Prespacefaring

Prespacefaring is the phase and set of activities that prepare for actual spaceflight. It encompasses the conception, design, testing, and evaluation of missions, vehicles, and life-support systems, as well as the training and selection of crews and the development of supporting infrastructure and policy. The term is used in aerospace engineering, space history, and science policy to describe the period before humans or cargo leave Earth orbit or enter outer space.

Key components include mission concept studies, feasibility analyses, risk assessment and management, technology maturation, and simulations. Suborbital and orbital test programs provide practical validation. Training programs cover physical conditioning, operational procedures, and crew coordination. Development of launch facilities, ground systems, communications networks, and international agreements fall within prespacefaring. Ethical, legal, and societal considerations—such as planetary protection, space traffic management, and access equity—are also addressed during prespacefaring.

Historically, prespacefaring refers to the era preceding the first successful spaceflights, including the design and testing work of early space programs, prototypes, and research into life-support and propulsion. In contemporary use, it is often invoked when analyzing early stages of new space ventures, such as commercial or national programs, to distinguish preparation activities from operational spaceflight.

Because prespacefaring is a preparatory phase, its duration and emphasis vary by program. It is foundational for mission safety, viability, and public acceptance of space endeavors, and it transitions into active spacefaring once flights commence.