Whether a spaceship travels to low-earth orbit, to the Moon, or to the outer reaches of the solar system, it has to first escape the Earth's atmosphere. A spaceship also has to come down through the same atmosphere without burning up like a meteor. There is a lot of time and work put into a spacecraft before it goes into orbit and after it comes back to Earth.
Subsections
Overview
Astronaut Training
The space environment is naturally unsafe and perilous for humans. An emergency could occur at any time... >> Click here for more info
Spacecraft Assembly
A spacecraft such as the Space Shuttle is one of the most complicated pieces of machinery ever built... >> Click here for more info