In 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yury Gagarin became the first person to orbit Earth. Now, more than a half-century later, huge advances have been achieved in spaceflight. Humans have walked on the moon, lived in orbit around Earth on space stations, and are now looking to Mars as the next frontier. This easy-to-understand narrative presents the Cold War's space race, the effects of spaceflight on humans, what is required to become an astronaut, and how NASA and private companies are embracing the future of spaceflight.