Timeline of rockets

By george_muscat
  • 1232

    Chinese invent fireworks

    The first true rocket is invented by the Chinese. Fire arrows are used against the Mongol invaders.

  • First multi-staged rocket

    German fireworks maker Johann Schmidlap invents the two-stage rocket to reach higher altitudes. A large skyrocket (first stage) carries a smaller rocket (second stage).

  • Newton’s laws of motion published

    Sir Isaac Newton publishes his book Principia, which contains his three laws of motion and lays the scientific foundations for modern rocketry.

  • Rocket revival

    Indian rockets used against the British catch the attention of Colonel William Congreve. Rockets are subsequently designed for military use by the British military.

  • Spin stabilisation invented

    Jet vents are designed on an angle, making the rocket spin, much like a bullet, making them more stable and accurate.

  • Space exploration proposed

    Russian schoolteacher Konstantin Tsiokovsky puts forward the idea of using rockets for space exploration. He suggests liquid propellants would gain greater range.

  • Successful liquid-propellant rocket

    American Robert H Goddard flies a rocket powered by liquid oxygen and gasoline. Goddard goes on to build bigger rockets and higher rockets.

  • V-2 rockets

    Ballistic missiles are developed by German engineers led by Wernher Von Braun during the Second World War. They burn a mixture of oxygen and alcohol at a rate of 1 ton every 7 seconds. This is the first rocket capable of reaching space.

  • First satellite – Sputnik 1

    The Soviet Union launches the first Earth-orbiting artificial satellite. This marks the first significant success of the space race between the world’s two superpowers.

  • NASA founded

    The United States formally organises its space programme and calls it National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

  • First man to orbit Earth

    Russian Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man to orbit Earth.

  • Moon landing

    Apollo 11 is the first space flight to land people on the Moon. Neil Armstrong is the first astronaut to set foot on the Moon. 12 astronauts walk on the Moon during 6 missions. Ed Cernan is the last man to step foot on the Moon in 1972.

  • First Space Shuttle launch

    NASA launches its first Space Shuttle. These are designed as reusable vehicles that would increase accessibility to orbit. Space Shuttles have been used to place many satellites into orbit and to construct the International Space Station. The final space shuttle was launched in July 2011.