Here’s a chronological list of key events in the exploration of space:
- 1944 - V-2 Rocket: The first human-made object to reach the edge of space, developed by Germany during World War II.
- 1957 - Launch of Sputnik 1: The Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite, marking the beginning of the space age.
- 1961 - Yuri Gagarin’s Flight: The first human to travel into space and orbit the Earth aboard Vostok 1, also by the Soviet Union.
- 1963 - First American in Space: Astronaut John Glenn orbited the Earth aboard Friendship 7.
- 1969 - Apollo 11: NASA's mission that successfully landed the first humans on the Moon, with astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
- 1971 - First Space Station: The Soviet Union launched Salyut 1, the first space station in orbit.
- 1976 - Viking 1: NASA's lander became the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars and send back images.
- 1990 - Launch of the Hubble Space Telescope: A major advancement in astronomy that has provided unprecedented views of the universe.
- 2000 - Arrival of the first permanent crew on the International Space Station (ISS), marking the start of long-term human presence in low Earth orbit.
- 2020 - SpaceX's Crew Dragon Demo-2: The first crewed flight of a private spacecraft to the ISS, marking a significant milestone in commercial space travel.
This list traces the significant milestones in the history of space exploration and is grouped in chronological order.