classes (taxonomy)
Introduction
The proposed “Four Causes of Space Exploration” classification system draws inspiration from Aristotle’s four causes and organizes space-related topics into four main classes: Objects, Purposes, Actors, and Fields.
Each class includes three terms, defined below. Depending on its contents, more than one term may be associated with each article.
Note that this classification system is not intended to be an exhaustive or definitive framework. It serves as a tool to organize and categorize the articles of this site, offering a structured approach for comprehending the various aspects of space exploration.
Objects
The objects class refers to the physical entities involved in space exploration.
They include spacecraft, designed for space travel and exploration; launchers, devices used to propel objects into space; stations, facilities for spacecraft control or human habitation in space.
| Term | Short Definition | Longer definition |
|---|---|---|
| Spacecrafts | Vehicles designed to travel in outer space | Includes crewed spacecraft that transport humans, as well as unmanned spacecraft that gather scientific data, provide applications or perform other functions, such as planetary probes. |
| Launchers | Devices used to propel spacecraft or other objects into space | Includes rockets, which use chemical propulsion to lift off from Earth’s surface, as well as other types of launch systems such as spaceplanes, air-launched rockets or stratospheric balloons. |
| Stations | Facilities designed for human habitation or for the control of spacecraft | Includes space stations or Earth-based stations such as spaceports, which are launch facilities for rockets and other spacecraft, as well as satellite control centers, which manage communications and operations for orbiting satellites. Planetary stations can include bases on the Moon or Mars, which would support human exploration and scientific research. |
Actors
Actors encompass the various entities and stakeholders involved in space exploration.
They include businesses in the private sector that develop and operate space technologies; the public sector, comprising government agencies and regulatory bodies responsible for space policies and oversight; the scientific community, which conducts research and exploration endeavors.
| Term | Short Definition | Longer definition |
|---|---|---|
| Business | For-profit organizations or enterprises that operate in the private sector | Includes companies that are developing applications or new technologies for space exploration, such as rocket manufacturers or commercial satellite manufacturers and operators, as well as companies that are interested in leveraging space-based resources, such as mining companies that are exploring the possibility of extracting minerals from asteroids. |
| Public sector | Government or other public institutions that provide services to citizens | Includes national or international government agencies that are responsible for funding and overseeing space exploration programs, as well as regulatory bodies that are responsible for overseeing commercial space activities. |
| Science | Community, which includes researchers, academics, engineers and other experts | Includes astronomers and astrophysicists who are studying the properties of distant stars and galaxies, or planetary scientists who are studying the geology and atmosphere of other planets in our solar system. It also includes engineers and technologists who are developing new technologies for space applications or exploration, such as advanced propulsion systems or life support systems for long-duration space missions. |
Purposes
Purposes refer to the intentions or aims behind space exploration.
They encompass the diverse motivations driving space activities, including commercial use of outer space, use of space resources for economic purposes; research to enhance our understanding of the universe and push the boundaries of scientific knowledge; space-based services to Earth, leveraging space assets for practical applications that benefit life on our planet.
| Term | Short Definition | Longer definition |
|---|---|---|
| Exploitation | Commercial and economic use of outer space environment and resources | Includes the extraction of minerals, energy, or other valuable resources, as well as the use of space for tourism or other business ventures, but excludes services, such as telecommunications and Earth observation. |
| Research | Activity that enhances our understanding of the universe and the development of new technologies | Includes among others Astronomy, Astrophysics, Cosmology, Space physics, Planetary science, Life Science, as well as advanced technologies for Spacecraft engineering, Telecommunications, Remote sensing . |
| Services | Use of satellites and other technologies in space to provide a range of services | Refers to the use of satellites and other technologies in space to provide communication, navigation, and weather forecasting services, as well as the development of new services that leverage space-based resources for terrestrial applications. |
Fields
The fields class covers the foundational aspects of space exploration.
It encompass strategies, policies and approaches that guide the pursuit of space exploration goals; programs, i.e. specific initiatives and projects undertaken to exploit and explore space; technologies, breakthroughs and innovations that enable and support space exploration endeavors.
| Term | Short Definition | Longer definition |
|---|---|---|
| Strategies | processes of developing and implementing policies to achieve national, economic, and security objectives | Framework for how a country or organization will use space to achieve its long term goals. It takes into account the current state of space technology, the capabilities of other countries and organizations, the costs and the risks of space exploration. It may include goals such as maintaining a military presence in space, utilizing space for scientific research, for commercial purposes and promoting international cooperation in space. |
| Programs | various initiatives and projects to explore and utilize space | Initiatives that governments, space agencies and private companies undertake to explore and utilize space. Topics may include human spaceflight and manned missions to the Moon, robotic exploration of other planets, the development of new spacecraft and launch vehicles, space science, applications like communications, navigation and positioning, and remote sensing. |
| Technologies | scientific and engineering breakthroughs for space exploration | Scientific and engineering breakthroughs that have made space utilization and exploration possible, as well as emerging technologies that could revolutionize our understanding of the universe. Topics may include propulsion systems, payload technologies for applications, materials science, artificial intelligence, robotics. It can also cover technologies for sustainable space exploration, such as closed-loop life support systems and in-situ resource utilization. |