Space exploration

First Earth orbiter

Oct 4, 1957

First luner flyby

Jan 2, 1959

First luner impact

Jun 12, 1959

First images of far side of the moon

Oct 4, 1959

First manned Earth orbit

Apr 12, 1961

First successful Venus flyby

Aug 27, 1962

First Mars flyby

Nov 28, 1964

First Venus impact

Nov 16, 1965

First manned luner orbit

Dec 21, 1968

First manned luner landing

Jul 16, 1969

First Venus lander

Aug 17, 1970

First robotic lunar sample return

Sep 12, 1970

First Jupiter flyby

Mar 3, 1972

First Saturn flyby

Apr 5, 1973

First Venus orbiter

Jun 8, 1975

Closest solar approach

Jan 15, 1976

First comet flyby

Aug 12, 1978

first near-Earth asteroid flyby

Feb 7, 1996

First Saturn orbiter

Aug 25, 1997

First comet coma sample return

Feb 7, 1999