What factors enabled or motivated the Age of Exploration?

Question

I am teaching an upcoming lesson on Columbus.

I want to provide background for what conditions enabled the crossing, along with other similar expeditions in the early stages of the Age of Exploration. This means both motivating forces and changes to society that made these journeys feasible.

So far I have these items:

Previously, Europe was divided into many poor kingdoms. The kingdoms began to merge, so they had more capital pooled together necessary to fund risky and costly expeditions.
New sailing technologies made the journey possible. This meant they could return back home without being lost. This includes the cross staff, planisphere, astrolabe, compass, triangular sails, and rudder.
The Crusades and Marco Polo's book resulted in increased interest in buying Eastern goods.
Overland routes to the East took a long time and controlled by groups that charged tariffs.

Have I missed any element?

Welcome to History:Stack Exchange. Thank you for your question; please consider revising it to be more in line with our community expectations. Like many other stacks, we expect questions to provide evidence of prior research. That helps us to understand the question, and avoids our repeating work you've already done. Our [help], and other stacks provide additional resources to assist with revisions. — MCW, Sep 28 '20 at 17:11
I have a memory that this question may have been asked here - I don't have time right now, but you may be able to use the search interface for this site to expand your factors — MCW, Sep 28 '20 at 17:12
Does this answer your question? How significant was the Fall of Constantinople as an event leading to the Age of Exploration? — Pieter Geerkens, Sep 28 '20 at 17:26
I highly approve of what you're doing (particularly teaching at all). However this is essentially a list question, so I'm afraid its likely to be closed. Our format is designed around questions that can possibly have one correct answer. — T.E.D., Sep 28 '20 at 18:19
Of course my own pet theory about this has always been to tie it back to the Printing Press. Excerpt from an old answer: "Northern navigators had known about the "New World" for centuries. .. What was different was the the efficiency of press-copying. After about 1450, Knowledge could now be spread around European society an entire order of magnitude greater than in societies stuck with hand-copying their writings." — T.E.D., Sep 28 '20 at 18:22
Does not my list of four existing answers within my own question not prove prior research? — Village, Sep 28 '20 at 19:01

What factors enabled or motivated the Age of Exploration?

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