This article may contain
unverified or
indiscriminate information in
embedded lists. (February 2023) |
This is a timeline of space exploration which includes notable 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.
Date | Event leading to space exploration | Country | Researcher(s) | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
1610 | First telescopic observation of the night sky: discovery of the Galilean moons, lunar craters and the phases of Venus. | Venice | Galileo 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 |
Date | Mission success | Country | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
1903 | Publication of Exploration of the Universe with Rocket-Propelled Vehicles [1] 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 | [2] |
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 | |
15 December 1923 | Die Rakete zu den Planetenräumen ("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 | |
16 March 1926 | 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 | 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. | Germany | Herman Potočnik | |
January 1933 | British Interplanetary Society founded. | UK | Philip E. Cleator | |
April 1933 | First detection of radio waves from an astronomical object. | United States | Karl Jansky | |
September 1933 | Establishment 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). | USSR | Key people Sergei Korolev & Valentin Glushko | [3] |
20 June 1944 | First
spaceflight in history.
First human-made object in space (later defined as above the Kármán line). |
Germany ( Wehrmacht) | V-2 rocket ( MW 18014) | |
October 1945 | 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. Clarke | |
10 May 1946 | First space research flight ( cosmic radiation experiments). | United States | captured and improved V-2 rocket | |
24 October 1946 | First pictures of Earth from 105 km (65 mi). | United States | V-2 | [4] [5] |
20 February 1947 | First animals in space (fruit flies). | United States | V-2 | [4] [6] |
24 February 1949 | First 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 States | Bumper-5 | |
14 June 1949 | First mammal in space (
Albert II, a rhesus monkey).
First primate in space. |
United States | V-2 | |
20 September 1956 | First 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 States | Jupiter-C | [7] [8] |
Date | Mission achievements | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
4 October 1957 | First artificial
satellite. First human-made signals from space. |
USSR | Sputnik 1 | |
3 November 1957 | First mammal in orbit, the dog Laika. | USSR | Sputnik 2 | |
31 January 1958 | Confirmed existence of the Van Allen radiation belt. | USA ( ABMA) | Explorer 1 | |
17 March 1958 | First use of
solar power in space. The oldest artificial object still in space. |
USA ( NRL) | Vanguard 1 | |
4 January 1959 | First rocket to reach Earth
escape velocity.
First spacecraft to attempt to impact the Moon's surface. |
USSR | Luna 1 | |
17 February 1959 | First weather satellite. | USA (NRL) | Vanguard 2 | |
7 August 1959 | First photograph of Earth from Earth orbit. | USA ( NASA) | Explorer 6 | |
13 September 1959 | First spacecraft to impact another celestial body (the
Moon). First delivery of national pennants to a celestial body. |
USSR | Luna 2 | |
4 October 1959 | First photos of another world from space: the
far side of the Moon.
First gravity assist. |
USSR | Luna 3 |
Date | Mission success | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 1960 | First solar probe. | USA (NASA) | Pioneer 5 | |
19 August 1960 | First plants and animals to return alive from Earth orbit. | USSR | Sputnik 5 | |
25 September 1960 | First rocket engine fired in space. | USA (NASA) | Pioneer P-30 | [9] |
31 January 1961 | First
hominidae in space (chimpanzee
Ham).
First tasks performed in space. |
USA (NASA) | M-R 2 | |
12 February 1961 | First launch from Earth orbit of
upper stage into a
heliocentric orbit. First mid-course corrections. First spin-stabilisation. |
USSR | Venera 1 | |
12 April 1961 | First
human spaceflight (
Yuri Gagarin). First human-crewed orbital flight. |
USSR | Vostok 1 | [10] [11] |
5 May 1961 | First human-piloted space flight (
Alan Shepard). First human-crewed suborbital flight. |
USA | Freedom 7 | |
19 May 1961 | First planetary flyby (within 100,000 km of Venus – no data returned). | USSR | Venera 1 | |
6 August 1961 | First crewed space flight lasting over twenty four hours by Gherman Titov, who is also the first to suffer from space sickness. | USSR | Vostok 2 | |
7 March 1962 | First orbital solar observatory. | USA (NASA) | OSO-1 | |
26 April 1962 | First spacecraft to impact the far side of the Moon. | USA (NASA) | Ranger 4 | [12] |
11 August 1962 | First dual crewed spaceflight. First communication between two crewed space vehicles in orbit. First person to float freely in microgravity. |
USSR | Vostok 3 and Vostok 4 | |
18 August 1962 | First auroral research rocket launched into the ionosphere. | Norway | Ferdinand 1 | |
November 1962 | First Mars flyby (11,000 km) but contact was lost. | USSR | Mars 1 | |
14 December 1962 | First planetary flyby with data returned (
Venus).
First successful planetary science mission. |
USA (NASA) | Mariner 2 | [13] |
16 June 1963 | First woman in space ( Valentina Tereshkova). | USSR | Vostok 6 | |
19 July 1963 | First reusable crewed spacecraft (suborbital). | USA (NASA) | X-15 Flight 90 | |
12 October 1964 | First multi-person crew (3) in orbit. | USSR | Voskhod 1 | |
18 March 1965 | First space walk/ extra-vehicular activity ( Alexei Leonov). | USSR | Voskhod 2 | |
March 1965 | First crewed spacecraft to change orbit. | USA (NASA) | Gemini 3 | |
14 July 1965 | First flyby of Mars (returned pictures). | USA (NASA) | Mariner 4 | [14] |
14 July 1965 | First photographs of another planet from deep space ( Mars). | USA (NASA) | Mariner 4 | [14] |
15 December 1965 | First orbital rendezvous (parallel flight, no docking). | USA (NASA) | Gemini 6A/ Gemini 7 | |
3 February 1966 | First
soft landing on another world (the Moon). First photos from another world. |
USSR | Luna 9 | [15] |
1 March 1966 | First impact into another planet (Venus). | USSR | Venera 3 | |
16 March 1966 | First orbital docking between two spacecraft. | USA (NASA) | Gemini 8/ Agena target vehicle | |
3 April 1966 | First artificial satellite around another world (the Moon). | USSR | Luna 10 | |
23 August 1966 |
First picture of Earth from another astronomical object (the
Moon).
