Engineering:Outline of space technology

Short description: Overview of and topical guide to space technology

Space technology is technology developed by space science or the aerospace industry for use in spaceflight, satellites, or space exploration. Space technology includes spacecraft, satellites, space stations, and support infrastructure, equipment, and procedures. Space is such a novel environment that attempting to work in it requires new tools and techniques. Many common everyday services such as weather forecasting, remote sensing, GPS systems, satellite television, and some long-distance communications systems critically rely on space infrastructure. Of the sciences, astronomy and Earth science benefit from space technology. New technologies originating with or accelerated by space-related endeavors are often subsequently exploited in other economic activities.

Types of space technologies

Satellite technology

• Satellite
  • Types of satellites
    • Communications satellite
      • Direct-broadcast satellite
    • Earth observation satellite
    • Geosynchronous satellite
    • Military satellite
      • Reconnaissance satellite
    • Navigation satellite
    • Tracking and data relay satellite
    • Weather satellite
  • Specific satellites
    • List of Earth observation satellites
    • List of satellites in geosynchronous orbit
    • List of satellites which have provided data on Earth's magnetosphere
• Satellite orbit
  • Artificial satellites in retrograde orbit
• Satellite-based services
  • Satellite navigation
  • Satellite radio
  • Satellite television

Space exploration technology

• Aerobot (Planetary probe suspended in atmosphere)
• Lunar rover
• Mars rover
• Manned space mission

Space flight technology

Spaceflight

• Ablative heat shield
• Aerobraking
• Booster (rocketry)
• Gantry
• Reusable launch system—the Space Shuttle and X-37 are partially reusable spaceplanes; SpaceX is currently developing a set of reusable technologies to support booster reuse and second-stage reuse.

History of space technology

• History of satellite technology
  • Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes
    • Timeline of Earth science satellites

Future space technologies

• Asteroid mining
• Single-stage-to-orbit
• Space-based solar power
• Non-rocket spacelaunch
• Space manufacturing

See also

• Outline of space exploration
• Outline of space science
• NewSpace

External links

• NASA images and videos of space technology