1610
First telescopic observation of the night sky: discovery of the Galilean moons, lunar craters and the phases of Venus
1668
First reflecting telescope
1781
First telescopic discovery of planet (Uranus)
1801
First discovery of asteroid (Ceres)
1813
First exposition of the rocket equation based on Newton's third law of motion: Treatise on the Motion of Rockets
1840
First clear telescopic photograph of another world: the Moon
1845
First proper observation of other galaxies which are termed "whirlpool nebulae"
1861
A Journey Through Space makes first proposal of using rockets for space flight
Between 1880 and 1881
Tsiolkovsky's first scientific study, a paper called "Theory of Gases"
1895
First proposal of space elevator
1903
Publication of Exploration of the Universe with Rocket-Propelled Vehicles
1914
Goddard files for and is awarded U.S. patents on multistage and liquid-fueled rockets
1917
First observation of an extrasolar planet (exoplanet) round Van Maanen 2
1919
Goddard's paper "A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes" discussed rocketry
Dec 15, 1923
Die Rakete zu den Planetenräumen ("By Rocket into Planetary Space") self-published
1924
Society for Studies of Interplanetary Travel founded
Mar 16, 1926
Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
1927
Завоевание межпланетных пространств (The Conquest of Interplanetary Space) discusses rocket mechanics
1927
Verein für Raumschiffahrt (Society for Space Travel) formed
1928
Das Problem der Befahrung des Weltraums – der Raketen-Motor discusses space travel
1929
Tsiolkovsky proposed the construction of multistage rockets in his book Space Rocket Trains
Jan of 1933
British Interplanetary Society founded
Apr of 1933
First detection of radio waves from an astronomical object
Sep of 1933
Establishment of the Soviet rocket research lab Reactive Scientific Research Institute (RNII)
Feb 25, 1942
The first A-4 flight-test model was completed. Later after series of prototypes went to war as the V2.
Jun 20, 1944
First spaceflight in history
Oct of 1945
Article in Wireless World discusses geostationary satellites
May 10, 1946
First space research flight (cosmic radiation experiments)
Oct 24, 1946
First pictures of Earth from 105 km (65 mi)
Feb 20, 1947
First animals in space (fruit flies)
May 13, 1948
RTV-G-4 Bumper first flight
Sep 13, 1948
The first tests of R-1 rocket (V-2 close copy) began
Feb 24, 1949
First two-stage liquid-fueled rocket sets a record altitude (WAC Corporal missile mounted onto a V-2 rocket)
Jun 14, 1949
First mammal in space (Albert II, a rhesus monkey). First primate in space.
Jul 29, 1950
RTV-G-4 Bumper last flight
Jul 22, 1951
First dogs in space (Dezik and Tsygan). First living organisms to fly in space and safely return.
Sep 19, 1952
Last launch of captured V-2 rocket in the United States
Oct 5, 1954
First color picture of Earth and detailed view of a tropical cyclone
Jun 14, 1956
R-1 last flight
Sep 20, 1956
Jupiter-C first flight. First rocket to pass the thermopause and enter the exosphere.
Aug 8, 1957
Jupiter-C last flight
Oct 4, 1957 19:28
Sputnik 1 launch. First artificial satellite. First human-made signals from space.
Nov 3, 1957 2:30
Sputnik 2 launch. First mammal in orbit, the dog Laika.
Jan 4, 1958
Sputnik 1 decay
Jan 31, 1958
Confirmed existence of the Van Allen radiation belt
Feb 1, 1958 3:47
Explorer 1 launch. The first satellite launched by the United States.
Mar 17, 1958 12:15
Vanguard 1 satellite launch. Currently the oldest artificial object still in space.
Circa Mar 17, 1958 13:00
First use of solar power in space by Vanguard 1 satellite
Circa Apr 14, 1958 2:00
Sputnik 2 decay
May 23, 1958
Explorer 1 last contact
Oct 1, 1958
NASA began operations absorbing NACA
Jan 2, 1959 16:41
Luna 1 spacecraft launch
Jan 4, 1959
First rocket to reach Earth escape velocity. First spacecraft to attempt to impact the Moon's surface.