First probe to map the Moon. |
USA | Lunar Orbiter 1 | [16] |
8 May 1967 | First polar orbit around the Moon. | USA | Lunar Orbiter 4 | [17] |
July 1967 | First photos of the Lunar south pole. | USA | Lunar Orbiter 4 | [17] |
30 October 1967 | First automated (crewless) docking. | USSR | Cosmos 186/ Cosmos 188 | |
17 November 1967 | First liftoff from another celestial body (the Moon). | USA | Surveyor 6 | [18] |
September 1968 | First
animals and
plants to leave Earth orbit and travel to and around the Moon.
First lunar spacecraft to be recovered successfully. |
USSR | Zond 5 | [19] |
7 December 1968 | First orbital ultraviolet observatory. | USA (NASA) | OAO-2 | |
21 December 1968 | First human excursion beyond low Earth orbit.
First in-person observations of Earth from a distance. |
USA (NASA) | Apollo 8 | [20] |
24 December 1968 | First human flight to another celestial body (the Moon) and to enter its gravitational influence. | USA (NASA) | Apollo 8 | [20] |
January 1969 | First docking between two crewed spacecraft in Earth orbit.
First crew exchange in space. |
USSR | Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 | |
January 1969 | First spacecraft to parachute in Venus's atmosphere, lost contact before landing. | USSR | Venera 5 | |
23 May 1969 | First docking of two crewed spacecraft around another celestial body.
First lunar mission to include a lunar landing module. |
USA (NASA) | Apollo 10 | [21] |
20 July 1969 | First human on another
celestial body (the Moon).
First words spoken from another world. |
USA (NASA) | Apollo 11 | [22] |
21 July 1969 | First space launch from another celestial body.
First sample return from another celestial body. |
USA (NASA) | Apollo 11 | [22] |
19 November 1969 | First
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 | [23] |
Date | Mission success | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 April 1970 | Farthest distance from Earth traveled by humans. | USA (NASA) | Apollo 13 | [24] [note 1] |
24 September 1970 | First automatic sample return from the Moon. | USSR | Luna 16 | |
17 November 1970 | First
rover on another celestial body (the Moon).
First lunar rover. |
USSR | Lunokhod 1 | |
12 December 1970 | First X-ray orbital observatory. | USA (NASA) | Uhuru | |
15 December 1970 | First soft landing on another planet (Venus). First signals from another planet. |
USSR | Venera 7 | |
19 April 1971 | First space station. | USSR | Salyut 1 | |
June 1971 | First crewed orbital observatory. | USSR | Orion 1 | |
30 July 1971 | First motor vehicle on another celestial body ( Lunar Roving Vehicle). | USA (NASA) | Apollo 15 | [27] |
14 November 1971 | First spacecraft to orbit another planet ( Mars). | USA (NASA) | Mariner 9 | |
27 November 1971 | First spacecraft to impact another planet (Mars). | USSR | Mars 2 | |
2 December 1971 | First
soft landing on Mars. First signals from Martian surface. First photograph from Martian surface. |
USSR | Mars 3 | |
3 March 1972 | First
spacecraft on a trajectory out of the solar system.
First spacecraft to use all-nuclear electrical power ( SNAP-19 RTGs). |
USA (NASA) | Pioneer 10 | [28] |
15 July 1972 | First spacecraft to enter the
asteroid belt.
First spacecraft beyond the orbit of Mars. |
USA (NASA) | Pioneer 10 | [28] |
15 November 1972 | First orbital gamma ray observatory. | USA (NASA) | SAS 2 | |
3 November 1973 | First mission sent to study Mercury. | USA (NASA) | Mariner 10 | [29] |
3 December 1973 | First flyby of
Jupiter.
First spacecraft beyond the Inner Solar System. |
USA (NASA) | Pioneer 10 | [28] |
January 1974 | First spacecraft to return data on a long-period comet. | USA (NASA) | Mariner 10 | [29] |
5 February 1974 | First mission to explore two planets in a single mission (Mercury and Venus). First photograph of Venus from space. First use of solar wind for spacecraft orientation. |
USA (NASA) | Mariner 10 | [29] |
29 March 1974 | First flyby of Mercury. | USA (NASA) | Mariner 10 | [29] |
21 Sept. 1974 | First spacecraft to flyby the same planet multiple times ( Mercury). | USA (NASA) | Mariner 10 | [29] |
15 July 1975 | First multinational crewed mission. | USSR USA (NASA) | Apollo-Soyuz Test Project | |
20 October 1975 | First spacecraft to orbit Venus. | USSR | Venera 9 | |
22 October 1975 | First successful photos from the surface of another planet (Venus). | USSR | Venera 9 | |
20 July 1976 | First successful photos and soil samples from the surface of Mars. | USA (NASA) | Viking Lander | |
26 January 1978 | First real time remotely operated ultraviolet orbital observatory. |
USA (NASA) ESA UK ( SERC) |
International Ultraviolet Explorer | |
20 November 1978 | First spacecraft to orbit the Sun at Lagrange 1. | USA (NASA) | ISEE-3/ICE | [30] |
4 December 1978 | First extended (multi-year) orbital exploration of Venus (from 1978 to 1992). | USA (NASA) | Pioneer Venus Orbiter | |
5 March 1979 |
Jupiter flyby (closest approach 349,000 km) Encounters with five Jovian moons. Discovery of volcanism on Io. |
USA (NASA) | Voyager 1 | |
1 September 1979 | First flyby of
Saturn.
