Back in the 1950s, the Soviets were eager to follow their Sputnik success with an even bigger milestone: they would send something living to outer space. Amy Nelson says that the pups were easy to rebrand as space pioneers.

Scientists have reason to believe that Mars has a lot in common with Earth. Joel Levine says the search for life outside of Earth is the driving force of space exploration.

Scientists and engineers aren’t the only ones who belong in outer space. Sterling Hundley says that artists help us get to clearer answers sooner.

Increasingly, tech that was for extraterrestrials is making its way into the hands of everyday people. David Bowles says this is a good thing, and it's only up from here.