ABSTRACT
Since the launch of Sputnik in October 1957, humanity has been space bound. But even before that, humans have yearned for the heavens. Prior to the modern era there was little we could do but gaze upward and wonder. But Sputnik opened the Space Age, and, since that event, we have been slowly, little by little, taking steps to physically explore at least our own solar system. However, aside from a few missions to the moon, the exploration of the solar system has taken place by machines. The distances involved, the extreme environmental challenges, and the toll on human psychology and physiology seem destined to restrict the human presence in space severely. Yes, we may make it to Mars and most certainly back to the moon—but beyond that, little seems feasible.
