The past few years have been exciting ones for space research and exploration. Since the successful landing of the Curiosity Rover in 2012, anticipation has been brewing about the next frontiers in humankind’s exploration of the Universe. With the Voyager spacecraft poised to exit the solar system and discover what lies beyond, and both NASA and private companies discussing manned missions to Mars, it seems like we could be on the brink of a new space age. During the first space race, humanity went from launching its first satellite in 1957 to walking on the moon in 1969. How far have we really come since then? And where will the future take us?

The SITN Flash is proud to address these questions and more with our special edition on Space Exploration. This edition brings together student writers studying everything from astronomy and physics, to pathology and public health, in order to provide insight into the many facets of space exploration. We hope you’ll come away from this special edition with an understanding of space exploration that goes beyond sci-fi and into the wondrous world of science fact.

I’d like to extend my gratitude to all of the writers who contributed articles to this special edition and to the editors for all their hard work in perfecting it.

Alison Hill, Managing Editor, PhD Student in Virology at Harvard Medical School
Editorial Team: Tyler Ford, Johnny Kung, Emily Lehrman, Jamie Schafer, Hannah Somhegyi, Laura Strittmatter, Rosa Yoon, Rachel Yunck

Happy Reading!
Flash Editorial Staff

The banner image above is from the Hubble Space Telescope (hubblesite.org).