Timeline of Space Exploration

By ae20640
  • First Telescope

    First Telescope

    The first spotting of the moon through a telescope by Galileo Galilei

  • Kármán Line

    First vehicle to cross the Kármán line and thereby enter outer space

  • Space research

    First space research flight
  • First U.S. designed rocket

    First U.S. designed rocket

    First U.S. designed rocket to reach the edge of space, five months later sending the first pictures of Earth from 105 km

  • First animals in space

    First animals launched into space (fruit flies) by the U.S.
  • First dog

    First dog

    First animal launched into orbit, dog named Laika launched by USSR and did not return alive

  • First Photos of the far side of the moon

    First photos of another world from space: The far side of the Moon USSR
  • First human on the moon

    First human on the moon

    First human on the Moon and first space launch from a celestial body
    First sample return from the Moon USA (NASA)

  • First Multicultural Mission

    First multinational manned mission USSR USA (NASA)

  • First Photos

    First photos and soil samples from the surface of Mars USA (NASA)

  • First Reusable Spacecraft

    First Reusable manned spacecraft (orbital) USA (NASA)

  • First Soil Sample

    First Venus soil samples & sound recording of another world USSR
  • First Unteathered Spacewalk

    First Unteathered Spacewalk

    First untethered spacewalk, Bruce McCandless II USA (NASA)

  • Longest Sapce Flight

    Record longest duration spaceflight (437.7 days) set by Valeri Polyakov Russia (FKA)
  • First food grown in space

    First food grown in space

    Lettuce was the first food eaten that was grown in space. USA (NASA) Japan (JAXA)