First photograph of Titan from deep space. |
USA (NASA) | Pioneer 11 |
Date | Mission success | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
12 November 1980 | Saturn flyby (closest approach 124,000 km), close encounter of Titan and encounters with a dozen other moons. | USA (NASA) | Voyager 1 | |
12 April 1981 | First reusable crewed orbital spacecraft ( Space Shuttle). | USA (NASA) | STS-1 | |
1 March 1982 | First
Venus soil samples
First sound recording of another world (Venus). |
USSR | Venera 13 | |
10 June 1982 | First spacecraft to conduct a deep survey of Earth's magnetic tail. | USA (NASA) | ISEE-3/ICE | [30] |
19 August 1982 | First mixed gender crew aboard space station, and first woman, Svetlana Savitskaya, on space station. | USSR | Salyut 7 | |
1982 | First plants grown in space ( Arabidopsis). | USSR | Salyut 7 | [31] [32] |
25 January 1983 | First Infrared orbital observatory. |
USA (NASA) UK (SERC) Netherlands ( NIVR) |
IRAS | |
13 June 1983 | First spacecraft beyond the orbit of
Neptune.
First spacecraft beyond all Solar System planets. |
USA (NASA) | Pioneer 10 | [28] |
7 February 1984 | First untethered spacewalk ( Bruce McCandless II). | USA (NASA) | STS-41-B | |
25 July 1984 | First spacewalk by a woman ( Svetlana Savitskaya). | USSR | Salyut 7 | |
11 June 1985 | First balloon deployed on another planet (Venus). | USSR | Vega 1 | |
11 September 1985 | First spacecraft to flyby a comet ( 21P/Giacobini-Zinner). [note 2] | USA (NASA) | ISEE-3/ICE | [30] |
24 January 1986 | First spacecraft to flyby Uranus. | USA (NASA) | Voyager 2 | [33] |
19 February 1986 | First consistently inhabited long-term research space station. | USSR | Mir | |
13 March 1986 | First close up observations of a comet ( Halley's Comet, 596 kilometers). | ESA | Giotto | |
July 1988 | First suspected detection of an exoplanet ( Gamma Cephei Ab). [note 3] | Canada | Astronomers Bruce Campbell, Gordon Walker and Stephenson Yang. | [34] |
8 August 1989 | First astrometric satellite. | ESA | Hipparcos | |
25 August 1989 | First spacecraft to flyby
Neptune.
First spacecraft to study all four of the solar system's giant planets at close range. |
USA (NASA) | Voyager 2 | [33] |
18 November 1989 | First orbital cosmic microwave observatory. | USA (NASA) | COBE |
Date | Mission success | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 February 1990 | First photograph of the whole Solar System ( Family Portrait). | USA (NASA) | Voyager 1 | [35] |
24 April 1990 | First telescope designed to be repaired in space. |
USA (NASA) ESA |
Hubble Space Telescope | [36] |
2 July 1990 | First time a spacecraft coming from deep space uses the Earth for a gravity-assist manoeuvre. | ESA | Giotto | [37] |
21 October 1991 | First asteroid flyby ( 951 Gaspra closest approach 1,600 km). | USA (NASA) | Galileo | |
1992 | First confirmed observation of an exoplanet. |
Canada Poland |
Aleksander Wolszczan & Dale Frail | |
8 February 1992 | First
polar orbit around the
Sun.
First mission to survey the space environment above and below the poles of the Sun. |
USA (NASA) ESA |
Ulysses | [38] |
13 September 1992 | First spacecraft to map Venus in its entirety. | USA (NASA) | Magellan | [39] |
22 March 1995 | Record longest duration spaceflight to date (437.7 day by Valeri Polyakov). | Russia ( FKA) | Mir | |
7 December 1995 | First orbit of Jupiter. | USA (NASA) | Galileo | |
7 December 1995 | First spacecraft to enter the atmosphere of a gas giant (Jupiter). | USA (NASA) | Galileo's atmospheric entry probe | [40] |
1995 | First laser communication from space. | Japan ( JAXA, NICT) | ETS-VI | [41] |
12 February 1997 | First orbital radio observatory. | Japan ( ISAS) | HALCA | |
4 July 1997 | First operational rover on another planet ( Mars). | USA (NASA) | Mars Pathfinder / Sojourner | |
17 September 1997 | First spacecraft to use aerobraking to enter orbit ( Martian orbit). | USA (NASA) | Mars Global Surveyor | [42] |
20 November 1998 | First multinational space station. Largest artificial object built in space to date. |
Russia (FKA) USA (NASA) Europe (ESA) Japan ( JAXA) Canada ( CSA) |
International Space Station |
Date | Mission success | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 February 2000 | First orbit of an asteroid ( 433 Eros). | USA (NASA) ESA | NEAR Shoemaker | |
12 February 2001 | First landing on an asteroid ( 433 Eros). | USA (NASA) | NEAR Shoemaker | |
November 2001 | First laser communication in space between two objects. | ESA France ( CNES) | Artemis, SPOT 4 | [43] |
17 May 2004 | First amateur spaceflight. | USA ( CSXT) | CSXT GoFast | [44] |
1 July 2004 | First orbit of Saturn. | USA (NASA) ESA Italy ( ASI) | Cassini–Huygens | |
8 September 2004 | First sample return beyond lunar orbit (solar wind). | USA (NASA) | Genesis | |
14 January 2005 | First landing in the
outer Solar System (Titan).
