Connor's Space Exploration Timeline By s-cehlers Apr 17, 1958 Pioneer 0 launched Mar 12, 1961 First Venera mission launched Apr 12, 1961 Yuri Gagarin, first man in space, completes an Earth orbit Aug 20, 1975 Mars-bound Viking 1 launched Feb 5, 1977 Voyager 1 launched Apr 12, 1981 First space shuttle, Columbia, launches May 4, 1989 Magellan launched Oct 18, 1989 Galileo spacecraft launched Apr 24, 1990 Discovery lifts off with Hubble Space Telescope onboard Feb 12, 2001 N.E.A.R. Shoemaker lands on Eros Mar 23, 2001 The Russian Mir space station returns to Earth Jun 10, 2003 Spirit Mars Rover launched