Jan 4, 1959
First artificial object in heliocentric orbit. First detection of solar wind.
Jan 5, 1959
Luna 1 last contact
Feb 17, 1959 15:55
Vanguard 2 launch. First weather satellite.
Mar 15, 1959
Vanguard 2 last contact
Jun 8, 1959
First X-15 flight - unpowered glide
Aug 7, 1959 14:24
Explorer 6 satellite launch. First NASA satellite.
Aug 14, 1959
First photograph of Earth from Earth orbit
Sep 12, 1959 6:39
Luna 2 spacecraft launch
Sep 13, 1959 21:02
Luna 2 impact. First spacecraft to impact another celestial body (the Moon). First delivery of national pennants to a celestial body.
Oct 4, 1959 0:43
Luna 3 spacecraft launch
Oct 6, 1959
Explorer 6 last contact
Oct 7, 1959
Luna 3 made first photos of another world from space: the far side of the Moon. First gravity assist.
Oct 22, 1959
Luna 3 last contact
Mar 11, 1960 13:00
Pioneer 5 launch. First solar probe.
Jun 26, 1960
Pioneer 5 last contact
Aug 19, 1960 8:44
Sputnik 5 launch. First plants and animals to return alive from Earth orbit. Belka and Strelka space dogs.
Aug 20, 1960 6:00
Sputnik 5 successful landing
Sep 25, 1960 15:13
Pioneer P-30 unsuccessful launch. First rocket engine fired in space.
Jan 31, 1961 16:55
Mercury-Redstone 2 launch. First hominidae in space (chimpanzee Ham)
Jan 31, 1961 17:12
Mercury-Redstone 2 landing
Feb 12, 1961 0:34
Venera 1 lauhch. First launch from Earth orbit of upper stage into a heliocentric orbit. First mid-course corrections. First spin-stabilisation.
Feb 19, 1961
Venera 1 last contact
Apr 12, 1961 6:07
Vostok 1 launch. First human spaceflight (Yuri Gagarin).
Apr 12, 1961 8:05
Gagarin landing
May 5, 1961 14:34
Freedom 7 / Mercury-Redstone 3 launch. First human-piloted space flight (Alan Shepard).
May 5, 1961 14:49
Mercury-Redstone 3 landing
May 19, 1961
Venera 1, first planetary flyby (within 100,000 km of Venus – no data returned)
Jul 1, 1961
Explorer 6 decay
Aug 6, 1961 6:00
Vostok 2 launch. First crewed space flight lasting over twenty four hours by Gherman Titov, who is also the first to suffer from space sickness.
Aug 7, 1961 7:18
Vostok 2 landing
Mar 7, 1962
Launch of OSO 1 (OSO A). First orbital solar observatory.
Apr 23, 1962 20:50
Ranger 4 launch
Apr 26, 1962 20:49
First spacecraft to impact the far side of the Moon
Aug 11, 1962 8:24
Vostok 3 launch
Aug 12, 1962 8:02
Vostok 4 launch
Between Aug 12, 1962 8:02 and Aug 15, 1962 6:52
First dual crewed spaceflight. First communication between two crewed space vehicles in orbit. First person to float freely in microgravity.
Aug 15, 1962 6:52
Vostok 3 landing
Aug 15, 1962 6:59
Vostok 4 landing
Aug 18, 1962
First Norwegian rocket Ferdinand. First auroral research rocket launched into the ionosphere.
Aug 27, 1962 6:53
Mariner 2 launch
Nov 1, 1962 16:14
Mars 1 launch
Dec 14, 1962
First planetary flyby with data returned (Venus). First successful planetary science mission.
Jan 3, 1963 7:00
Mariner 2 last contact
Mar 21, 1963
Mars 1 last contact
Jun 16, 1963 9:29
Vostok 6 launch. First woman in space (Valentina Tereshkova).
