Space exploration

By David Pedrero
  • V2 Launch

    V2 Launch

    First launch of a rocket-powered missile by Nazi Germany for military purposes.
  • First Satellite in Orbit: Sputnik I

    First Satellite in Orbit: Sputnik I

    The USSR begins the space race by putting the first satellite into orbit
  • First living animal to orbit the Earth

    First living animal to orbit the Earth

    The USSR launches Laika (a dog) into space in the Sputnik II.
  • Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space

    Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space

    The USSR launches the first human into space, taking advantage in the space race.
  • Valentina Tereshkova, first woman in space

    Valentina Tereshkova, first woman in space

    The USSR took a step towards equality by sending the first woman into space. The US took 20 years longer to send a woman into space.
  • Neil Armstrong, first human on the Moon

    Neil Armstrong, first human on the Moon

    The US takes the lead in the space race for the first time, landing the first two humans on the lunar surface (Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin). Michael Collins remained on the Apollo 11 spacecraft.
  • Apollo 13, the first space odyssey

    Apollo 13, the first space odyssey

    Apollo 13 was the first space mission, plagued by numerous problems and becoming a story of survival.
  • Salyut I

    Salyut I

    The first space station in orbit, launched by the USSR, remained in space for 6 months until it disintegrated in a controlled manner upon entering the atmosphere.
  • End of the Space Race: US vs. USSR

    End of the Space Race: US vs. USSR

    Docking between Apollo 18 and Soyuz 19, ending the competition between the US and the USSR and beginning a period of collaboration.
  • Viking I, first landing on Mars

    Viking I, first landing on Mars

    The Viking I space probe (USA) reaches Mars and lands on its surface, becoming the first mission to land on another planet.
  • Voyager 1 Launch

    Voyager 1 Launch

    The Voyager 1 and 2 space probes are the farthest man-made objects from Earth, having traveled beyond the limits of the Solar System. They continue to transmit signals back to Earth to this day.
  • Ariane I Launch

    Ariane I Launch

    The first launch of the Ariane I, marking Europe's first step into space exploration.
  • First Space Shuttle Flight

    First Space Shuttle Flight

    Launch of Columbia, the first space shuttle. Humanity dreams of spacecraft that will travel to and from space again and again.
  • MIR Space Station

    MIR Space Station

    The USSR launched the MIR space station into orbit. This station orbited the Earth until 2001.
  • Challenger Launch Explosion

    Challenger Launch Explosion

    Explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, carrying 7 astronauts, being the biggest space tragedy up to that time.
  • The Hubble Space Telescope enters orbit

    The Hubble Space Telescope enters orbit

    The Hubble Space Telescope, the most powerful telescope ever created by humankind until the James Webb Space Telescope in 2021, enters Earth orbit. Spectacular images of distant galaxies begin to arrive.
  • First module of the International Space Station (ISS)

    First module of the International Space Station (ISS)

    The Russian Zarya module, the first module of the International Space Station, was launched into orbit and remains in space to this day. The ISS is a research laboratory and a home in space orbiting the Earth, the result of NASA and Roscosmos collaboration. It has been continuously crewed since 2000, with astronauts conducting scientific experiments in microgravity.
  • Space Shuttle Columbia Disintegration

    Space Shuttle Columbia Disintegration

    Another space shuttle accident. The Columbia disintegrated upon atmospheric reentry with 7 astronauts on board.
  • Last Flight of the Space Shuttles

    Last Flight of the Space Shuttles

    An era of space exploration comes to an end. NASA closes the Space Shuttle program due to its high cost and accident rate. From that moment on, only Russia is capable of sending astronauts into space. NASA regained its ability to send astronauts into space in 2020 with the first crewed flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. A few years earlier, several private companies, working in partnership with NASA, had emerged as major players in space exploration.
  • Perseverance lands on Mars

    Perseverance lands on Mars

    Following Curiosity, another Martian rover, Perseverance, landed on Mars. It is the most advanced to date and has proven the existence of water on Mars.
  • The James Webb Space Telescope enters orbit

    The James Webb Space Telescope enters orbit

    The Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful space telescope ever created by humankind, enters Earth orbit. It allows us to gain an unprecedented understanding of the Universe.