15 "Firsts" of Space History

  • Galileo's invention

    Galileo's invention
    Galileo invented the first astronomical telescope in 1609.
  • Period: to

    1609-1956

  • Halley's Comet

    Halley's Comet
    Halley's Comet is first discovered by Edmond Halley.
  • Scientific Geology

    Scientific Geology
    James Hutton combines science and geology.
  • Swallowed Matter

    Black Holes to swallow matter are first considered.
  • Kuiper Belt

    Gerard Kuiper discovers the Kuiper Belt.
  • Period: to

    1957-1980

  • First Man in Space

    First Man in Space
    First man ever in space from Russia named Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin.
  • Mars

    Mars
    First close up image of Mars captured, showing the planet's canals.
  • First Spacecraft on the Moon

    Being a Russian spacecraft Luna 9 was the first spacecraft to land on the Moon successfully.
  • Manned Moon Landing

    Being called Apollo 11 th mission to have the first two men land on the moon- Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin Jr.
  • First Landing on Venus

    The Soviet Venera was the first probe to ever make a successful land on Venus sending back very few pictures.
  • Period: to

    1981-Present Day

  • First Venus Soil Samples

    First Venus Soil Samples
    The Soviet Venera 13 Spacecraft sends back the first breakdown of Venus' soil.
  • First American Woman in Space

    First American Woman in Space
    Sally K. Ride becomes the first American woman to travel into space on Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-7.
  • First Asteroid Landing

    The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous spacecraft wasn't planned to land on the asteroid but as it was running out of fuel, it became a last minute idea bringing us some new pictures of an asteroids surface.
  • First Impact with a Comet

    The Deep impact slams into a comet after its 174 day mission in space. It had captured images of the impact and analyzed the debris.
  • First Spacecraft to Orbit a Comet

    European's Rosetta space probe becomes the first space probe to enter orbit around a comet. The spacecraft sends back high-resolution images of the comet's surface showing steep 490-foot (150-meter) cliffs and huge boulders.