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One of the most amazing endeavors man has ever undertaken is the exploration of space. A big part of the amazement is the complexity. Space exploration is complicated because there are so many interesting problems to solve and obstacles to overcome. You have things like: The vacuum of space Heat management problems The difficulty of re-entry Orbital mechanics Micrometeorites and space debris Cosmic and solar radiation Restroom facilities in a weightless environment And so on... …

…orbit, and are also used on the shuttle's manned maneuvering system. New engine designs are trying to find ways to accelerate ions or atomic particles to extremely high speeds to create thrust more efficiently. NASA's Deep Space-1 spacecraft will be the first to use ion engines for propulsion. See this page for additional discussion of plasma and ion engines. This article discusses a number of other alternatives. Bibliography How Rocket Engines Work by Marshall Brain