The universe, this grand quilt of mystery, holds all that is seen, that can be measured, that can be weighed. It holds the material world—things that are, galaxies, and stars, and the domain of things intangible—space, time, and light itself. The forces of matter, of space, and of time had not existed before they created the universe, dormant and waiting for the raison d'être of life. Billions of galaxies containing millions or billions of stars compose the universe's canvas. Among such stellar giants, interstellar and intergalactic space is mostly vacant. Even in apparent vacuum, independent hydrogen atoms and nomadic particles of dust are present. Vacancy contains high-energy particles, magnetic fields, and electromagnetic radiation. That is gigantic. A jet airplane today would take more than a million years to fly to the nearest star of the Sun. At light speed—300,000 kilometers per second—100,000 years would be the minimum to reach just our own Milky Way galaxy alone. But the universe's true size is a mystery, beyond our grasp. We can at least say that our observable universe has a minimum diameter of 93 billion light-years. (A light-year—a bit more than 9 trillion kilometers—is how far light goes in a year.) The universe has grown in magnitude. Scientifically, it was ignited at the Big Bang approximately 14 billion years ago. It has grown since then, a cosmic reach extending with unimaginable velocities. The universe today is huge in magnitude relative to its original shape, since galaxies withdraw with space expansion between them. From cosmically determined horizon to planetary exploration, space launching is the nursery of space flight. It's when a rocket or spaceship breaks loose from the bounds of Earth's gravity and embarks on a dance in space. This is done in two broad forms: rocket launching, the traditional way, and non-rocket space launching, the new technology with various modes of propulsion. Rocket thrust, in explosive energy, lifts us up. Liquid to solid propellants, rockets shoot up into space, leaving Earth's shores behind. A few use airbreathing jet engines coupled with conventional rockets, wringing out ultimate efficiency in layers of atmosphere. Non-rocket launching into space goes further still into the promise of tomorrow. Skyhooks, rocket sleds, and air launches propel hopes above the gravity of our planet. Rockets are utilized, but as supplements to other schemes of propulsion, driving us into the cosmos. Measured against, ours is a vast universe. It is the canvas of galaxies, the scope of time, and the fabric of unspoken potential. Ever upward, ever onward, from star to galaxy creation, we are propelled out into the infinite frontiers that lie ahead—a journey of courage, discovery, and an unbounded need to unravel the unspoken questions of the universe.