Timeline: Timeline of NASA

Jun 14, 1949

Space Monkey

The first monkey to be sent successfully into space was Albert II, a male rhesus monkey. Lead to death of the monkey.

Dec 24, 1950

1950s Jet propulsions

A newly designed spray system in the Icing Research Tunnel creates real-world test conditions.

Dec 24, 1953

1950s jet propulsions

Lewis conducts full-scale crash tests on twin-engine cargo planes. Motion picture films of the crashes contribute to an understanding of aircraft (and eventually spacecraft) safety.

Dec 24, 1954

1950s jet propulsions

Liquid hydrogen/fluorine regeneratively cooled rocket engine developed at Lewis.

Dec 24, 1955

1950s - Jet Propulsion

Neil Armstrong begins his career at Lewis as a NACA test pilot. And the 10x10 Supersonic Wind Tunnel was completed.

Oct 4, 1957

Sputnik 1

Rocket: Sputnik
Manufacturer: S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia

Nov 3, 1957

Space Dog

First animal in space;dog Laika.

Dec 6, 1957

Vanguard TV3

Attempted Earth Orbiter (Launch Failure)

Dec 24, 1957

1950s - Jet Propulsion

A Mecury escape capsule is tested in the Altitude Wind Tunnel. And the Rocket Engine Test Facility is completed.

Feb 1, 1958

Explorer 1

Earth Orbiter

Dec 24, 1958

1950s - Jet Propulsion

Lewis Lab renamed Lewis Research Center (LeRC) as it becomes part of the newly established NASA and begins making major contributions to manned space flight.

Nov 26, 1959

Pioneer P-3

Attempted Lunar Orbiter (Launch Failure)

Aug 19, 1960

Soviet launch

Soviet launch carried two dogs and the first rabbit into space

May 5, 1961

Mercury Redstone 3

Earth Suborbital (Shepard)

Jul 21, 1961

Mercury Redstone 4

Earth Suborbital (Grissom)

Feb 20, 1962

Mercury Atlas 6

Earth Orbiter (Glenn)

May 24, 1962

Mercury Atlas 7

Earth Orbiter (Carpenter)

Oct 3, 1962

Mercury Atlas 8

Earth Orbiter (Schirra)

May 15, 1963

Mercury Atlas 9

Earth Orbiter (Cooper)

Mar 23, 1965

Gemini 3

Earth Orbiter (Grissom, Young)

Jun 24, 1965

Gemini 4

Earth Orbiter (McDivitt, White)

Aug 21, 1965

Gemini 5

Earth Orbiter (Cooper, Conrad)

Dec 4, 1965

Gemini 7

Earth Orbiter (Borman, Lovell)

Dec 15, 1965

Gemini 6A

Earth Orbiter (Schirra, Stafford)

Mar 16, 1966

Gemini 8

Earth Orbiter (Armstrong, Scott)

Jun 3, 1966

Gemini 9A

Earth Orbiter (Stafford, Cernan)

Jul 18, 1966

Gemini 10

Earth Orbiter (Young, Collins)

Sep 12, 1966

Gemini 11

Earth Orbiter (Conrad, Gordon)

Nov 11, 1966

Gemini 12

Earth Orbiter (Lovell, Aldrin)

Feb 21, 1967

Gus Grissom

Space missions: Gemini 3, Apollo 1, Mercury-Redstone 4
First space flight: Mercury-Redstone 4
Lieutenant Colonel Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom was one of the original NASA Project Mercury astronauts

Oct 11, 1968

Apollo 7

Earth Orbiter (Schirra, Eisele, Cunningham)

Dec 21, 1968

Apollo 8

Lunar Orbiter (Borman, Lovell, Anders)

Mar 3, 1969

Apollo 9

Earth Orbiter (McDivitt, Scott, Schweikart)

May 18, 1969

Apollo 10

Lunar Orbiter (Stafford, Young, Cernan)

Jul 16, 1969

Apollo 11

Lunar Landing (Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins)

Jul 24, 1969

Neil Armstrong

Space missions: Gemini 8, Apollo 11
Quotes
That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand.
Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed. Neil Alden Armstrong was an American astronaut and the first person to walk on the Moon. He was also an aerospace engineer, naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor.

Apr 11, 1970

Apollo 13

Lunar flyby and return malfunction forced cancellation of lunar landing returned to Earth April 17, 1970.

Feb 9, 1971

Alan Shepard

Space missions: Mercury-Redstone 3, Apollo 14

Jul 26, 1971

Apollo 15

Landed on the Moon July 30, 1971
Hadley Rille
Returned to Earth August 7, 1971

Dec 7, 1972

Apollo 17

Landed on the Moon December 11, 1972.
Taurus-Littrow
Retured to Earth December 19, 1972.

Aug 20, 1977

The Voyager 2

The Titan rocket lifts into space to start the "Grand Tour" of the outer plants.

Feb 14, 1980

Launch of SolarMax

The Solar Maximum Mission, or "SolarMax," was lofted into space by a Delta rocket Feb. 14, 1980, embarking on a flight to study our sun during the peak of the solar cycle.

Dec 24, 1980

1980s - The Shuttle Era Begins

Research and Analysis Center completed.

Dec 24, 1981

1980s - The Shuttle Era Begin

First space shuttle launched using technology developed by Lewis

Dec 24, 1982

1980s - The Shuttle Era Begins

Andrew J. Stofan named Director; later aquires responsibility for Work Package 4 for Space Station Freedom, the complete electrical power system.

Dec 24, 1986

1980s - The Shuttle Era Begins

John M. Klineberg named Center Director. Shuttle/Centaur project is cancelled within months of launching the Galileo spacecraft to Jupiter after the Challenger accident.

Dec 24, 1987

1980s - The Shuttle Era Begins

NASA Lewis and the Advanced Turboprop Program team win the prestigious Collier Trophy for the for the development of a new fuel-efficient turboprop propulsion system.

Jan 9, 1990