SPACE EXPLORATION TIMELINE

Date 1686 Event leading to space exploration Publication of the Philosophi Naturalis Principia Mathematica First exposition of the rocket equation based on Newton's third law of motion: Treatise on the Motion of Rockets From the Earth to the Moon published. The War of the Worlds published. This inspired Robert Goddard to investigate rocketry. Inspired by the writings of Jules Verne, first serious work published that showed physical space exploration was theoretically possible: (The Exploration of Cosmic Space by Means of Reaction Devices)[1] Goddard files for and is subsequently awarded U.S. patents on multistage and liquid fueled rockets Goddard's widely influential paper "A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes" discussed solid and liquid fueled rocketry Die Rakete zu den Planetenrumen ("By Rocket into Planetary Space") self-published after its rejection as a doctoral thesis. Society for Studies of Interplanetary Travel founded in 16 March 1926 1927 Soviet Union Goddard launches the first liquid fueled rocket Verein fr Raumschiffahrt (Society for Space Travel) formed; it includes many top European rocket scientists. "The Conquest of Interplanetary Space" discusses rocket mechanics and orbital effects including the gravitational slingshot Das Problem der Befahrung des Weltraums der Raketen-Motor (The Problem of Space Travel The Rocket Motor) discusses space travel and its potential uses for scientific experiments. Oberth, with students including Wernher von Braun, launches his first liquid-fueled rocket First German military liquid fueled rocket engines developed Work begins on the Aggregate series of rockets which leads to the V2 rocket. Group for the Study of Reactive Motion (GIRD) launches the first Soviet liquid-fueled rocket Graduate student Frank Malina under his professor Theodore von Krmn begins work on a sounding rocket Mission Achievements First vehicle to reach 62 mi (100 km) from the Earth's surface (boundary of space)[2] First space research flight (cosmic radiation experiments)

1813

1927

1865 1898

1928

1903

1929

1931 1933

1913

1919

17 August 1933

1935

15 December 1923

Date 3 October 1942 10 May 1946

1924

22 May 1946 10 October 1946 1947 21 August 1957 [edit]

First U.S.-designed rocket to reach edge of space (80 km (49 mi)) First pictures of earth from 62 mi (100 km)[2][3] First animals in space (fruit flies)[4][5] First intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Mission Achievements First artificial satellite First signals from space First animal in orbit, the dog Laika Confirmed the existence of the Van Allen belts First firing of a rocket in Earth orbit First reaching Earth escape velocity or Trans Lunar Injection First detection of solar wind First artificial satellite in heliocentric orbit First photograph of Earth from orbit First impact into another world (the Moon) First delivery of national (USSR) pennants in a celestial body First photos of far side of the Moon First plants and animals to return alive from Earth orbit First launch from orbit[clarification needed] First mid-course corrections First spin-stabilisation Mission Success First human spaceflight(Yuri Gagarin) First human-crewed orbital flight First orbital solar observatory First planetary flyby (Venus closest approach 34,773 kilometers) First woman in space (Valentina Tereshkova)

19 July 1963 18 March 1965 14 July 1965 15 December 1965 3 February 1966

19571961
1 March 1966 16 March 1966 3 April 1966 2 June 1966 30 October 1967 7 December 1968 21 December 1968 21 July 1969 19 November 1969 [edit] Date 24 September 1970 23 November 1970 12 December 1970 15 December 1970 23 April 1971 June, 1971 14 November 1971 27 November 1971 2 December 1971

Date 4 October 1957 3 November 1957 31 January 1958 2 January 1959

4 January 1959 7 August 1959 13 September 1959

4 October 1959 19 August 1960 1961

First reusable crewed spacecraft (suborbital) First extra-vehicular activity First Mars flyby (closest approach 9,846 kilometers) First orbital rendezvous (parallel flight, no docking) First soft landing on another world (the Moon) First photos from another world First impact into another planet (Venus) First orbital docking between two spacecrafts First artificial satellite around another world (the Moon) Soft landing on the Moon photos from the Moon First automated (crewless) docking First orbital ultraviolet observatory First piloted orbital mission of another celestial body (Moon), First-ever Trans-Earth injection (25 December) First human on the Moon and first space launch from a celestial body First rendezvous on the surface of a celestial body Mission Success First automatic sample return from the Moon First lunar rover First X-ray orbital observatory First soft landing on another planet (Venus) First signals from another planet First space station First Manned orbital observatory First to maintain orbit around another planet (Mars) First impact into Mars First soft Mars landing

19701980

[edit]

19611969

Date 12 April 1961

7 March 1962 14 December 1963 16 June 1963

3 March 1972 15 July 1972 15 November 1972 3 December 1973 5 February 1974 29 March 1974 15 July 1975 20 October 1975 22 October 1975 20 July 1976 26 January 1978 5 March 1979 1 September 1979 12 November 1980 [edit]

First signals from Mars surface First human made object sent on escape trajectory away from the Sun First mission to enter the asteroid belt and leave inner solar system First orbital gamma ray observatory First Jupiter flyby (at 130,000 km) Venus flyby at 5768 kilometers, first gravitational assist manoeuvre First Mercury flyby at 703 kilometers First multinational manned mission First orbit around Venus First photos from the surface of another planet (Venus) First photos and soil samples from the surface of Mars First real time remotely operated ultraviolet orbital observatory Jupiter flyby (closest approach 349,000 km) First Saturn flyby at 21,000 km Saturn flyby (closest approach 124,000 kilometers) Mission Success First Reusable manned spacecraft (orbital) First Venus soil samples & sound recording of another world First Infrared orbital observatory Ultraviolet orbital observatory First spacecraft beyond the orbit of Neptune (first spacecraft to pass beyond all Solar System planets) First untethered spacewalk, Bruce McCandless II First Uranus flyby (closest approach 81,500 kilometers) First consistently inhabited

1986 25 August 1989 18 November 1989 1 December 1989 14 February 1990 24 April 1990 21 October 1991 8 February 1992 22 March 1995 7 December 1995 7 December 1995 14 February 2000 12 February 2001 4 January 2004 25 January 2004 1 July 2004 14 January 2005 7 May 2006 24 October 2007 6 March 2009

long-term research space station First Neptune flyby First orbital cosmic microwave observatory Ultraviolet to gamma ray spectrum orbital observatory First photograph of the whole solar system[3] Optical orbital observatory First asteroid flyby (951 Gaspra closest approach 1,600 kilometers) First polar orbit around the Sun record longest duration spaceflight (437.7 days) set by Valeri Polyakov First orbit of Jupiter First mission into the atmosphere of a gas giant (Jupiter) First orbiting of an asteroid (433 Eros) First landing on an asteroid (433 Eros) Free ranging Mars rover Free ranging Mars rover First orbit of Saturn First soft landing on Titan First extended (multi-year) orbital exploration of Venus First stage of China's lunar probe program, the satellite Chang'e I Kepler Mission is launched, first space telescope designated to search for Earth-like exoplanets[4] First orbit of Mercury First orbit of Vesta Radio orbital observatory. Largest observatory ever launched. Nuclear-powered NASA rover toward Mars to seek out life clues.

1981present

Date 12 April 1981 1 March 1982 25 January 1983 23 March 1983 13 June 1983

18 March 2011 16 July 2011 18 July 2011 26 November 2011

7 February 1984 24 January 1986 19 February