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Galileo is first to use a telescope to study stars.
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Galileo discovers the moons of Jupiter.
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Newton discovers the composition of light
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Halley's Comet appears
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Isaac Newton presents his theory of optics
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Hutton starts scientific geology
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William Herschel discovers infrared rays
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Alessandro Volta produces electricity and invents the battery, the first source of current, advancing the study of electricity and magnetism.
The volt is named in his honor. -
First man made object in orbit
Sputnik 1 the first man made object to get into orbit was put out by the USSR and stayed in orbit untill 1/4/1958 -
First animal in orbit
Sputnik 2 carried the first animal, a dog named Laika for 7 days it was launched by the USSR -
First USA satellite in orbit
Explorer 1 lifts off at Cape Canaveral. It carries a scientific experiment of James A. Van Allen, and discovers the Earth's radiation belt. -
Explorer 2
Launches and fails to reach orbit. Sent out by the USA -
Luna 1
first man-made satellite to orbit the moon, is launched by the U.S.S.R -
Tiros 1
the first successful weather satellite, is launched by the U.S -
Vostok 2
launched by the U.S.S.R., carrying Gherman Titov, the first day-long Soviet space flight. -
Mercury Friendship 7
John H. Glenn, Jr., the first American in orbit, and orbits the Earth three times. -
Ranger 7
US relays the first close-range photographs of the Moon. -
Mariner 4
US returns the first close-range images about Mars. -
Luna 9
Soviet is the first spacecraft to soft-land on the moon. -
Apollo 11
Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, Jr. make the first manned soft landing on the Moon, and the first moonwalk. US -
Columbia
The first manned mission of the Space Transportation System is launched. US -
Venera 13
Venera 13 lands on Venus, and provides the first Venusian soil analysis. US -
Challenger
The space shuttle lifts off for its first mission and has the first American space walk in nine years. Crew: Paul Weitz, Karol Bobko, Donald Peterson, and Story Musgrave. US -
Challenger
Bruce McCandless takes the first untethered space walk using MMU from the space shuttle. US -
Atlantis
The fourth space shuttle Atlantis takes off on its first mission. Crew: Karol J. Bobko, Ronald J. Grabe, Robert A. Stewart, David C. Hilmers, and William A. Pailes. US -
Challenger explodes
explodes shortly after liftoff US -
Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off on a 10-day mission, its 24th and the last shuttle docking with Mir. US -
International Space Station, Zarya
1st part of ISS launched on a Russian rocket. This Russian built, U.S. financed module provides communications, electrical power, and attitude control for the station until the arrival of the third module. Both Russia and US -
Endeavour
12 day mission to the ISS. They install the first set of ISS's solar panels and radiators for removing heat. US -
Soyuz spacecraft TM-32
lifts off for the ISS with the first space tourist, business executive Dennis Tito, who pays the Russians $20 million for the ride. Russia
