Space

History of Space Exploration

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    Space Exploration

  • Spudnik is Launched

    Spudnik is Launched
    The Spudnik launched because they wanted more knowledge about space.
  • First Pioneer Program sent to space

    First Pioneer Program sent to space
    The Pioneers were sent to planets, and planned to go to the sun. Scientists did this to find out more about space.It is also a part of the space race between America and the Soviet Union. All thirteen missons were unmanned.
  • First Venera Probe is launched

    First Venera Probe is launched
    This program was launched by the Soviet Union. They were all unmanned spacecrafts. There were 16 total missions to Venus. They discovered that Venus is similar to earth in it's geography. The main reason this misson was launched was because of the Space Race with the U.S.A. The probes were the first to land on another planet. These missions continued for another 20 years.
  • Gemini is Launched

    Gemini is Launched
    Gemini was sent out to train and give experience to future astronauts
  • Mercury Spacecraft is Launched

    Mercury Spacecraft is Launched
    Mercury was the first human space flight. It was made to put the first human(s) around the earth, and beat the Soviet Union in the Space Race.
  • Mariner Program; first probe is sent out

    Mariner Program; first probe is sent out
    NASA was mostly involved. The programs send out probes to orbit many different planets, where they looked at proof of life on the planets, though they found very little. There were many different probes that went to different planets. They took some of the first close up pictures of planets, including Venus, Mars, etc.
  • Mariner 5 is sent

    Mariner 5 is sent
    This probe was said to be one of the first sucsessful Mariner missons. It went to mostly Venus.They are planning the make Mariner 11 and 12 in the future.
  • Viking 1 is launched

    Viking 1 is launched
    NASA was the main contributer to this project. The Viking Probes took the first HD pictures of Mars. As a result, we learned more about Mars. They found out hings like what materials are on mars, its atmosphere, and that Mars might have had water in tha past.
  • Viking 2 is launched

    Viking 2 is launched
    Viking two is sent out shortly after Viking one.
  • Viking 2 reaches Mars

    Viking 2 reaches Mars
    Viking 2 reaches Mars on August 7th, 1976.
  • Voyager 1 Probe is launched, Voyager 2 soon follows

    Voyager 1 Probe is launched, Voyager 2 soon follows
    The Voyagers were a series of unmanned probest that went to space. NASA was the main contributer to the project. Voyager 1 is the first man-made object to travel space. Both Voyagers were sent to learn about things in space, and took many pictures that were sent back to earth. It is one of the longest operating mission in space.
  • Pioneer Program's last mission

    Pioneer Program's last mission
    This was the Pioneer program's last mission
  • Space Shuttles' first launch

    Space Shuttles' first launch
    Comissioned by NASA
    The shuttles are very large, and America is the first that made reuseable space shuttles. A group of people are sent to live and study in the International Space Station.
  • Galieo Spacecraft is Launched

    Galieo Spacecraft is Launched
    Galieo was made to orbit and study Jupiter, and the first to encounter a astroid. They studied the weather activity and Jupiter's moons.
  • Magellan Spacecraft is Launched

    Magellan Spacecraft is Launched
    The Magellan Spacecraft is launched on Cape Canveral, Florida. Magellan is sent out to find out more about Venus, and take topographical maps of Venus' surface. Scientists found that Venus had lots of flat volcanos, but no tectonic plates. Venus also had a dense atmosphere, no magnetic field, and no moons.
  • Hubble Telescope is launched

    Hubble Telescope is launched
    This is a telescope that was made to take pictures of space. It made many discoveries and took many pictures. The telescope helped scientists stufy space. It orbits around the earth.
  • Galieo Spacecraft becomes the first to orbit Jupiter

    Galieo Spacecraft becomes the first to orbit Jupiter
    On this day, Galieo became the first to orbit Jupiter. Galieo took many pictures and records that helped scientists.
  • N.E.A.R. Mission Begins Launch

    N.E.A.R. Mission Begins Launch
    The discovery program was heavily involved. It was the first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid. The spacecraft was sent to study the astroid and try to dicover more about the earth from the astroid. They found the mass, density , and gravitational field of the asteriod.
  • First successful Mars Rover is launched (America)

    First successful Mars Rover is launched (America)
    NASA, ESA, and JPL worked on the Mars Rovers. They were launched in America. These Rovers went to Mars, and studied the planet. One big discovery that they made where that the planet had traces of having water in the past.
  • Cassini Mission is launched

    Cassini Mission is launched
    NASA, European space agency and Italian Space Agency were the companies that were involved the most. The mission orbited Saturn, and the probes landed on Titan, a moon. It landed on Titan on Jan. 14, 2005. The probes studied Titan and its atmosphere and temperature. The probe is one of the largest and heaviest ever made.
  • Space Station's (Expedition 1) first expedition

    Space Station's (Expedition 1) first expedition
    There are many companies and countries that have a part in space stations. There are many people who work there, also. It is a spacecrraft that stays in space, where scientists and astronauts study and conduct research.
  • Genesis Spacecraft launches

    Genesis Spacecraft launches
    NASA was the main contributer to the Genisis Spacecraft, among with other companies. The Genesis Spacecraft was launched on August 8th, 2001. The Genesis was launched to collect solar wind and further understand the planets and the sun. The total cost was about 200 million dollars, and it was a unmanned mission.
  • Curiosity is launched (most recent rover)

    Curiosity is launched (most recent rover)
    Curiosity, the most recent Mars Rover, is launched. It is named after a 6th grader who entered a naming contest.
  • Expedition 35 (most recent) launches

    Expedition 35 (most recent) launches
    The most recent launch to the international space station.