// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy our solar system belongs to, visible as a band of light across the night sky.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy that contains our Solar System, comprising hundreds of billions of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter, and is part of the Local Group of galaxies.
BACKGROUND
Outer space, or simply space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth's atmosphere and between celestial bodies. It contains ultra-low levels of particle densities, constituting a near-perfect vacuum of predominantly hydrogen and helium plasma, permeated by electromagnetic radiation, cosmic rays, neutrinos, magnetic fields and dust. The baseline temperature of outer space, as set by the background radiation from the Big Bang, is 2.7 kelvins.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Our galaxy
- The Galaxy
- Via Lactea
- Spiral galaxy
USAGE NOTE
The Milky Way is so vast that light takes 100,000 years to cross it.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Milky Way.
The ESA's Gaia mission is a cornerstone of galactic research, developing and operating a space observatory specifically designed to create the most precise three-dimensional map of over a billion stars in the Milky Way.
The U.S. space agency develops and operates numerous space telescopes directly used for studying the Milky Way, including the Hubble, Chandra, and James Webb Space Telescopes, as well as the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope designed for wide-field galactic surveys.
An intergovernmental organization that builds and operates some of the world's most advanced ground-based telescopes, like the Very Large Telescope (VLT). These instruments are used to study the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole, stellar populations, and galactic structure.
A research and engineering initiative aiming to develop a proof-of-concept for a fleet of light sail nanocraft. This technology is being designed specifically for interstellar travel within the Milky Way, with the goal of reaching the Alpha Centauri star system.
A non-profit research organization that develops and uses advanced astronomical technology, such as the Allen Telescope Array, to survey stars within the Milky Way in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, contributing to radio astronomy and galactic mapping.
A leading research institute that develops cutting-edge instrumentation for major telescopes and is heavily involved in projects like Gaia and the JWST. Their work focuses on understanding star formation, exoplanets, and galactic structure within the Milky Way.
An aerospace and defense company that served as the prime contractor for the James Webb Space Telescope. They developed the advanced optical technology, spacecraft, and sunshield essential for observing distant parts of the Milky Way in high resolution.
Managed by Caltech for NASA, JPL develops and manages robotic spacecraft and deep space missions. It led missions like the Spitzer Space Telescope, which provided crucial infrared views of star-forming regions and the galactic center of the Milky Way.