| BOOSTERS | Stages of space exploration |
| SPLASHDOWN | The end of space exploration, in the main |
| REENTRY | Never rising to attempt critical stage of space flight (2-5) |
| NOTASAUSAGE | Nothing in books covered by practice of American space exploration? |
| NASA | Space exploration org. since October 1, 1958 |
| ESA | Space exploration organization headquartered in Paris: Abbr. |
| PROBES | Space exploration vessels (6) |
| WHO | Doctor involved in space exploration |
| PROBE | Space exploration vehicle |
| SETI | Space exploration acronym |
| ORIGIN | Jeff Bezos's space exploration company (4,6) |
| BLUE | Jeff Bezos's space exploration company (4,6) |
| OBESE | Queen's decoration for initial space exploration is far too weighty (5) |
| HELIUM | Used in space exploration, cryogenics, rocketry, lifting party balloons or raising the voice two octaves higher than normal, the lightest noble gas, atomic no. 2 (6) |
| ASTRONAUTICS | Science and technology of space travel and exploration (11) |
| LAPS | Coils of rope, cable etc needed to go around objects, hence circuits of racetracks; an old word for folds of garments; stages of journeys; or, upper parts of thighs when seated (4) |
| STATIONS | ___ of the Cross, a series of 14 crosses arranged around the walls of a church to commemorate the stages of Christ's journey to Calvary (8) |
| LEGS | Sections of a journey; stages of a relay race; or, limbs of locomotion (4) |
| PHASES | Reoccurring sunlit shapes of the Moon; stages of mitosis; or, the periods of play between breakdowns in rugby union (6) |
| URUGUAY | Which country scored the most number of goals at the end of the round stages of Copa America 2024, besides finishing third in the tournament? (7) |
