page_title: Space exploration
section_title: Earth
hierarchical_section_title: Space exploration / Targets of exploration / Earth
caption_attribution_description: English: First television image of Earth from space. Taken from TIROS-1. Deutsch: Erstes Fernsehbild von aus dem Weltraum. Aufgenommen von TIROS-1. Русский: Первое изображение телевидения земли от космоса. Português: Primeira imagem da televisão da terra do espaço. Español: Primera imagen en televisión de la Tierra vista desde el espacio, tomada desde el satélite TIROS-1. Italiano: Prima immagine della televisione di terra da spazio. Nederlands: Eerste televisiebeeld van Aarde van ruimte. Français&#160;: Première image de télévision de la terre de l'espace. Ελληνικά: Πρώτη τηλεοπτική εικόνα της γης από το διάστημα. العربية: الاولى التلفزيون صورة الأرض من الفضاء. 中文: 第一次看电视的形象，从地球上的空间。 日本語: 最初のテレビの画像から地球のスペースが必要です。 한국어: 우주에서 지구 첫 텔레비전의 이미지입니다.
context_page_description: Space exploration is the use of astronomy and space technology to explore outer space. While the exploration of space is carried out mainly by astronomers with telescopes, its physical exploration though is conducted both by unmanned robotic space probes and human spaceflight. Space exploration, like its classical form astronomy, is one of the main sources for space science.
  While the observation of objects in space, known as astronomy, predates reliable recorded history, it was the development of large and relatively efficient rockets during the mid-twentieth century that allowed physical space exploration to become a reality. Common rationales for exploring space include advancing scientific research, national prestige, uniting different nations, ensuring the future survival of humanity, and developing military and strategic advantages against other countries.
  The early era of space exploration was driven by a "Space Race" between the Soviet Union and the United States.
context_section_description: Space exploration has been used as a tool to understand Earth as a celestial object in its own right. Orbital missions can provide data for Earth that can be difficult or impossible to obtain from a purely ground-based point of reference.
  For example, the existence of the Van Allen radiation belts was unknown until their discovery by the United States' first artificial satellite, Explorer 1. These belts contain radiation trapped by Earth's magnetic fields, which currently renders construction of habitable space stations above 1000 km impractical.
  Following this early unexpected discovery, a large number of Earth observation satellites have been deployed specifically to explore Earth from a space based perspective. These satellites have significantly contributed to the understanding of a variety of Earth-based phenomena. For instance, the hole in the ozone layer was found by an artificial satellite that was exploring Earth's atmosphere, and satellites have allowed for the discovery of archeological sites or geological formations that were difficult or impossible to otherwise identify.
caption: First television image of Earth from space, taken by TIROS-1. (1960)
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