Space Timeline

Mar 16, 1926

Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
Aug 17, 1933

Group for the Study of Reactive Motion (GIRD) launches the first Soviet liquid-fueled rocket
Oct 3, 1942

First vehicle to cross the Kármán line (100 km/~62 mi above the Earth's surface) and thereby enter outer space
May 10, 1946

First space research flight (cosmic radiation experiments)
May 22, 1946

First U.S.-designed rocket to reach edge of space (80 km (49 mi)
Oct 24, 1946

First pictures of earth from 105 km (65 mi)
Feb 20, 1947

First animals in space (fruit flies)
Aug 21, 1957

First intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
Oct 4, 1957

First artificial satellite, first signals from space
Nov 3, 1957

First animal in orbit (the dog Laika)
Jan 31, 1958

USA’s first artificial satellite
Jan 4, 1959

First human-made object to orbit the Sun (USSR)
Sep 13, 1959

First impact into another planet or moon (theMoon) (USSR)
Apr 12, 1961

First manned spaceflight and first manned orbitalflight (Yuri Gagarin) (USSR)
May 5, 1961

USA’s first spaceflight with humans (Alan Shepherd) (USA)
Feb 20, 1962

USA’s first orbital flight with humans (JohnGlenn) (USA)
Dec 14, 1962

First planetary flyby (Venus) (USA)
Jun 16, 1963

First woman in space, first woman in orbit (Valentina Tereshkova)
Mar 18, 1965

First extra-vehicular activity ("spacewalk") (Aleksei Leonov)
Feb 3, 1966

First soft landing on another planet or moon (the Moon), first photos from another world
Mar 1, 1966

First impact into another planet (Venus)
Apr 3, 1966

First artificial satellite around another world (the Moon)
Jun 2, 1966

USA's first soft landing on the Moon, USA's first photos from the Moon
Dec 21, 1968

First humans to orbit another world (the Moon) (James Lovell, Frank Borman, Bill Anders)
Jul 21, 1969

First humans on the Moon (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin)
Apr 12, 1981

First Reusable manned spacecraft (orbital)
Mar 1, 1982

First Venus soil samples & sound recording of another world
Jun 13, 1983

First spacecraft beyond the orbit of Neptune (first spacecraft to pass beyond all Solar System planets)
Feb 7, 1984

First untethered spacewalk, Bruce McCandless II
Feb 8, 1992

First polar orbit around the Sun
Dec 7, 1995

First mission into the atmosphere of a gas giant (Jupiter)
Feb 12, 2001

First landing on an asteroid
Mar 6, 2009

Kepler Mission is launched, first space telescope designated to search for Earth-like exoplanets
Jun 13, 2010

First sample return from asteroid
Jul 18, 2011

Radio orbital observatory. Largest space observatory ever launched.

Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket

Group for the Study of Reactive Motion (GIRD) launches the first Soviet liquid-fueled rocket

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

First space research flight (cosmic radiation experiments)

First U.S.-designed rocket to reach edge of space (80 km (49 mi)

First pictures of earth from 105 km (65 mi)

First animals in space (fruit flies)

First intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)

First artificial satellite, first signals from space

First animal in orbit (the dog Laika)

USA’s first artificial satellite

First human-made object to orbit the Sun (USSR)

First impact into another planet or moon (theMoon) (USSR)

First manned spaceflight and first manned orbitalflight (Yuri Gagarin) (USSR)

USA’s first spaceflight with humans (Alan Shepherd) (USA)

USA’s first orbital flight with humans (JohnGlenn) (USA)

First planetary flyby (Venus) (USA)

First woman in space, first woman in orbit (Valentina Tereshkova)

First extra-vehicular activity ("spacewalk") (Aleksei Leonov)

First soft landing on another planet or moon (the Moon), first photos from another world

First impact into another planet (Venus)

First artificial satellite around another world (the Moon)

USA's first soft landing on the Moon, USA's first photos from the Moon

First humans to orbit another world (the Moon) (James Lovell, Frank Borman, Bill Anders)

First humans on the Moon (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin)

First Reusable manned spacecraft (orbital)

First Venus soil samples & sound recording of another world

First spacecraft beyond the orbit of Neptune (first spacecraft to pass beyond all Solar System planets)

First untethered spacewalk, Bruce McCandless II

First polar orbit around the Sun

First mission into the atmosphere of a gas giant (Jupiter)

First landing on an asteroid

Kepler Mission is launched, first space telescope designated to search for Earth-like exoplanets

First sample return from asteroid

Radio orbital observatory. Largest space observatory ever launched.