First landing on a moon other than Earth's Moon. |
ESA USA (NASA) Italy (ASI) | Cassini–Huygens | |
January–February 2005 | First confirmed cryovolcano ( Enceladus). | ESA USA (NASA) Italy (ASI) | Cassini–Huygens | [45] |
4 July 2005 | First spacecraft to impact a comet ( Tempel 1). | USA (NASA) | Deep Impact | |
19 November 2005 | First asteroid ascent (
25143 Itokawa). First interplanetary escape without separating and discarding the landing gear. |
Japan (JAXA) | Hayabusa | |
15 January 2006 | First sample return from a comet ( 81P/Wild). | USA (NASA) | Stardust | [46] |
3 January 2007 | First confirmed lakes on the surface of another celestial body ( lakes of Titan). | USA (NASA) ESA Italy (ASI) | Cassini–Huygens | [47] [48] |
25 May 2008 | First spacecraft to photograph another spacecraft landing on another celestial body ( Phoenix, on Mars). | USA (NASA) | Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter | [49] |
8 November 2008 | First discovery of lunar water in the form of ice. [note 4] | India ( ISRO) | Chandrayaan-1 | [50] [51] |
6 March 2009 | First space telescope designated to search for Earth-like exoplanets. | USA (NASA) | Kepler Mission | [52] |
August 2009 | First images of the structures in the rings of a planet ( rings of Saturn). | USA (NASA) ESA Italy (ASI) | Cassini–Huygens | [53] [54] |
Date | Mission success | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
20 May 2010 | First solar sail. | Japan (JAXA) | IKAROS | [55] |
13 June 2010 | First sample return from an asteroid ( 25143 Itokawa). | Japan (JAXA) | Hayabusa | |
25 August 2010 | First spacecraft to orbit one of the Moon's Lagrange point (L2). | USA (NASA) | ARTEMIS-P1 | [56] |
22 October 2010 | First spacecraft to orbit the Moon's Lagrange 1 point. | USA (NASA) | ARTEMIS-P2 | [56] |
18 March 2011 | First orbit of Mercury. | USA (NASA) | MESSENGER | |
16 July 2011 | First orbit of an object in the asteroid belt ( 4 Vesta). | USA (NASA) | Dawn | |
6 August 2012 | First use of a sky crane to land on another celestial body ( Mars). | USA (NASA) | Mars Science Laboratory | [57] |
25 August 2012 | First spacecraft to leave the
heliosphere.
First spacecraft in interstellar space. |
USA (NASA) | Voyager 1 | [58] |
January 2013 | First laser communication with a lunar satellite. | USA (NASA) | Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter | [59] |
10 September 2014 | First spacecraft to orbit a comet nucleus ( 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko). | ESA | Rosetta | [60] |
12 November 2014 | First soft landing on a comet ( 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko). | ESA | Philae | [61] |
6 March 2015 | First flyby and orbit of a
dwarf planet (
Ceres). First spacecraft to orbit two separate celestial bodies. |
USA (NASA) | Dawn | [62] |
July 2015 | First flyby of an object beyond Neptune (
Pluto and its moons).
First flyby in the Kuiper belt. First flyby of a
trans-neptunian object. |
USA (NASA) | New Horizons | [63] |
10 August 2015 | First food grown in space eaten ( lettuce). | USA (NASA) Japan (JAXA) | International Space Station | [64] |
14 September 2015 | First observation of gravitational waves. | LSC – EGO | LIGO – Virgo | [65] [66] |
23 November 2015 | First propulsive landing of a rocket after sending something into space ( suborbital). | USA ( Blue Origin) | New Shepard 2 | [67] |
21 December 2015 | First propulsive landing of an orbital rocket. | USA ( SpaceX) | Falcon 9 first-stage landing tests | |
16 April 2016 | First inflatable space habitat. [note 5] | USA ( Bigelow Aerospace) | BEAM | [68] |
15 September 2017 | First spacecraft to enter the atmosphere of Saturn. | USA (NASA) ESA Italy (ASI) | Cassini–Huygens | [69] |
19 October 2017 | First known interstellar object detected passing through the Solar System. | USA ( Haleakalā Observatory) | Oumuamua | |
21 September 2018 | First operational rover on an asteroid ( 162173 Ryugu). | Japan (JAXA) | Hayabusa2 | [70] |
1 December 2018 | First recorded sounds from Mars. | USA (NASA) | InSight | [71] |
1 January 2019 | First flyby of a
classical Kuiper belt object (
486958 Arrokoth).
First flyby of a contact binary. First spacecraft to make two different flybys in the Kuiper belt. |
USA (NASA) | New Horizons | [72] |
3 January 2019 | First soft landing on the far side of the Moon. | China ( CNSA) | Chang'e 4 | [73] |
10 April 2019 | First direct photograph of a black hole and its vicinity. | USA (NASA) | Event Horizon Telescope | [74] |
Date | Mission success | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
6 April 2021 | First confirmed quake on another planet ( marsquake). | USA (NASA) | InSight | [75] |
19 April 2021 | First aerodynamically powered flight on another celestial body ( Mars). | USA (NASA) | Ingenuity | [76] |
20 April 2021 | First
in situ resource utilization.
First production of oxygen on another celestial body ( Mars). |
USA (NASA) | MOXIE | [77] [78] |
14 December 2021 | First spacecraft to fly through the atmosphere of a star (the Sun's corona). | USA (NASA) | Parker Solar Probe | [79] |
25 December 2021 | Launch of the largest space telescope to date. | USA (NASA) ESA Canada (CSA) | James Webb Space Telescope | [80] |
26 September 2022 | First
asteroid measurably deflected by a spacecraft.
First spacecraft to make contact with an asteroid moon (impact on Dimorphos). |
USA (NASA) | DART | [81] |
23 August 2023 | First landing at the lunar south polar region. | India ( ISRO) | Chandrayaan-3 | [82] |
14 March 2024 | First successful demonstration of in space propellant transfer | USA (SpaceX) | SpaceX Starship integrated flight test 3 | [83] |
06 June 2024 | First successful instance of both stages of a launch vehicle returned for a controlled landing | USA (SpaceX) | SpaceX Starship integrated flight test 4 | [84] |
25 June 2024 | First samples returned from the far side of the Moon. | China ( CNSA) | Chang'e 6 | [85] |
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This article may contain
unverified or
indiscriminate information in
embedded lists. (February 2023) |
This is a timeline of space exploration which includes notable 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.
