Orbital Human Space Launch
Annual Orbital Human Space Launch Overviews
2016 – Orbital Human Space Launch – Snapshot
The 52 years since the inauguration of human spaceflight have witnessed great strides in developing the technology required to support human life in orbit and…
2015 – Orbital Human Space Launch – Snapshot
In 2015, Russia was the only nation conducting flights of humans to space and back. While countries such as the United States and China continued with plans for their own human spaceflight programs…
2014 – Orbital Human Space Launch
It is relatively simple to place a satellite into orbit when compared with launching humans to space. Humans have more complex needs, such as breathable air, food, staying warm, staying cool, and protection from the space environment. Humans must also be able to return safely to Earth from their trip to space. Over the years, a variety of spacecraft were specifically designed to fulfill these requirements. Rockets, originally designed to return to selected points of the Earth quickly and destructively, began to incorporate changes for human needs and requirements as well. Two nations, the United States and Russia, pioneered the development of space systems to launch humans into space more than half a century ago.