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INTERACTIVE SPACE EXPLORATION TIMELINE

  • Robert Goddard launches 1st successful liquid fuel rocket

    Robert Goddard launches 1st successful liquid fuel rocket
    Robert Goddard launched the world's first liquid-fueled rocket in Auburn, Massachusetts
  • Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1

    Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1
    It was the world's first artificial satellite, it was about 58 cm.or 22.8 inches in diameter, it weighed only 83.6 kg. or 183.9 pounds. It took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path.
  • Sputnik 2 carried the first living being into space

    Sputnik 2 carried the first living being into space
    Laika was a dog that was sent out in the Sputnik 2, and was the first living being in orbit.
  • US launches Explorer 1

    US launches Explorer 1
    Explorer 1 was the first satellite launched by the United States, and was part of the U.S. participation in the International Geophysical Year.
  • First creatures to return alive from space

    First creatures to return alive from space
    Two monkeys, became the first living creatures to survive a space flight.
  • Yuri Gagarin

    Yuri Gagarin
    Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space, making a 108-minute orbital flight in his Vostok 1 spacecraft.
  • The first woman in space

    The first woman in space
    Valentina Tereshkova, became the first woman to be launched into space by the Soviet Union. She circled the Earth 49 times during three days in space, and was reportedly injured during the landing.
  • Alexei Leonov

    Alexei Leonov
    He became the first human to conduct a spacewalk, exiting the capsule during the Voskhod 2 mission for 12 minutes and 9 seconds.
  • Apollo completes 1st manned mission for Apollo program

    Apollo completes 1st manned mission for Apollo program
    Was the third United States human spaceflight program carried out by NASA.
  • U.S. launches first American astronaut

    U.S. launches first American astronaut
    U.S. launches first American astronaut, Alan Shepard Jr., into space, on a 15-minute, 22-second suborbital flight.
  • First manned spacecraft to orbit moon

    First manned spacecraft to orbit moon
    Apollo 8, comes within 70 miles of lunar surface.
  • Neil Armstrong

    Neil Armstrong
    Was the first man on the moon. As he took his first steps he said, his infamous words "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
  • Soviets were the first to successfully place a space station in orbit

    Soviets were the first to successfully place a space station in orbit
    The Soviet Union launched the first components of the space station Mir, which was assembled in orbit over the course of a decade.
  • American space orbiter Mariner 9 surveys Mars

    American space orbiter Mariner 9 surveys Mars
    Mariner 9 was the first orbital mission to Mars.
  • NASA lands the first spacecraft on Mars

    NASA lands the first spacecraft on Mars
    Mariner 9 was launched successfully on May 30, 1971, and became the first artificial satellite of Mars when it arrived and went into orbit, where it functioned in Martian orbit for nearly a year.
  • NASA launches the first space station into space

    NASA launches the first space station into space
    Skylab was the first United States space station, launched by NASA, occupied for about 24 weeks between May 1973 and February 1974.
  • Voyager 1 & 2 deep space probes launched

    Voyager 1 & 2 deep space probes launched
    Voyager 1 is a space probe launched by NASA on September 5, 1977. Part of the Voyager program to study the outer Solar System.
  • 'Free-flying' in space

    'Free-flying' in space
    Bruce McCandless became the first person to do a spacewalk without being attached to the spacecraft. He tested a manned guiding unit.
  • Space Shuttle Challenger Incident

    Space Shuttle Challenger Incident
    NASA Space Shuttle orbiter undertaking mission STS-51-L and the tenth flight of Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight.
  • Mars Pathfinder landed on Mars and deployed the Sojourner rover

    Mars Pathfinder landed on Mars and deployed the Sojourner rover
    It was made as technology demonstration of a new way to deliver an instrumented lander and the first-ever robotic rover to the surface of Mars. Pathfinder not only accomplished this goal but also returned an unmatched amount of data and outlived its primary design life.
  • International Space Station is launched into space

    International Space Station is launched into space
    The International Space Station is a space station in low Earth orbit.
  • Space shuttle Columbia Incident

    Space shuttle Columbia Incident
    the Space Shuttle Columbia fell apart while it was entering the atmosphere, killing all seven crew members. The tragedy was the second deadly accident in the Space Shuttle program.