Space timeline.

Oct 4, 1957

First Earth orbiter
Period: Oct 4, 1957 to Dec 31, 2030

Space exploration
Jan 2, 1959

First lunar flyby
Sep 12, 1959

First lunar impact
Oct 4, 1959

first images of far side of Moon
Apr 12, 1961

First manned Earth orbiter
Aug 27, 1962

First successful Venus flyby and first successful planetary encounter
Nov 28, 1964

First Mars flyby
Jan 31, 1966

first lunar lander
Mar 31, 1966

31 March 1966 – First lunar orbiter
Jun 12, 1967

First Venus atmospheric probe
Sep 15, 1968

First lunar flyby and return to Earth
Dec 21, 1968

First manned lunar orbiter
Jun 16, 1969

First manned lunar Landing
Aug 17, 1970

First Venus lander
Sep 12, 1970

First robotic lunar sample return
Nov 10, 1970

First lunar rover
May 19, 1971

Mars orbiter and attempted lander; first Mars impact
May 28, 1971

Mars orbiter, first Mars lander (short-lived) and first Mars atmospheric probe
May 30, 1971

First Mars orbiter
Jul 26, 1971

first manned lunar rover
Mar 3, 1972

First Jupiter flyby
Apr 5, 1973

first Saturn flyby
Nov 4, 1973

Venus flyby and first Mercury flyby
Jun 8, 1975

First Venus orbiter and lander; first images from surface of Venus
Aug 20, 1975

Mars orbiter and lander; first long-lived lander and first pictures from Martian surface
Jan 15, 1976

Closest solar approach
Aug 20, 1977

first Uranus/first Neptune flyby
Sep 1, 1977

first to leave Solar System and farthest human-made object - currently more than 110 AU
Aug 12, 1978

First comet flyby
Oct 18, 1989

Venus flyby, first Asteroid flyby, first Asteroid moon discovery, first Jupiter orbiter/atmospheric probe/largest moons flybys
Feb 17, 1996

Eros orbiter, first near-Earth asteroid flyby, first asteroid orbit and first asteroid landing
Dec 4, 1996

Mars lander and first Mars rover
Oct 15, 1997

First Saturn orbiter and first Titan lander

First Earth orbiter

Space exploration

First lunar flyby

First lunar impact

first images of far side of Moon

First manned Earth orbiter

First successful Venus flyby and first successful planetary encounter

First Mars flyby

first lunar lander

31 March 1966 – First lunar orbiter

First Venus atmospheric probe

First lunar flyby and return to Earth

First manned lunar orbiter

First manned lunar Landing

First Venus lander

First robotic lunar sample return

First lunar rover

Mars orbiter and attempted lander; first Mars impact

Mars orbiter, first Mars lander (short-lived) and first Mars atmospheric probe

First Mars orbiter

first manned lunar rover

First Jupiter flyby

first Saturn flyby

Venus flyby and first Mercury flyby

First Venus orbiter and lander; first images from surface of Venus

Mars orbiter and lander; first long-lived lander and first pictures from Martian surface

Closest solar approach

first Uranus/first Neptune flyby

first to leave Solar System and farthest human-made object - currently more than 110 AU

First comet flyby

Venus flyby, first Asteroid flyby, first Asteroid moon discovery, first Jupiter orbiter/atmospheric probe/largest moons flybys

Eros orbiter, first near-Earth asteroid flyby, first asteroid orbit and first asteroid landing

Mars lander and first Mars rover

First Saturn orbiter and first Titan lander