The quest to explore space has captured the imagination of people in many ways since human beings first looked at the stars. It fueled science fiction, drove technological and scientific advancements that make life on Earth better, and fed national pride, prestige, and even power.
It also creates jobs, boosts business, and grows the pool of money that can be spent on important social issues like public health concerns, climate change, and social injustices. Yet it’s rarely articulated the more ephemeral, abstract, or philosophical benefits that are gained from space exploration.
Until recently, only nation-states could afford the high costs associated with launching humans and machines into space. The primary goals of government space programs were to increase knowledge, serve as indicators of national prestige and power, and improve the security of nations.
But the development of rockets and other technology in the 20th century made it possible for humans to explore not just the Moon, but the planets of the Solar System as well. Uncrewed probes have studied Mars and Venus, Saturn and its moons, Jupiter and its rings, asteroids, and comets. Some—like Voyager 1 and 2—have travelled beyond the Solar System’s heliosphere, out into the Milky Way galaxy.
While a number of private companies have entered the space business, it’s still governments that fund most space exploration. The new emphasis now is on joint human and robotic missions to near-Earth asteroids, Mars, and destinations beyond our Solar System.