From Yuri Gagarin’s 1961 journey to outer space, which marked the first time a human had ever ventured outside of Earth’s atmosphere, to the modern-day privatization of space and the growing space tourism industry, the topic of space exploration has prompted both excitement and debate in the public sphere for decades.

The Reference Shelf: Space Exploration looks at a variety of relevant topics including the psychological hazards of spaceflight, the costs and benefits of space exploration, mining in space, space tourism, AI in space exploration, and more.

This volume begins with a preface, outlining the history of space travel and exploring the variety of issues that have surfaced as space-related technology has progressed over the years. The preface also provides introductory information regarding the future of space exploration and modern debates surrounding this exciting topic.