Space Exploration Timeline

First rocket made

Nov 21, 1931

First military liquid-fueled rocket engines were developed

First vehicle above Earth's surface

Oct 3, 1942

First vehicle to cross the Kármán line (100 km/~62 mi above the Earth's surface) or in other words; enter outer space

First rocket to the edge of space

May 22, 1946

First U.S.-designed rocket to make it to the outer edge of space

First picture of Earth

Oct 24, 1946

First pictures of earth from 105 km (65 mi) away

First signals

Oct 4, 1957

First signs or signals from space

First rocket into Earth's orbit

Jan 2, 1959

First rocket to make it into Earth’s orbit

First satellite

Jan 4, 1959

First satellite to actually reach the Moon

First picture from orbit

Aug 7, 1959

First picture of Earth from it’s orbit

First time to another world

Sep 13, 1959

First time making it into another world, the Moon

First picture of the far side

Oct 4, 1959

First pictures of far side of the Moon that we don’t ever see

First time to the ateroid belt

Jul 15, 1972

First time making it to the asteroid belt and leave the inner solar system

First time beyond Neptune's orbit

Jun 13, 1983

First spacecraft to make it past or beyond the orbit of Neptune

First time to a gas giant

Dec 7, 1995

First time going into the atmosphere of the gas giant: Jupiter

First landing on asteroid

Feb 12, 2001

First time landing on an asteroid

First time into Saturn's orbit

Jul 1, 2004

First time going into the orbit of Saturn