Date | Event leading to space exploration | Country | Researcher(s) | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
1610 | First telescopic observation of the night sky: discovery of the Galilean moons, lunar craters and the phases of Venus. | Venice | Galileo 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 |
Date | Mission success | Country | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
1903 | Publication of Exploration of the Universe with Rocket-Propelled Vehicles [1] 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 | [2] |
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 | |
15 December 1923 | Die Rakete zu den Planetenräumen ("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 | |
16 March 1926 | 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 | 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. | Germany | Herman Potočnik | |
January 1933 | British Interplanetary Society founded. | UK | Philip E. Cleator | |
April 1933 | First detection of radio waves from an astronomical object. | United States | Karl Jansky | |
September 1933 | Establishment 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). | USSR | Key people Sergei Korolev & Valentin Glushko | [3] |
20 June 1944 | First
spaceflight in history.
First human-made object in space (later defined as above the Kármán line). |
Germany ( Wehrmacht) | V-2 rocket ( MW 18014) | |
October 1945 | 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. Clarke | |
10 May 1946 | First space research flight ( cosmic radiation experiments). | United States | captured and improved V-2 rocket | |
24 October 1946 | First pictures of Earth from 105 km (65 mi). | United States | V-2 | [4] [5] |
20 February 1947 | First animals in space (fruit flies). | United States | V-2 | [4] [6] |
24 February 1949 | First 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 States | Bumper-5 | |
14 June 1949 | First mammal in space (
Albert II, a rhesus monkey).
First primate in space. |
United States | V-2 | |
20 September 1956 | First 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 States | Jupiter-C | [7] [8] |
Date | Mission achievements | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
4 October 1957 | First artificial
satellite. First human-made signals from space. |
USSR | Sputnik 1 | |
3 November 1957 | First mammal in orbit, the dog Laika. | USSR | Sputnik 2 | |
31 January 1958 | Confirmed existence of the Van Allen radiation belt. | USA ( ABMA) | Explorer 1 | |
17 March 1958 | First use of
solar power in space. The oldest artificial object still in space. |
USA ( NRL) | Vanguard 1 | |
4 January 1959 | First rocket to reach Earth
escape velocity.
First spacecraft to attempt to impact the Moon's surface. |
USSR | Luna 1 | |
17 February 1959 | First weather satellite. | USA (NRL) | Vanguard 2 | |
7 August 1959 | First photograph of Earth from Earth orbit. | USA ( NASA) | Explorer 6 | |
13 September 1959 | First spacecraft to impact another celestial body (the
Moon). First delivery of national pennants to a celestial body. |
USSR | Luna 2 | |
4 October 1959 | First photos of another world from space: the
far side of the Moon.
First gravity assist. |
USSR | Luna 3 |
Date | Mission success | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 1960 | First solar probe. | USA (NASA) | Pioneer 5 | |
19 August 1960 | First plants and animals to return alive from Earth orbit. | USSR | Sputnik 5 | |
25 September 1960 | First rocket engine fired in space. | USA (NASA) | Pioneer P-30 | [9] |
31 January 1961 | First
hominidae in space (chimpanzee
Ham).
First tasks performed in space. |
USA (NASA) | M-R 2 | |
12 February 1961 | First launch from Earth orbit of
upper stage into a
heliocentric orbit. First mid-course corrections. First spin-stabilisation. |
USSR | Venera 1 | |
12 April 1961 | First
human spaceflight (
Yuri Gagarin). First human-crewed orbital flight. |
USSR | Vostok 1 | [10] [11] |
5 May 1961 | First human-piloted space flight (
Alan Shepard). First human-crewed suborbital flight. |
USA | Freedom 7 | |
19 May 1961 | First planetary flyby (within 100,000 km of Venus – no data returned). | USSR | Venera 1 | |
6 August 1961 | First crewed space flight lasting over twenty four hours by Gherman Titov, who is also the first to suffer from space sickness. | USSR | Vostok 2 | |
7 March 1962 | First orbital solar observatory. | USA (NASA) | OSO-1 | |
26 April 1962 | First spacecraft to impact the far side of the Moon. | USA (NASA) | Ranger 4 | [12] |
11 August 1962 | First dual crewed spaceflight. First communication between two crewed space vehicles in orbit. First person to float freely in microgravity. |
USSR | Vostok 3 and Vostok 4 | |
18 August 1962 | First auroral research rocket launched into the ionosphere. | Norway | Ferdinand 1 | |
November 1962 | First Mars flyby (11,000 km) but contact was lost. | USSR | Mars 1 | |
14 December 1962 | First planetary flyby with data returned (
Venus).
First successful planetary science mission. |
USA (NASA) | Mariner 2 | [13] |
16 June 1963 | First woman in space ( Valentina Tereshkova). | USSR | Vostok 6 | |
19 July 1963 | First reusable crewed spacecraft (suborbital). | USA (NASA) | X-15 Flight 90 | |
12 October 1964 | First multi-person crew (3) in orbit. | USSR | Voskhod 1 | |
18 March 1965 | First space walk/ extra-vehicular activity ( Alexei Leonov). | USSR | Voskhod 2 | |
March 1965 | First crewed spacecraft to change orbit. | USA (NASA) | Gemini 3 | |
14 July 1965 | First flyby of Mars (returned pictures). | USA (NASA) | Mariner 4 | [14] |
14 July 1965 | First photographs of another planet from deep space ( Mars). | USA (NASA) | Mariner 4 | [14] |
15 December 1965 | First orbital rendezvous (parallel flight, no docking). | USA (NASA) | Gemini 6A/ Gemini 7 | |
3 February 1966 | First
soft landing on another world (the Moon). First photos from another world. |
USSR | Luna 9 | [15] |
1 March 1966 | First impact into another planet (Venus). | USSR | Venera 3 | |
16 March 1966 | First orbital docking between two spacecraft. | USA (NASA) | Gemini 8/ Agena target vehicle | |
3 April 1966 | First artificial satellite around another world (the Moon). | USSR | Luna 10 | |
23 August 1966 |
First picture of Earth from another astronomical object (the
Moon).
