Years and Counting (NASA)
NASA’s History (NASA)
NASA Center and Facility History (NASA’s History, NASA)
Human Spaceflight History (NASA’s History, NASA)
Space Technology History (NASA’s History, NASA)
Best of: Space Exploration (The History Guy, YouTube Video)
Race for Space (Objectivity, YouTube Video)
Air Travel and The Space Race (Crash Course History of Science, YouTube Video)
Archive
The Race for Space (Brady Haran)
Museum
National Air and Space Museum (Washington DC)
National Air and Space Museum (Virtual Tour)
National Air and Space Museum (Specific Virtual Tours)
Spaceflight Online Exhibitions (Smithsonian)
National Air and Space Museum (YouTube Channel)
Spaceflight (National Air and Space Museum)
Rockets (National Air and Space Museum)
Spacecraft (National Air and Space Museum)
Space Suits (National Air and Space Museum)
Evergreen Air & Space Museum (McMinnville, OR)
Evergreen Air & Space Museum (Virtual Tour)
San Diego Air & Space Museum (San Diego, CA)
San Diego Air & Space Museum (Virtual Tour, YouTube 360° Videos)
Library
DDC: 387.8 Spaceflight (Library Thing)
DDC: 629.4 Astronauts and Space Travel (Library Thing)
Subject: Space Travel (Library Thing)
Subject: Space Travel (Open Library)
LCC: TL 780 Astronautics and Space travel (UPenn Online Books)
LCC: TL 780 Astronautics and Space travel (Library of Congress)
Subject: Space Travel (Library of Congress)
Subject: Space Travel (WorldCat)
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Participation
Education
NASA Space Place (YouTube Channel)
NASA Space Place (Official Website)
NASAJPL Edu (YouTube Channel)
NASA JPL Edu (Official Website)
Educator Resources (Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum)
Human Space Exploration (Lunar & Planetary Institute)
Astronauts (Science Trek)
What It Takes To Be An Astronaut (Science Trek, YouTube Video)
Astronauts: Before You Go Into Space (Science Trek, YouTube Video)
Aerospace Engineering (American Society for Engineering Education)
Space Exploration (Astronomy Center, ComPADRE)
MERLOT: Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching
OER Commons: Open Educational Resources
Course
Aeronautics and Astronautics (Course 16, MITx)
Aeronautics and Astronautics (MIT OpenCourseWare)
Space Systems (MIT OpenCourseWar)
Astronautics Courses (edX)
Community
Occupation
CareerOneStop, YouTube Channel (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)
CareerOneStop, Official Website (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)
Aerospace Engineers (CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)
Aerospace Engineers (Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Organization
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society (IEEE)
American Astronomical Society (AAS)
Event
World Space Week, October 4-10 (United Nations)
International Day of Human Space Flight, April 12 (United Nations)
News
Space Flight (JSTOR)
Industry News (AIAA)
Spacecraft and Space Missions (Sky & Telescope, AAS)
Aerospace News (Aviation Week)
Aerospace (Scientific American)
Spaceflight Now
Spaceflight (Space.com)
Space Flight (Astronomy Magazine)
Space Exploration (PhysOrg)
Space Missions (Science Daily)
Book
Space Exploration and Development (National Academies Press)
Space Systems and Hardware (National Academies Press)
Government
International Space Agency (ISA)
Worldwide Space Agencies (United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Note: These are 360° videos — press and hold to explore it!
Aluminum Oxide (YouTube Channel)
Deep Space TV (YouTube Channel)
Deep Space TV (Official Website)
Kennedy Space Center (Merritt Island, FL)
Langley Research Center (Hampton, VA)
Langley Research Center (Virtual Tour)
Air & Space Science Center (Langley Visitor Center)
Air & Space Science Center (Virtual Tour)
Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, MD)
Goddard Space Flight Center (Virtual Tour)
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (La Cañada Flintridge, CA)
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Virtual Tour)
Johnson Space Center (Houston, TX)
Johnson Space Center (Virtual Tours)
Document
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Expression
Humor
How To Go To Space (Minute Physics with XKCD, YouTube Video)
Rockets (Tim Hunkin, The Rudiments of Wisdom Encyclopedia)
Hobby
Model Rockets (Discover a Hobby)
Recent News from Science Daily …
- NASA just used satellites and debris to navigate...on August 26, 2026 at 11:27 pm
NASA has successfully tested a system that allows satellites to navigate without GPS by using other spacecraft and debris as landmarks in orbit. In just three days, FALCON also improved the known orbits of more than 200 space objects completely autonomously.
- One asteroid strike may explain two mysteries of...on August 26, 2026 at 9:05 am
A single asteroid impact may explain two of Deimos’s most puzzling features: its huge southern depression and unusually smooth, dusty surface. Simulations suggest a roughly 320-meter asteroid struck the Martian moon at an angle, throwing debris around the entire world without breaking it apart. New observations from ESA’s Hera spacecraft support the scenario and indicate that Deimos is surprisingly porous and fragile.
- NASA finds Earth microbes could survive on the...on August 25, 2026 at 6:30 am
NASA scientists found that microbes brought by astronauts could survive in cold, shadowed niches around the Moon’s South Pole, potentially complicating future searches for pristine lunar chemistry. Some refuges may be no larger than a footprint, while one hardy fungus could even withstand limited exposure to sunlight.
- A SpaceX rocket smashed into the Moon — NASA...on August 20, 2026 at 7:10 am
A discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 stage crashed into the Moon on Aug. 5, leaving behind a newly formed crater about 60 feet wide. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured detailed images showing bright and dark streaks of debris blasted across the surrounding surface. The impact even exposed fresh material buried beneath the Moon’s weathered exterior.
- Neptune’s tiny moons may be the wreckage of...on August 14, 2026 at 4:35 am
JWST has uncovered surprising clues that Neptune’s strange inner moons may be the wreckage of an ancient cosmic catastrophe. Researchers detected clay-like minerals on Larissa, Galatea, and Neptune’s rings that form in the presence of liquid water—yet the moons themselves show no obvious water ice. The material likely came from deep inside much larger icy moons that were shattered when Triton was captured by Neptune, destroying much of the planet’s original satellite system.
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These are links to pages about closely related subjects.
Transportation Modes Ground (Cycle, Automobile, Train), Sea, Air, Space
“Fundamentals”
Law (Constant) Relativity
Force Gravity, Electromagnetism (Light, Color)
Matter
Our Neighborhood
Solar System Sun
Terrestrial Planet Mercury, Venus, Earth (Moon), Mars
Asteroid Belt Ceres, Vesta
Jovian Planet Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Trans-Neptunian Object
Kuiper Belt Pluto, Haumea, Makemake
Scattered Disc Eris, Sedna, Planet X
Oort Cloud Etc. Scholz’s Star
Small Body Comet, Centaur, Asteroid
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1. The resources on this page are are organized by a classification scheme developed exclusively for Cosma.