Milkyway

The History of Space Exploration

By gefluharty
  • 140

    Ptolemy

    Ptolemy
    In the year 140, Ptolemy theorized that the Earth was the center of the universe. This is called Geocentric. (Ignore the month and day, I can't remove it)
  • May 29, 1543

    Copernicus

    Copernicus
    In 1543, Copernicus theorized that the sun was the center of the universe and the Earth and other planets revolved around it. This is Heliocentric. (Ignore the month and day, I can't delete it)

  • Galileo

    Galileo
    In 1609, Galileo used the telescope to observe mountains and craters on the moon and sunspots on the sun. (Ignore the month and day, I can't erase it)

  • Sputnick 1

    Sputnick 1
    Russia launches Sputnick 1, the first artificial sattilite, into space, ending the space race. The space race was when the United States and the Soviet Union were competing with eachother to see who could get into space first.

  • First Human to Orbit the Earth

    First Human to Orbit the Earth
    In April 1961, A russin cosmonaut named Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the earth.

  • First American in Space

    First American in Space
    On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard flew aboard the "Freedom 7" capsule, making him the first American in space.

  • Friendship 7

    Friendship 7
    This was the first american orbital mission. John Glenn, onboard Friendship 7, made it all the way around the earth in 4 hours, 55 minutes, and 28 seconds.

  • Gemini Program

    Gemini Program
    The Gemini Program was a capsule that held two people and was used to show that astronauts could live and work in space. This is when American astronauts first walked in space.

  • Saturn V

    Saturn V
    Nasa built the Saturn V(5) rocket to go to the moon. This is the rocket that was used in the apollo missions.

  • Apollo 11

    Apollo 11
    Apollo 11 was the mission that first landed people on the moon. It launched on July 16, 1969 and the first man walked on the moon on July 20, 1969. The first man to walk on the moon was Neil Armstrong, Commander of the mission. His crew was Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Command Module Pilot Micheal Collins. There were 5 Apollo missions to the moon following Apollo 11.

  • Pioneer 10

    Pioneer 10
    Pioneer 10 was launched on March 2, 1972. Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to see an outer planet, first to go through the astroid belt, and first to leave our solar system.

  • Skylab

    Skylab
    Skylab was the first space station. It was launched in 1973. Skylab is used for research. Scientists who work there are able to sleep, work, and live there.

  • Viking 1

    Viking 1
    Viking 1 was an unmanned mars robotic explorer sent to look at mars. It launched on August 20, 1975.

  • Voyager 2

    Voyager 2
    Voyager 2 launched August 20, 1977. Both Voyager 1&2 were sent to expand our knowledge of the outer planets.

  • Voyager 1

    Voyager 1
    Voyager 1 launched September 5, 1977. Both Voyager 1 and 2 were sent to expand our knowledge of the outher planets.

  • Columbia

    Columbia
    Columbia was the first space shuttle (reuseable spacecraft). Its first flight was April 12,1981. In total, Columbia had 28 flights from 1988-2002. Its last mission was servicing the Hubble Space Telescope.

  • Aristotle

    Aristotle
    In 384 BC, Aristotle also belived that the universe was geocentric. He theorized that the stars are just other suns far away and that our sun is much larger than the earth, it is just far away. (Ignore the month and date, I can't delete it. Also, THIS IS BC, but the website wont let me show that.