First probe to map the Moon. |
USA | Lunar Orbiter 1 | [16] |
8 May 1967 | First polar orbit around the Moon. | USA | Lunar Orbiter 4 | [17] |
July 1967 | First photos of the Lunar south pole. | USA | Lunar Orbiter 4 | [17] |
30 October 1967 | First automated (crewless) docking. | USSR | Cosmos 186/ Cosmos 188 | |
17 November 1967 | First liftoff from another celestial body (the Moon). | USA | Surveyor 6 | [18] |
September 1968 | First
animals and
plants to leave Earth orbit and travel to and around the Moon.
First lunar spacecraft to be recovered successfully. |
USSR | Zond 5 | [19] |
7 December 1968 | First orbital ultraviolet observatory. | USA (NASA) | OAO-2 | |
21 December 1968 | First human excursion beyond low Earth orbit.
First in-person observations of Earth from a distance. |
USA (NASA) | Apollo 8 | [20] |
24 December 1968 | First human flight to another celestial body (the Moon) and to enter its gravitational influence. | USA (NASA) | Apollo 8 | [20] |
January 1969 | First docking between two crewed spacecraft in Earth orbit.
First crew exchange in space. |
USSR | Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 | |
January 1969 | First spacecraft to parachute in Venus's atmosphere, lost contact before landing. | USSR | Venera 5 | |
23 May 1969 | First docking of two crewed spacecraft around another celestial body.
First lunar mission to include a lunar landing module. |
USA (NASA) | Apollo 10 | [21] |
20 July 1969 | First human on another
celestial body (the Moon).
First words spoken from another world. |
USA (NASA) | Apollo 11 | [22] |
21 July 1969 | First space launch from another celestial body.
First sample return from another celestial body. |
USA (NASA) | Apollo 11 | [22] |
19 November 1969 | First
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 | [23] |
Date | Mission success | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 April 1970 | Farthest distance from Earth traveled by humans. | USA (NASA) | Apollo 13 | [24] [note 1] |
24 September 1970 | First automatic sample return from the Moon. | USSR | Luna 16 | |
17 November 1970 | First
rover on another celestial body (the Moon).
First lunar rover. |
USSR | Lunokhod 1 | |
12 December 1970 | First X-ray orbital observatory. | USA (NASA) | Uhuru | |
15 December 1970 | First soft landing on another planet (Venus). First signals from another planet. |
USSR | Venera 7 | |
19 April 1971 | First space station. | USSR | Salyut 1 | |
June 1971 | First crewed orbital observatory. | USSR | Orion 1 | |
30 July 1971 | First motor vehicle on another celestial body ( Lunar Roving Vehicle). | USA (NASA) | Apollo 15 | [27] |
14 November 1971 | First spacecraft to orbit another planet ( Mars). | USA (NASA) | Mariner 9 | |
27 November 1971 | First spacecraft to impact another planet (Mars). | USSR | Mars 2 | |
2 December 1971 | First
soft landing on Mars. First signals from Martian surface. First photograph from Martian surface. |
USSR | Mars 3 | |
3 March 1972 | First
spacecraft on a trajectory out of the solar system.
First spacecraft to use all-nuclear electrical power ( SNAP-19 RTGs). |
USA (NASA) | Pioneer 10 | [28] |
15 July 1972 | First spacecraft to enter the
asteroid belt.
First spacecraft beyond the orbit of Mars. |
USA (NASA) | Pioneer 10 | [28] |
15 November 1972 | First orbital gamma ray observatory. | USA (NASA) | SAS 2 | |
3 November 1973 | First mission sent to study Mercury. | USA (NASA) | Mariner 10 | [29] |
3 December 1973 | First flyby of
Jupiter.
First spacecraft beyond the Inner Solar System. |
USA (NASA) | Pioneer 10 | [28] |
January 1974 | First spacecraft to return data on a long-period comet. | USA (NASA) | Mariner 10 | [29] |
5 February 1974 | First mission to explore two planets in a single mission (Mercury and Venus). First photograph of Venus from space. First use of solar wind for spacecraft orientation. |
USA (NASA) | Mariner 10 | [29] |
29 March 1974 | First flyby of Mercury. | USA (NASA) | Mariner 10 | [29] |
21 Sept. 1974 | First spacecraft to flyby the same planet multiple times ( Mercury). | USA (NASA) | Mariner 10 | [29] |
15 July 1975 | First multinational crewed mission. | USSR USA (NASA) | Apollo-Soyuz Test Project | |
20 October 1975 | First spacecraft to orbit Venus. | USSR | Venera 9 | |
22 October 1975 | First successful photos from the surface of another planet (Venus). | USSR | Venera 9 | |
20 July 1976 | First successful photos and soil samples from the surface of Mars. | USA (NASA) | Viking Lander | |
26 January 1978 | First real time remotely operated ultraviolet orbital observatory. |
USA (NASA) ESA UK ( SERC) |
International Ultraviolet Explorer | |
20 November 1978 | First spacecraft to orbit the Sun at Lagrange 1. | USA (NASA) | ISEE-3/ICE | [30] |
4 December 1978 | First extended (multi-year) orbital exploration of Venus (from 1978 to 1992). | USA (NASA) | Pioneer Venus Orbiter | |
5 March 1979 |
Jupiter flyby (closest approach 349,000 km) Encounters with five Jovian moons. Discovery of volcanism on Io. |
USA (NASA) | Voyager 1 | |
1 September 1979 | First flyby of
Saturn.
