Space Exploration Timeline

Treatise on the Motion of Rockets

Jan 1, 1813

First exposition of the rocket equation based on Newton's third law of motion
by William Moore
Country: UK

Launches first liquid fueled rocket

Mar 16, 1926

Launches first liquid fueled rocket
By Robert H. Goddard
Country: USA

V-2 rocket, military program

Oct 3, 1942

First vehicle to cross the Kármán line (100 km/~62 mi above the Earth's surface) and thereby enter outer space
Country: Germany

WAC Corporal

May 22, 1946

First U.S. deisgned rocket to reach edge of space
Country: USA

V-2

Feb 20, 1947

First animals in space (fruit flies)
Country: USA

Sputnik 2

Nov 3, 1957

Country: USSR
First animal in orbit, the dog Laika (picture to the left)

Luna 1

Jan 2, 1959

First detection of solar wind
Country: USSR

Explorer 6

Aug 7, 1959

First photograph of Earth from orbit
Country: USA

Vostok 6

Jun 16, 1963

First women in space (Valentina Tereshkova)
Country: USSR

Viking Lander

Jul 20, 1976

First photos and soil samples from surface of Mars
Country: USA

Voyager 1

Feb 14, 1990

First photograph of the whole solar system
Country: USA

Galileo

Dec 7, 1995

First orbit of Jupiter
Country: USA

MESSENGER

Mar 18, 2011

First orbit of Mercury
Country: USA

Voyager 1

Aug 25, 2012

First manmade probe in interstellar space.
Country: USA

Philae Lander, carried by Rosetta probe

Nov 12, 2014

First manmade probe to land on a comet part of the ESA Horizon 2000 cornerstone missions
Country: ESA