SPACIAL EVENTS TIMELINE

1608
The First Telescope
Dutch lens-maker Hans Lipperhey invents the
first telescope.
March 16, 1926
Liquid-Fueled Rocket
Robert H. Goddard, inventor of the liquid-fueled rocket, conducts the world's first launch
from a field near his home
1932
Radio Waves from Space
Karl G. Jansky determines that waves travel through the Earth's atmosphere from sources in
the Milky Way.
1950
Cape Canaveral Launch Site Established
Cape Canaveral, Florida, is established as a facility for rocket assembly and launch.
September 20, 1951
Animals Successfully Flown in Rocket
The U.S. Air Force makes the first successful recovery of animals from a rocket flight to an
altitude of 72,000 m
October 04, 1957
USSR Launches First Artificial Satellite
The USSR launches the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1
November 03, 1957 - April 13, 1958
Sputnik 2 Carries Dog into Space
The spacecraft Sputnik 2 is launched carrying a dog named Laika
January 31, 1958
First U.S. Satellite Launched into Orbit
The United States launches the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1
May 15, 1958
First Space Lab Sent into Orbit
The USSR launches the satellite Sputnik3
July 29, 1958
NASA Created for Space Research
message from space, relaying messages stored on magnetic tape. The satellite functions for 13
days.
January 02, 1959
Lunik 1 Escapes Earth's Gravity
May 1959
Monkeys Successfully Sent into Space
The U.S. Army sends two monkeys

September 12, 1959

First Moon Probe
The Soviet Union launches Luna 2, the first space probe to reach the moon.
September 14, 1959
Luna 2 Becomes First Object on Moon
The Soviet spacecraft Luna strikes the Moon, becoming the first artificial object on the Moon.
October 1959
Luna 3 Reveals the Moon's Far Side
March 11, 1960
Pioneer 5 Explores Deep Space
The United States launches Pioneer 5 explores the space between Earth and Venus.
April 01, 1960
First Weather Satellite Launched by U.S.
The weather satellite TIROS 1 transmits photographs of Earth and its atmosphere.
August 12, 1960
Echo 1 Communications Satellite Launched
The NASA launches Echo 1.
April 12, 1961
First Human in Space
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel in space aboard Vostok 1
May 05, 1961
Alan Shepard is the First American in Space
February 20, 1962
First U.S. Earth Orbit
U.S. astronaut John H. Glenn, Jr., becomes the first American to orbit Earth launched aboard
Mercury 6.
August 27, 1962
Mariner 2 Space Probe
The United States launches Mariner 2, which becomes the first space probe to reach the
neighborhood of another planet when it flies past Venus on December 14.
June 16, 1963
Tereshkova Is First Woman in Space
November 28, 1964
Mariner 4 Relays Data from Mars
March 18, 1965
Alexei Leonov Walks in Space
The USSR launches Voskhod 2, carrying cosmonaut Leonov, the first person to step out of a
spacecraft and walk in space
June 03, 1965 - June 07, 1965
White Takes 36-Minute Walk in Space
U.S. astronaut Edward White, during the Gemini 4 space mission, makes a 36-minute space
walk.,

December 1965
Gemini Spacecrafts Rendezvous in Orbit
United States spacecraft Gemini 6 and 7 orbit together around the earth.
February 03, 1966
Luna 9 Successfully Lands on Moon
Soviet spacecraft Luna 9 makes the first soft landing on the Moon.
March 31, 1966
Luna 10 Orbits the Moon
USSR launches Luna 10 orbits the moon.
January 27, 1967
Apollo 1 Catches Fire During Rehearsal
April 24, 1967
Space Flight Turns Fatal
The first fatality of the worlds space programs occurs when, Soyuz 1, crashes to Earth.
October 18, 1967
Venera 4 Lands on Venus
Soviet spacecraft Venera 4 lands on Venus
October 11, 1968 - October 22, 1968
First Piloted U.S. Apollo Mission Sent
December 21, 1968
Piloted Mission Apollo 8 Orbits Moon
January 16, 1969
First Experimental Space Station Formed
July 20, 1969
First Moon Landing
U.S. astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, Apollo 11 crew members , become the first
people to walk on the Moon.
April 19, 1971
First Space Station
The Soviet Union launches Salyut 1, the first space station. On April 24th, Soyuz 10, carrying
three cosmonauts, becomes the first craft to dock with the station.
November 12, 1971
Mariner 9 Enters Orbit around Mars
.
December 07, 1972 - December 19, 1972
Last Apollo Mission to Moon Launched Apollo 17.
November 03, 1973
Mariner 10 Photographs Mercury
December 1973
Spacecraft Visits Jupiter
Pioneer 10, becomes the first space probe to pass Jupiter

March 15, 1975

Helios 1 Passes Sun and Returns Data
1979
Voyager 1 and 2 Explore Giant Planets
September 01, 1979
Pioneer 11 Flies by Saturn
April 12, 1981
Space Shuttle Columbia
The United States introduces the first reusable spacecraft when it launches Columbia, the first
in a series of space shuttles.
June 13, 1983
Pioneer Leaves Solar System
Pioneer 10, launched by the United States on March 3, 1972, crosses the orbit of Neptune and
becomes the first human-made object to escape the solar system.
June 18, 1983 - June 24, 1983
Ride Completes Challenger Mission, she is the first American woman in the space.
July 18, 1984
Savitskaya First Woman to Walk in Space
Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya becomes the first woman to walk in space. the
January 28, 1986
Space Shuttle Challenger Explodes
.
February 19, 1986
Soviet Union Launches Mir Space Station
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) launches Mir, a space station designed to
perform many scientific experiments dealing with space.
August 25, 1989
Voyager Visits Neptune
Voyager 2, launched by the United States on August 20, 1977, becomes the first spacecraft to
fly past Neptune. It previously passed Jupiter and Saturn, and was the first spacecraft to visit
Uranus.
April 24, 1990
Hubble Space Telescope
The first optical telescope in space, the Hubble Space Telescope, is launched into Earth orbit
by the U.S. space shuttle Discovery.
October 29, 1991
Galileo Photographs Asteroid Gaspra
The U.S. space probe Galileo takes the closest picture ever taken of an asteroid Gaspra at a
distance of 1,600 km (1,000 mi).
August 1993
First Asteroid Moon Discovered
The U.S. space probe Galileo discovers the first asteroid moon

February 03, 1995 - February 11, 1995

Collins Is First Woman to Pilot Shuttle
The U.S. space shuttle Discovery is piloted by Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot a space
shuttle mission.
March 1996
NEAT System Detects 200 New Asteroids
August 13, 1996
Ice and Possibly Life Exist on Europa (Jupiter moon).
November 07, 1996
Mars Global Surveyor 96 Launched for investigation.
December 03, 1996
Frozen Lake Found at Moon's South Pole
December 04, 1996
NASA Launches Mars Pathfinder to explore Mars.
February 28, 1997
Powerful Gamma-Ray Bursts Detected
March 23, 1997
Comet Hale-Bopp Passes Close to Earth
June 05, 1997
Planetesimal Found
.
July 04, 1997
Mars Pathfinder Lands on Mars
The U.S. spacecraft Mars Pathfinder lands on Mars to explore the area around the spacecraft.
October 29, 1998
John Glenn Returns to Space at Age 77
December 1998
International Space Station Endeavour
April 28, 2001
First Space Tourist
February 01, 2003
Space Shuttle Columbia Breaks Apart While Entering Earths Atmosphere
.
June 24, 2004
First Privately Owned Spaceship Achieves Human Spaceflight
October 23, 2010
A private company (Virgin) announces a flight platform for space tourist travels