Space Exploration History

By RayKatz
  • Sputnik 1 launched.

    Sputnik 1 launched.

    Soviets shock the world by launching the first man-made satellite.
  • U.S. finally launches satellite.

    U.S. finally launches satellite.

    With the help of Werner von Braun, the U.S. launches Explorer 1. The satellite discovers the van Allen radiation belts.
  • Soviet probe photographs moon%u2019s far side.

    Soviet probe photographs moon%u2019s far side.

    In another impressive feat, the USSR's Luna 3 takes the first photo of the moon's far side.
  • Soviets send first man into space.

    Soviets send first man into space.

    Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes first man in space.
  • America first manned spaceflight.

    America first manned spaceflight.

    Alan Shepard becomes first Ameran in space with his sub-orbital Mercury mission.
  • First American in orbit.

    First American in orbit.

    John Glenn becomes orbits the earth in his Mercury spacecraft, Friendship 7.
  • First woman in space.

    First woman in space.

    In another first, the Soviets send the first woman into space. It would be 20 years before the U.S. send Sally Ride aboard a shuttle flight%u2014the first woman in space.
  • World%u2019s first space walk.

    World%u2019s first space walk.

    Alexei Leonov takes a historic stroll outside Voskhod 2 spacecraft.
  • American walks in space.

    American walks in space.

    Ed White steps outside into the void of space.
  • Gemini rendezvous.

    Gemini rendezvous.

    Wally Schirra pilot's Gemini 6 to a rendezvous in orbit with Gemini 7.
  • Surveyor lands on the moon.

    Surveyor lands on the moon.

    U.S. achives a lunar landing...albeit unmanned.
  • The Apollo 1 fire.

    The Apollo 1 fire.

    A fire at the launchpad during a test kills the Apollo 1 crew of Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee.
  • Soyuz fatality.

    Soyuz fatality.

    In the first flight of the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft, Cosmonaut Komorov dies as his craft plummets to the earth at high speed during re-entry.
  • First crew to orbit the moon.

    First crew to orbit the moon.

    Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders become the first people ever to orbit the moon, aboard Apollo 8.
  • Man on the moon.

    Man on the moon.

    The Apollo 11 crew acheives the first lunar landing, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the surface, while Michael Collins orbits above.
  • The Soviets space station disaster.

    The Soviets space station disaster.

    The first people to ever occupy a manned space station seems to have a successful mission. But, after nearly 24 days, the 3-man crew of Soyuz 11 returns...dead.
  • Apollo 13 (barely) returns home.

    Apollo 13 (barely) returns home.

    After a deadly explosion on the way to the moon, a loss of oxygen, and a host of other challenges, the Apollo 13 crew returns home.
  • America%u2019s Skylab repaired by crew.

    America%u2019s Skylab repaired by crew.

    Pete Conrad and crew fix the first U.S. space station%u2014Skylab%u2014and settle in for a stay.
  • American-Soviet space explorers meet in orbit.

    American-Soviet space explorers meet in orbit.

    The Apollo-Soyuz test project succeeds in a docking, in the first ever Soviet-American joint space mission.
  • Viking lands on Mars.

    Viking lands on Mars.

    Twin Viking spacecraft soft-land on the Martian surface and test for life. The first lands on America's bicentennial.
  • Shuttle era begins.

    Shuttle era begins.

    John Young commands STS-1, taking the shuttle Columbia out for its first test flight.
  • First American woman in space.

    First American woman in space.

    Aboard STS-7, Sally Ride is in orbit.
  • First untethered space walk.

    First untethered space walk.

    Bruce McCandless outside during STS-41B...floating free.
  • Challenger explodes on launch.

    Challenger explodes on launch.

    73 seconds after launch, shuttle Challenger explodes killing all 7 crew members, including the first teacher in space, Christa McAuliffe.
  • Hubble telescope launched.

    Hubble telescope launched.

    STS-61 lauches and the crew successfully repairs the Hubble space telescope...the first ever such "service" call.
  • End of 438 day mission.

    End of 438 day mission.

    Cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov returns from an amazing, record setting 438 day mission, aboard the space station Mir.
  • Glenn returns to space.

    Glenn returns to space.

    At 78, John Glenn returns to orbit...this time aboard the space shuttle.
  • Expedition One goes to ISS.

    Expedition One goes to ISS.

    The first crew goes to the International Space Station.
  • First private space traveller.

    First private space traveller.

    Dennis Tito rockets into orbit aboard Soyuz TM-32.
  • Columbia lost.

    Columbia lost.

    Shuttle Columbia is destroyed during re-entry, killing the crew of STS-107.
  • First Chinese manned flight.

    First Chinese manned flight.

    Shenzhou-5 lauches a Chinese "Taikonaut"%u2014Yang Liwie%u2014into orbit.
  • SpaceShipOne wins X-Prize.

    SpaceShipOne wins X-Prize.

    By successfully completing its second manned flight into space, SpaceShipOne wins the X-Prize...the first private manned spacecraft.