First photograph of Titan from deep space. |
USA (NASA) | Pioneer 11 |
Date | Mission success | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
12 November 1980 | Saturn flyby (closest approach 124,000 km), close encounter of Titan and encounters with a dozen other moons. | USA (NASA) | Voyager 1 | |
12 April 1981 | First reusable crewed orbital spacecraft ( Space Shuttle). | USA (NASA) | STS-1 | |
1 March 1982 | First
Venus soil samples
First sound recording of another world (Venus). |
USSR | Venera 13 | |
10 June 1982 | First spacecraft to conduct a deep survey of Earth's magnetic tail. | USA (NASA) | ISEE-3/ICE | [30] |
19 August 1982 | First mixed gender crew aboard space station, and first woman, Svetlana Savitskaya, on space station. | USSR | Salyut 7 | |
1982 | First plants grown in space ( Arabidopsis). | USSR | Salyut 7 | [31] [32] |
25 January 1983 | First Infrared orbital observatory. |
USA (NASA) UK (SERC) Netherlands ( NIVR) |
IRAS | |
13 June 1983 | First spacecraft beyond the orbit of
Neptune.
First spacecraft beyond all Solar System planets. |
USA (NASA) | Pioneer 10 | [28] |
7 February 1984 | First untethered spacewalk ( Bruce McCandless II). | USA (NASA) | STS-41-B | |
25 July 1984 | First spacewalk by a woman ( Svetlana Savitskaya). | USSR | Salyut 7 | |
11 June 1985 | First balloon deployed on another planet (Venus). | USSR | Vega 1 | |
11 September 1985 | First spacecraft to flyby a comet ( 21P/Giacobini-Zinner). [note 2] | USA (NASA) | ISEE-3/ICE | [30] |
24 January 1986 | First spacecraft to flyby Uranus. | USA (NASA) | Voyager 2 | [33] |
19 February 1986 | First consistently inhabited long-term research space station. | USSR | Mir | |
13 March 1986 | First close up observations of a comet ( Halley's Comet, 596 kilometers). | ESA | Giotto | |
July 1988 | First suspected detection of an exoplanet ( Gamma Cephei Ab). [note 3] | Canada | Astronomers Bruce Campbell, Gordon Walker and Stephenson Yang. | [34] |
8 August 1989 | First astrometric satellite. | ESA | Hipparcos | |
25 August 1989 | First spacecraft to flyby
Neptune.
First spacecraft to study all four of the solar system's giant planets at close range. |
USA (NASA) | Voyager 2 | [33] |
18 November 1989 | First orbital cosmic microwave observatory. | USA (NASA) | COBE |
Date | Mission success | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 February 1990 | First photograph of the whole Solar System ( Family Portrait). | USA (NASA) | Voyager 1 | [35] |
24 April 1990 | First telescope designed to be repaired in space. |
USA (NASA) ESA |
Hubble Space Telescope | [36] |
2 July 1990 | First time a spacecraft coming from deep space uses the Earth for a gravity-assist manoeuvre. | ESA | Giotto | [37] |
21 October 1991 | First asteroid flyby ( 951 Gaspra closest approach 1,600 km). | USA (NASA) | Galileo | |
1992 | First confirmed observation of an exoplanet. |
Canada Poland |
Aleksander Wolszczan & Dale Frail | |
8 February 1992 | First
polar orbit around the
Sun.
First mission to survey the space environment above and below the poles of the Sun. |
USA (NASA) ESA |
Ulysses | [38] |
13 September 1992 | First spacecraft to map Venus in its entirety. | USA (NASA) | Magellan | [39] |
22 March 1995 | Record longest duration spaceflight to date (437.7 day by Valeri Polyakov). | Russia ( FKA) | Mir | |
7 December 1995 | First orbit of Jupiter. | USA (NASA) | Galileo | |
7 December 1995 | First spacecraft to enter the atmosphere of a gas giant (Jupiter). | USA (NASA) | Galileo's atmospheric entry probe | [40] |
1995 | First laser communication from space. | Japan ( JAXA, NICT) | ETS-VI | [41] |
12 February 1997 | First orbital radio observatory. | Japan ( ISAS) | HALCA | |
4 July 1997 | First operational rover on another planet ( Mars). | USA (NASA) | Mars Pathfinder / Sojourner | |
17 September 1997 | First spacecraft to use aerobraking to enter orbit ( Martian orbit). | USA (NASA) | Mars Global Surveyor | [42] |
20 November 1998 | First multinational space station. Largest artificial object built in space to date. |
Russia (FKA) USA (NASA) Europe (ESA) Japan ( JAXA) Canada ( CSA) |
International Space Station |
Date | Mission success | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 February 2000 | First orbit of an asteroid ( 433 Eros). | USA (NASA) ESA | NEAR Shoemaker | |
12 February 2001 | First landing on an asteroid ( 433 Eros). | USA (NASA) | NEAR Shoemaker | |
November 2001 | First laser communication in space between two objects. | ESA France ( CNES) | Artemis, SPOT 4 | [43] |
17 May 2004 | First amateur spaceflight. | USA ( CSXT) | CSXT GoFast | [44] |
1 July 2004 | First orbit of Saturn. | USA (NASA) ESA Italy ( ASI) | Cassini–Huygens | |
8 September 2004 | First sample return beyond lunar orbit (solar wind). | USA (NASA) | Genesis | |
14 January 2005 | First landing in the
outer Solar System (Titan).
