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 encompasses all of the scientific disciplines that involve space exploration and study natural phenomena and physical bodies occurring in outer space, such as space medicine and astrobiology.^[1][2]

Branches of space sciences[]

Astronomy[]

See Outline of astronomy

The diversity found in the different types and scales of astronomical objects make the field of study increasingly specialized.

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

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

• Astronomy
  • Outline of 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 the Sun
    • Planetary science – the study of planets, especially those other than Earth
      • Planetary geology
    • Galactic astronomy – the study of the 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

Astronautics[]

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

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

• Outline of aerospace
• Aerospace engineering
  • Aeronautics
  • Astronautics
    • Spaceflight
      • Human spaceflight
        • Bioastronautics
        • Architecture in space
          • Life-support system
          • Space station
            • Space Habitation Module
    • Outline of space exploration
• Life in space
  • Living organisms in space
    • Humans in space
      • Women in space
    • Animals in space
      • Cat in space
        • Félicette
      • Dogs in space
        • Soviet space dogs
      • Mice in space
        • Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum, and Phooey
      • Monkeys and apes in space
      • Tortoises in space
        • Zond 5
    • Microorganisms tested in outer space
    • Plants in space
  • Space habitation
  • Effect of spaceflight on the human body
  • Food in space
  • Medicine in space
    • Neuroscience in space
  • Religion in space
    • Christmas on the International Space Station
  • Sex in space
  • Writing in space

Space-related interdisciplinary fields[]

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

See also[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Space science.

• 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