Space exploration By zjburger Period: Jan 1, 1609 to Nov 20, 2014 Space Exploartion Timeline Space Exploartion Timeline Jan 1, 1687 Isacc Newton publishes the Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica Mar 16, 1926 Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket Oct 3, 1942 first vehicle to cross the Kármán line (100 km/~62 mi above the Earth's surface) and thereby enter outer space (Germany) with the V2 rocket May 22, 1946 First U.S.-designed rocket to reach edge of space Oct 24, 1946 First pictures of earth from 105 km Aug 21, 1957 First intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Apr 12, 1961 First human-crewed orbital flight Mar 7, 1962 First orbital solar observatory Dec 14, 1962 First planetary flyby by USA (Venus closest approach 34,773 kilometers) Jul 19, 1963 First reusable crewed spacecraft Jan 25, 1983 First Infrared orbital observatory Aug 25, 1989 First Neptune flyby (closest approach at 29,240 km) Jul 1, 2004 First orbit of saturn Aug 25, 2012 First manmade probe in interstellar space. Nov 12, 2014 First probe to land on a comet