Since the 1970s, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has used space shuttles like the one pictured above to move astronauts to and from space stations orbiting the Earth. From landing on the Moon to building the International Space Station, these scientists have helped improve our understanding of space by observing and exploring it. But it's possible to study our solar system and beyond without ever leaving the ground! Thanks to telescopes, observatories, and satellites, we learn more about space every day.
Steve Jurvetson. www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/1055810551/. CC BY 2.0.