▁and ▁rock ets ; ▁execution ▁of ▁evolution s ▁such ▁as ▁to wing , ▁micro - gravity ▁construction , ▁and ▁space ▁dock ing ; ▁cargo ▁handling ▁equipment , ▁dangerous ▁cargo es ▁and ▁cargo ▁storage ; ▁space walk ing ; ▁dealing ▁with ▁emer gen cies ; ▁surv ival ▁at ▁space ▁and ▁first ▁aid ; ▁fire ▁fighting ; ▁life ▁support . ▁The ▁degree ▁of ▁knowledge ▁needed ▁within ▁these ▁areas ▁is ▁dependent ▁upon ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁and ▁the ▁type ▁of ▁vessel ▁employed . ▁" Space f aring " ▁is ▁analog ous ▁to ▁se af aring . ▁ ▁Until ▁now , ▁there ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁a ▁cre wed ▁mission ▁outside ▁the ▁Earth – M oon ▁system . ▁However , ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁Russia , ▁China , ▁European ▁Space ▁Agency ▁countries , ▁and ▁a ▁few ▁corpor ations ▁and ▁enter pr ises ▁have ▁plans ▁in ▁various ▁stages ▁to ▁travel ▁to ▁Mars ▁( see ▁Human ▁mission ▁to ▁Mars ). ▁ ▁Space f aring ▁entities ▁can ▁be ▁so ver eign ▁states , ▁su pr an ational ▁entities , ▁and ▁private ▁corpor ations . ▁Space f aring ▁nations ▁are ▁those ▁capable ▁of ▁independently ▁building ▁and ▁launch ing ▁craft ▁into ▁space . ▁A ▁growing ▁number ▁of ▁private ▁entities ▁have ▁become ▁or ▁are ▁becoming ▁space ▁far ing . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁Nations ▁Office ▁for ▁Out er ▁Space ▁Affairs ▁started ▁the ▁first ▁UN ▁space ▁program ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁ ▁C rew ed ▁space f aring ▁nations ▁ ▁Currently ▁Russia ▁and ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁are ▁the