This is a timeline of space exploration which includes notable missions, achievements, first accomplishments and milestones in humanity's exploration of outer space.
This timeline generally does not distinguish achievements by a specific country or private company, as it considers humanity as a whole. See otherwise the timeline of private spaceflight or look for achievements by each space agency.
Pre-20th century Date Event leading to space exploration Country Researcher(s)1610First telescopic observation of the night sky: discovery of the Galilean moons, lunar craters and the phases of Venus. VeniceGalileo Galilei 1668 First reflecting telescope. England Isaac Newton 1781 First telescopic discovery of planet (Uranus). Great Britain William Herschel 1801 First discovery of asteroid (Ceres). Sicily Giuseppe Piazzi 1813 First exposition of the rocket equation based on Newton's third law of motion: Treatise on the Motion of Rockets. UK William Moore 1840 First clear telescopic photograph of another world: the Moon. United States John William Draper 1845 First proper observation of other galaxies which are termed "whirlpool nebulae". UK William Parsons 1861 A Journey Through Space makes first proposal of using rockets for space flight. UK William Leitch 1895 First proposal of space elevator. Russia Konstantin Tsiolkovsky
1900–1956
Date Mission successCountry Researcher(s) or Mission name 1903 Publication of Exploration of the Universe with Rocket-Propelled VehiclesRussian title Issledovaniye mirovykh prostranstv reaktivnymi priborami (Исследование мировых пространств реактивными приборами) that showed physical space exploration was theoretically possible, including the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation, multi staged rockets and using liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen in liquid propellant Russia Konstantin Tsiolkovsky 1914 Goddard files for and is subsequently awarded U.S. patents on multistage and liquid-fueled rockets. United States Robert H. Goddard 1917 First observation of an extrasolar planet (exoplanet) round Van Maanen 2 although it is not recognised as such at the time. Netherlands Adriaan van Maanen 1919 Goddard's widely influential paper "A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes" discussed solid- and liquid-fueled rocketry. United States Robert H. Goddard ("By Rocket into Planetary Space") self-published after its rejection as a doctoral thesis. Germany Hermann Oberth 1924 Society for Studies of Interplanetary Travel founded. USSR Members include Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Friedrich Zander, Yuri Kondratyuk Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket. United States Robert H. Goddard 1927 Verein für Raumschiffahrt (Society for Space Travel) formed; it includes many top European rocket scientists. Germany 1927 Завоевание межпланетных пространств (The Conquest of Interplanetary Space) discusses rocket mechanics and orbital effects including the gravitational slingshot. USSR Yuri Kondratyuk 1928 (The Problem of Space Travel – The Rocket Motor) discusses space travel and its potential uses for scientific experiments. Germany Herman PotočnikBritish Interplanetary Society founded. UKPhilip E. CleatorFirst detection of radio waves from an astronomical object. United StatesKarl JanskyEstablishment of the Soviet rocket research lab Reactive Scientific Research Institute (RNII) by combining the Group for the Study of Reactive Motion (GIRD) with the Gas Dynamics Laboratory (GDL). USSRKey people Sergei Korolev & Valentin Glushko First spaceflight in history. First human-made object in space (later defined as above the Kármán line). Germany (Wehrmacht) V-2 rocket (MW 18014) Article in Wireless World, "Extra-Terrestrial Relays — Can Rocket Stations Give Worldwide Radio Coverage?" makes first discussion of geostationary satellites as a means of communication. UK Arthur C. ClarkeFirst space research flight (cosmic radiation experiments). United States captured and improved V-2 rocketFirst pictures of Earth from 105 km (65 mi). United StatesV-220 February 1947Fruit flies become the first animals in space to survive a space flight. United StatesV-2First two-stage liquid-fueled rocket, that sets a record altitude of 244 miles (393 km) (WAC Corporal missile mounted onto a V-2 rocket). United StatesBumper-5First mammal in space (Albert II, a rhesus monkey). First primate in space. United StatesV-2First mammal to survive a space flight. (Dezik and Tsygan). USSRSoviet space dogs The composite image taken from specially modified cameras on board an Aerobee sounding rocket produces the first color picture of Earth and the first detailed view of a tropical cyclone. United StatesDr. Otto Berg's filmsFirst rocket to pass the thermopause and enter the exosphere. At 682 miles (1,098 km) altitude and 3,335 miles range, the 3-stage Jupiter-C breaks both records and achieves Mach 18 velocity. United StatesJupiter-C
1957–1959
Date Mission achievements Country/organization Mission nameFirst artificial satellite. First human-made signals from space. USSRSputnik 1First mammal in orbit, the dog Laika. USSRSputnik 2Confirmed existence of the Van Allen radiation belt. USA (ABMA)Explorer 1First use of solar power in space.The oldest artificial object still in space. USA (NRL)Vanguard 1First rocket to reach Earth escape velocity. First spacecraft to attempt to impact the Moon's surface. First artificial object in heliocentric orbit. First detection of solar wind. USSRLuna 1First weather satellite. USA (NRL)Vanguard 2First photograph of Earth from Earth orbit. USA (NASA)Explorer 6First spacecraft to impact another celestial body (the Moon).First delivery of national pennants to a celestial body. USSRLuna 2First photos of another world from space: the far side of the Moon. First gravity assist. USSRLuna 3
1960–1969
Date Mission success Country/organization Mission nameFirst solar probe. USA (NASA)Pioneer 5First plants and animals to return alive from Earth orbit. USSRSputnik 525 September 1960First rocket engine fired in space. USA (NASA)Pioneer P-30First hominidae in space (chimpanzee Ham). First tasks performed in space. USA (NASA)M-R 2 First launch from Earth orbit of upper stage into a heliocentric orbit.First mid-course corrections. First spin-stabilisation. USSRVenera 1First human spaceflight (Yuri Gagarin).First human-crewed orbital flight. USSRVostok 1First human-piloted space flight (Alan Shepard).First human-crewed suborbital flight. USAFreedom 7First planetary flyby (within 100,000 km of Venus – no data returned). USSRVenera 1First crewed space flight lasting over twenty four hours by Gherman Titov, who is also the first to suffer from space sickness. USSRVostok 2First orbital solar observatory. USA (NASA)OSO-1First spacecraft to impact the far side of the Moon. USA (NASA)Ranger 4First dual crewed spaceflight.First communication between two crewed space vehicles in orbit.First person to float freely in microgravity. USSRVostok 3 and Vostok 418 August 1962First auroral research rocket launched into the ionosphere. NorwayFerdinand 1First Mars flyby (11,000 km) but contact was lost. USSRMars 1First planetary flyby with data returned (Venus). First successful planetary science mission. USA (NASA)Mariner 2First woman in space (Valentina Tereshkova). USSRVostok 6First reusable crewed spacecraft (suborbital). USA (NASA)X-15 Flight 90First multi-person crew (3) in orbit. USSRVoskhod 1First space walk/extra-vehicular activity (Alexei Leonov). USSRVoskhod 2First crewed spacecraft to change orbit. USA (NASA)Gemini 3First flyby of Mars (returned pictures). USA (NASA)Mariner 4First photographs of another planet from deep space (Mars). USA (NASA)Mariner 4First orbital rendezvous (parallel flight, no docking). USA (NASA)Gemini 6A/Gemini 7First soft landing on another world (the Moon). First photos from another world. USSRLuna 9First impact into another planet (Venus). USSRVenera 3First orbital docking between two spacecraft. USA (NASA)Gemini 8/Agena target vehicleFirst artificial satellite around another world (the Moon). USSRLuna 1023 First picture of Earth from another astronomical object (the Moon). First probe to map the Moon. USALunar Orbiter 18 May 1967First polar orbit around the Moon. USALunar Orbiter 4July 1967First photos of the Lunar south pole. USALunar Orbiter 4First automated (crewless) docking. USSRCosmos 186/Cosmos 18817 November 1967First liftoff from another celestial body (the Moon). USASurveyor 6First animals and plants to leave Earth orbit and travel to and around the Moon. First lunar spacecraft to be recovered successfully. USSRZond 5First orbital ultraviolet observatory. USA (NASA)OAO-2First human excursion beyond low Earth orbit. First in-person observations of Earth from a distance.First Trans-Earth injection. USA (NASA)Apollo 824 December 1968First human flight to another celestial body (the Moon) and to enter its gravitational influence. USA (NASA)Apollo 8First docking between two crewed spacecraft in Earth orbit. First crew exchange in space. USSRSoyuz 4 and Soyuz 5First spacecraft to parachute in Venus's atmosphere, lost contact before landing. USSRVenera 5First docking of two crewed spacecraft around another celestial body. First lunar mission to include a lunar landing module. USA (NASA)Apollo 10First human on another celestial body (the Moon). First words spoken from another world. USA (NASA)Apollo 1121 July 1969First space launch from another celestial body. First sample return from another celestial body. USA (NASA)Apollo 11First rendezvous on the surface of a celestial body. First meet up between human explorers and a robotic spacecraft in space (on the Moon). USA (NASA)Apollo 12/Surveyor 3
1970–1979
Date Mission success Country/organization Mission nameFarthest distance from Earth traveled by humans until the Artemis II lunar flyby in 2026. USA (NASA)Apollo 13First automatic sample return from the Moon. USSRLuna 16First rover on another celestial body (the Moon). First lunar rover. USSRLunokhod 1First X-ray orbital observatory. USA (NASA)UhuruFirst soft landing on another planet (Venus). First signals from another planet. USSRVenera 7First space station. USSRSalyut 1First crewed orbital observatory. USSROrion 130 July 1971First motor vehicle on another celestial body (Lunar Roving Vehicle). USA (NASA)Apollo 15First spacecraft to orbit another planet (Mars). USA (NASA)Mariner 9First spacecraft to impact another planet (Mars). USSRMars 2First soft landing on Mars. First signals from Martian surface.First photograph from Martian surface. USSRMars 3First spacecraft on a trajectory out of the Solar System. First spacecraft to use all-nuclear electrical power (SNAP-19 RTGs). USA (NASA)Pioneer 10First spacecraft to enter the asteroid belt. First spacecraft beyond the orbit of Mars. USA (NASA)Pioneer 10First orbital gamma ray observatory. USA (NASA)SAS 211 December 1972Most recent crewed landing on the Moon. USA (NASA)Apollo 173 November 1973First mission sent to study Mercury. USA (NASA)Mariner 10First flyby of Jupiter. First spacecraft beyond the Inner Solar System. USA (NASA)Pioneer 10January 1974First spacecraft to return data on a long-period comet. USA (NASA)Mariner 10First mission to explore two planets in a single mission (Mercury and Venus).First photograph of Venus from space.