Space travel in the Age of Legends

Question

Given the vast technology available during the age of Legends, added to the obviously inquisitive minds of the scientists of the time. It is extremely likely that space exploration would have been part of the time of Legends, at a minimum the use of satellites, the exploration of other worlds by unmanned probe. But also potentially putting people into space. The fact that at our level of technology we can achieve that shows that it should have been straightforward to achieve in that age.

Has this ever been discussed or mentioned by RJ or Brandon Sanderson?

Answer 1

Ever since first reading the books about 20 years ago, I have suspected that our own civilisation is intended to be somewhere near the end of (one iteration of) the First Age.

It appears I am not the only one to reach this conclusion, as you can see from the evidence accumulated at Real-world references. If this speculation is correct then certainly at least satellites and some human spaceflight existed.

As far as I know neither the canon nor the authors of canon have ever expanded on the question more deeply. Nothing is mentioned about space technology at Age of Legends, only miscellaneous sub-orbital aircraft.

It's quite possible that extraterrestial colonisation would simply be too hard even for a civilisation equipped with the mythic technology of the Age of Legends. There are all sorts of barriers that need to be overcome; I don't just mean the hostility of extraterrestial environments or the vast distances to overcome, which in turn require immense amounts of fuel. There are more prosaic barriers that may well prevent us from ever making great leaps, for example see End of Space - Creating a Prison for Humanity.

With all those barriers to interplanetary or interstellar colonisation, it might explain why channelers in the Age of Legends ended up focusing on the development of weaves such as Travelling and Skimming. After perhaps attempting to develop space travel as we understand it at the end of the First Age, they might have decided that the reward:cost ratio is just too punishing compared to alternative methods. Access to other worlds through Portal Stones also would have offered an out that obviates the need for space travel.

tl;dr:

1. Canon is not opinionated about whether or not space flight was common or even possible in the Age of Legends. Everything else is speculation.
2. If space flight were common in the Age of Legends, it seems likely that canon would have expanded on this topic. The failure to express any opinion suggests that space flight was not a large part of Age of Legends civilisation.
3. Some kind of space flight would not be inconsistent with canon.
4. If you give credence to one popular fan theory that we are approaching the start of the Age of Legends, then some level of space flight is furthermore likely, not just "not inconsistent".
5. There are reasons consistent with real-world physics about why space flight would not necessarily have become greatly developed during the Age of Legends, despite the, ahem, legendary levels of technology available.
6. In addition to (5), canon is clear that there existed alternatives to space flight. When combined with the physical challenges of space travel, these alternatives could have obviated any draw towards the imagined goal of developing a space-faring civilisation.

Answer 2

TEOTW chapter 4 answers your question:

"Tell us about Lenn," Egwene called. "How he flew to the moon in the belly of an eagle made of fire. Tell about his daughter Salya walking among the stars."