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First Telescope Built
Hans Lipperhey, a German and Dutch spectacle-maker created the first refracting telescope using two lenses. His invention inspired Galileo Galilei to make many improvements to the telescope later that same year. (fig. an illustration of one of Galileo's telescopes) -
First Reflecting Telescope Built
Issac Newton, an English physicist and mathematician, created the first reflecting telescope using mirrors instead of lenses to preserve the color of objects being viewed. (fig. Newton's telescope) -
First Planet Discovered
William Herschel, a German astronomer and composer, discovered Uranus using a Newtonian telescope while searching for double stars. All other planets that were known of at the time could be seen by the human eye, so this was the first time a planet was properly discovered. (fig. Uranus) -
First Successful Flight
Orville and Wilbur Wright, American inventors and aviation pioneers, launched the first controlled, successful flight. Orville piloted the first powered airplane, and flew about 120 feet at 6.8 mph. Their achievement would pave the way for future flight, including that to space. (fig. the Wright brother's flight) -
First Artificial Earth Satellite
The Sputnik 1 was launched into Earth's orbit by the Soviet Union, it consisted of a metal sphere with four connected radio antenna. This event triggered the start of the space race between Russia and the United States. (fig. the Sputnik 1) -
First Man Made Object On a Celestial Body
The Luna 2, a spherical spacecraft connected to antennas and other instruments launched by the Soviet Union, successfully landed on the Moon. This was the first time a man made object had impacted an astronomical object. (fig. the Luna 2) -
First Man in Space
Russian Soviet pilot, Yuri Gagarin, orbited Earth on the Vostok 1 spacecraft. The flight took 108 minutes, and when it concluded Yuri parachuted to the ground separate from the Vostok 1. (fig, Gagarin in space suit) -
First Spacewalk
Russian cosmonaut, Alexey Leonov, took a 12 minute space walk on the 1 day 2 hour Voskhod mission, which orbited the Earth 17 times. The mission had a two man crew of Leonov and Pavel Belyayev. (fig. Leonov on spacewalk) -
First Moon Landing
The 3 man Apollo 11 mission, including Neil Armstrong Micheal Collins, and Buzz Aldrin and conducted by NASA was the first time man landed on a celestial object. Armstrong and Aldrin spent over 2 hours on the surface collecting lunar material, while Collins stayed inside the Lunar Module. (Fig. Armstrong on the Moon with the Lunar Module) -
First Space Station
Russian space station Salyut 1 was in orbit for 175 days before it was intentionally destroyed, as it ran out of fuel. It was occupied for 23 of those days by the Soyuz 11 crew. The Soyuz 10 crew which was originally meant to occupy it, but they had docking problems and returned to Earth without entering the station. (fig. artist's rendering of the Salyut 1) -
First Space Shuttle
The Columbia space shuttle became the first of a series to be launched by NASA. The Columbia shuttle completed 28 missions and held 160 crew members before it disintegrated on reentry during a 2003 mission. (Fig. Columbia taking off) -
First Untethered Spacewalk
During the STS-41-B mission Bruce McCandless and Robert Stewart made an untethered spacewalk to test the Manned Maneuvering Unit, McCandless moved 230 feet from the spacecraft. (Fig. McCandless on untethered space walk) -
First Major Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope was launched by NASA, has since had 5 servicing missions and provided great insight into the cosmos. (Fig. Hubble Space Telescope) -
First Rover on Mars
The Sojourner rover landed on Mars with the Mars Pathfinder, and was planned to last 7 sols, but continued for 83 sols. (Fig. Sojourner) -
First Tourist in Space
Dennis Tito is and American engineer who spent almost 20 million dollars to fund his own spaceflight. He was taken to the ISS for nearly 8 days by Russian spacecraft. (fig. Tito)
