15 "firsts" of space history

First Telescope

Jan 1, 1609

Gallileo made the first telescope

First telescope with curved mirrors

Jan 1, 1668

Sir Isaac Newton made first telescope with curved mirrors instead of lenses.

First liquid fueled rocket

Mar 26, 1926

The first liquid fueled rocket was four feet tall and reached 60 miles per hour.

NASA launches their first rocket in space

May 22, 1946

The rocket was called the Wac Corporal

First animals in space

Feb 20, 1947

Fruit flies inside vials were brought into space

First live animal in space

Nov 3, 1957

Laika, a dog, was brought into space to see if animals could survive.

First American satellite

Jan 31, 1958

Explorer 1 was brought into space

First American in space

May 5, 1961

Alan Shepard was the first American astronaut in space

Moon walk

Jul 20, 1969

Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon

First orbital space station

Apr 19, 1971

Russians launch Salyut 1

First space shuttle launched

May 12, 1981

Columbia was launched

First American woman in space

Jun 18, 1983

First comet and space probe impact

Jul 4, 2005

First dust collected from a comet

Jan 15, 2006

First man made craft to orbit an asteroid

Jul 16, 2011

Dawn spacecraft