First landing on a moon other than Earth's Moon. |
ESA USA (NASA) Italy (ASI) | Cassini–Huygens | |
January–February 2005 | First confirmed cryovolcano ( Enceladus). | ESA USA (NASA) Italy (ASI) | Cassini–Huygens | [45] |
4 July 2005 | First spacecraft to impact a comet ( Tempel 1). | USA (NASA) | Deep Impact | |
19 November 2005 | First asteroid ascent (
25143 Itokawa). First interplanetary escape without separating and discarding the landing gear. |
Japan (JAXA) | Hayabusa | |
15 January 2006 | First sample return from a comet ( 81P/Wild). | USA (NASA) | Stardust | [46] |
3 January 2007 | First confirmed lakes on the surface of another celestial body ( lakes of Titan). | USA (NASA) ESA Italy (ASI) | Cassini–Huygens | [47] [48] |
25 May 2008 | First spacecraft to photograph another spacecraft landing on another celestial body ( Phoenix, on Mars). | USA (NASA) | Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter | [49] |
8 November 2008 | First discovery of lunar water in the form of ice. [note 4] | India ( ISRO) | Chandrayaan-1 | [50] [51] |
6 March 2009 | First space telescope designated to search for Earth-like exoplanets. | USA (NASA) | Kepler Mission | [52] |
August 2009 | First images of the structures in the rings of a planet ( rings of Saturn). | USA (NASA) ESA Italy (ASI) | Cassini–Huygens | [53] [54] |
Date | Mission success | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
20 May 2010 | First solar sail. | Japan (JAXA) | IKAROS | [55] |
13 June 2010 | First sample return from an asteroid ( 25143 Itokawa). | Japan (JAXA) | Hayabusa | |
25 August 2010 | First spacecraft to orbit one of the Moon's Lagrange point (L2). | USA (NASA) | ARTEMIS-P1 | [56] |
22 October 2010 | First spacecraft to orbit the Moon's Lagrange 1 point. | USA (NASA) | ARTEMIS-P2 | [56] |
18 March 2011 | First orbit of Mercury. | USA (NASA) | MESSENGER | |
16 July 2011 | First orbit of an object in the asteroid belt ( 4 Vesta). | USA (NASA) | Dawn | |
6 August 2012 | First use of a sky crane to land on another celestial body ( Mars). | USA (NASA) | Mars Science Laboratory | [57] |
25 August 2012 | First spacecraft to leave the
heliosphere.
First spacecraft in interstellar space. |
USA (NASA) | Voyager 1 | [58] |
January 2013 | First laser communication with a lunar satellite. | USA (NASA) | Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter | [59] |
10 September 2014 | First spacecraft to orbit a comet nucleus ( 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko). | ESA | Rosetta | [60] |
12 November 2014 | First soft landing on a comet ( 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko). | ESA | Philae | [61] |
6 March 2015 | First flyby and orbit of a
dwarf planet (
Ceres). First spacecraft to orbit two separate celestial bodies. |
USA (NASA) | Dawn | [62] |
July 2015 | First flyby of an object beyond Neptune (
Pluto and its moons).
First flyby in the Kuiper belt. First flyby of a
trans-neptunian object. |
USA (NASA) | New Horizons | [63] |
10 August 2015 | First food grown in space eaten ( lettuce). | USA (NASA) Japan (JAXA) | International Space Station | [64] |
14 September 2015 | First observation of gravitational waves. | LSC – EGO | LIGO – Virgo | [65] [66] |
23 November 2015 | First propulsive landing of a rocket after sending something into space ( suborbital). | USA ( Blue Origin) | New Shepard 2 | [67] |
21 December 2015 | First propulsive landing of an orbital rocket. | USA ( SpaceX) | Falcon 9 first-stage landing tests | |
16 April 2016 | First inflatable space habitat. [note 5] | USA ( Bigelow Aerospace) | BEAM | [68] |
15 September 2017 | First spacecraft to enter the atmosphere of Saturn. | USA (NASA) ESA Italy (ASI) | Cassini–Huygens | [69] |
19 October 2017 | First known interstellar object detected passing through the Solar System. | USA ( Haleakalā Observatory) | Oumuamua | |
21 September 2018 | First operational rover on an asteroid ( 162173 Ryugu). | Japan (JAXA) | Hayabusa2 | [70] |
1 December 2018 | First recorded sounds from Mars. | USA (NASA) | InSight | [71] |
1 January 2019 | First flyby of a
classical Kuiper belt object (
486958 Arrokoth).
First flyby of a contact binary. First spacecraft to make two different flybys in the Kuiper belt. |
USA (NASA) | New Horizons | [72] |
3 January 2019 | First soft landing on the far side of the Moon. | China ( CNSA) | Chang'e 4 | [73] |
10 April 2019 | First direct photograph of a black hole and its vicinity. | USA (NASA) | Event Horizon Telescope | [74] |
Date | Mission success | Country/organization | Mission name | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
6 April 2021 | First confirmed quake on another planet ( marsquake). | USA (NASA) | InSight | [75] |
19 April 2021 | First aerodynamically powered flight on another celestial body ( Mars). | USA (NASA) | Ingenuity | [76] |
20 April 2021 | First
in situ resource utilization.
First production of oxygen on another celestial body ( Mars). |
USA (NASA) | MOXIE | [77] [78] |
14 December 2021 | First spacecraft to fly through the atmosphere of a star (the Sun's corona). | USA (NASA) | Parker Solar Probe | [79] |
25 December 2021 | Launch of the largest space telescope to date. | USA (NASA) ESA Canada (CSA) | James Webb Space Telescope | [80] |
26 September 2022 | First
asteroid measurably deflected by a spacecraft.
First spacecraft to make contact with an asteroid moon (impact on Dimorphos). |
USA (NASA) | DART | [81] |
23 August 2023 | First landing at the lunar south polar region. | India ( ISRO) | Chandrayaan-3 | [82] |
14 March 2024 | First successful demonstration of in space propellant transfer | USA (SpaceX) | SpaceX Starship integrated flight test 3 | [83] |
06 June 2024 | First successful instance of both stages of a launch vehicle returned for a controlled landing | USA (SpaceX) | SpaceX Starship integrated flight test 4 | [84] |
25 June 2024 | First samples returned from the far side of the Moon. | China ( CNSA) | Chang'e 6 | [85] |
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