With the invention of rockets and advances in electronics and other technologies, it became possible to send machines, animals, and then humans into outer space. Achieving spaceflight enabled people to explore beyond Earth and to use for human benefit the resources and features of the space environment. These volumes delve into the world of space exploration: its early motivations and milestones; pioneering feats of rocket science and spacecraft design; the launching of satellites and manned spacecraft; and the rewards that space flight have had for scientific research, telecommunications, meteorology, and navigation, among other applications.