Outline of space science

A laser-guided observation of the Milky Way Galaxy at the Paranal Observatory in Chile in 2010

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to space science:

Space science – study of everything in outer space. This has sometimes been called astronomy, but recently astronomy has come to be regarded as a division of broader space science, which has grown to include other related fields, such as studying issues related to space travel and space exploration (including space medicine), space archaeology and science performed in outer space (see space research).

Branches of space science

One proposed timeline of the origin of space, from physical cosmology

• Astronomy
  • Fields of astronomy defined by approach
    • Observational astronomy – Observatories on the ground as well as space observatories take measurements of celestial entities and phenomena
      • Astrometry – studies the position and movements of celestial objects
      • Amateur astronomy
    • Theoretical astronomy – mathematical modelling of celestial entities and phenomena
  • Fields of astronomy defined by scope
    • Astrophysics – study of the physics of the universe; of extraterrestrial objects and interstitial spaces
      • Space plasma physics
      • Orbital mechanics or astrodynamics, which also has applications to spacecraft
    • Stellar astronomy – the study of stars
      • Solar astronomy – the study of our Sun
    • Planetary science – the study of planets, especially those other than Earth
      • Planetary geology
    • Galactic astronomy – the study of our Milky Way galaxy
    • Extragalactic astronomy – the study of the larger universe beyond the Milky Way
    • Physical cosmology – the study of the universe as a whole
• Aerospace engineering
  • Astronautics

Space-related interdisciplinary fields

• Astrobiology
• Astrochemistry or cosmochemistry
• Planetary science – overlaps with Earth science
• Micro-g environment research
• Forensic astronomy
• Space archaeology – the study of human artifacts in outer space
• Archaeoastronomy – the history of human understanding of the universe

Astronomy

See Outline of astronomy

See astronomical object for a list of specific types of entities which scientists study. See Earth's location in the universe for an orientation.

Space exploration

See Outline of space exploration

Astronautics

Astronautics – science and engineering of spacefaring and spaceflight, a subset of Aerospace engineering (which includes atmospheric flight)

• Life in space
  • Living organisms in space
    • Humans in space
      • Women in space
    • Animals in space
      • Dogs in space
        • Soviet space dogs
      • Monkeys and apes in space
    • Microorganisms tested in outer space
    • Plants in space
  • Space habitation
    • Architecture in space
      • Space station
        • Space Habitation Module
    • Food in space
    • Medicine in space
      • Neuroscience in space
    • Religion in space
      • Christmas on the International Space Station
    • Sex in space
    • Survival in space
    • Writing in space
  • Human spaceflight

See also

Astronaut Piers Sellers during the third spacewalk of STS-121, a demonstration of orbiter heat shield repair techniques

• Outline of aerospace
• Space Sciences Laboratory – University of California, Berkeley
• Space exploration – includes scientific investigations through manned spaceflight and space probes
• Space colonization
• Commercialization of space
  • Space manufacturing
  • Space tourism
• Space warfare
  • Alien invasion
• Asteroid-impact avoidance
• Space law
• Remote sensing
• Planetarium – A synthetic observatory, used for education and presentations
• Centennial Challenges NASA prize contests
• Exploration of Mars
• Human spaceflight
• Space exploration
• Space architecture
• Space colonization
• Space industry
• Space industry of Russia
• Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes
• Batteries in space
• Control engineering
• Corrosion in space
• Industry in space
• Nuclear power in space
• Observatories in space
• Orbital mechanics
• Robotics
• Space environment – study of conditions that affect the operation of spacecraft
• Space logistics
• Space technology
  • Space-based radar
  • Space-based solar power
  • Spacecraft design for launch vehicles and satellites
  • Spacecraft propulsion

External links

• Institute of Space Technology, Pakistan
• Space Sciences @ NASA
• Space Sciences @ ESA
• INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SPACE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
• Space Sciences Institute
• Space Science & Technology, (Persian) an Iranian nongovernmental group who writes scientific articles about Space Science & Technology