Human spaceflight refers to the act of sending astronauts into space to conduct research, exploration, and other activities beyond Earth's atmosphere. This endeavor began with missions like Vostok 1, which carried Yuri Gagarin into orbit in 1961, marking the first time a human traveled into space. Today, human spaceflight includes missions to the International Space Station (ISS), where astronauts live and work for extended periods. Various space agencies, such as NASA and ESA, as well as private companies like SpaceX, are actively involved in advancing human space exploration and developing technologies for future missions to the Moon and Mars.