Circa Jun 19, 1963
Mars 1 estimated Mars flyby
Jun 19, 1963 8:20
Vostok 6 landing
Jul 19, 1963 18:20
X-15 Flight 90. First reusable crewed spacecraft (suborbital).
Apr 25, 1964
First launch of a French experimental lithergol rocket, LEX, from the Levant Island
May of 1964
Vanguard 1 last contact
Oct 12, 1964 7:30
Voskhod 1 launch. First multi-person crew (3) in orbit. First flight without the use of spacesuits. First non-pilot crew member.
Oct 13, 1964 7:47
Voskhod 1 landing
Nov 28, 1964 14:22
Mariner 4 launch
Feb 3, 1965
Launch of OSO 2 (OSO B2)
Mar 18, 1965 7:00
Voskhod 2 launch
Mar 18, 1965 8:34
First space walk/extra-vehicular activity (Alexei Leonov)
Mar 19, 1965 9:02
Voskhod 2 landing
Mar 23, 1965 14:24
Gemini 3 launch
Mar 23, 1965 15:57
First orbital maneuver by crewed spacecraft
Mar 23, 1965 19:16
Gemini 3 landing
Jul 14, 1965
First flyby of Mars (returned pictures)
Jul 14, 1965
First photographs of another planet from deep space (Mars)
Nov 16, 1965 4:19
Venera 3 launch
Nov 26, 1965
Diamant rocket (France) first flight
Nov 26, 1965 9:52
France launches its first satellite, Asterix, from a rocket Diamant
Dec 4, 1965 19:30
Gemini 7 launch
Dec 15, 1965 13:37
Gemini 6A launch
Circa Dec 15, 1965 15:00
First orbital rendezvous (parallel flight, no docking)
Dec 16, 1965 15:28
Gemini 6A landing
Dec 18, 1965 14:05
Gemini 7 landing
Dec 26, 1965
Course correction maneuver placed Venera 3 on a collision course
Jan 31, 1966 11:41
Luna 9 launch
Feb 3, 1966 18:45
First soft landing on the Moon. Confirmed lunar surface could support a lander; measured surface radiation.
Feb 4, 1966 1:45
First transmitted images/panoramas from the lunar surface (began ~7 hours after landing)
Feb 6, 1966 22:55
Luna 9 last contact
Feb 15, 1966
Venera 3 contact lost, likely due to overheating
Feb 22, 1966
Soviet space dogs, Veterok and Ugolyok were launched to spent 21 days in orbit
Mar 1, 1966
Venera 3 impact on Venus. First space probe to hit the surface of another planet.
Mar 16, 1966 16:41
Gemini 8 launch
Mar 16, 1966 23:14
Gemini 8 first orbital docking (with Agena target vehicle)
Mar 16, 1966 23:45
Gemini 8 undocking following onset of uncontrolled roll (abort initiated)
Mar 17, 1966
Gemini 8 landing, emergency splashdown in the western Pacific
Mar 31, 1966 10:48
Luna 10 launch toward the Moon
Apr 3, 1966
First artificial satellite around another world (the Moon)
Apr 3, 1966
Luna 10 became the first artificial satellite of the Moon
Apr 3, 1966
Luna 10 lunar orbit insertion (first orbit completed ~3 hours later)
May 30, 1966
Luna 10 end of communications (after 460 lunar orbits, 219 data sessions)
Aug 10, 1966 19:31
Lunar Orbiter 1 Earth parking orbit achieved
Aug 10, 1966 20:04
Lunar Orbiter 1 trans-lunar injection
Aug 14, 1966
Lunar Orbiter 1 lunar orbit insertion (92.1 hours after launch)
Aug 23, 1966
First picture of Earth from another astronomical object (the Moon)
Aug 23, 1966
Lunar Orbiter 1 first image of Earth from the vicinity of the Moon
Aug 25, 1966
Lunar Orbiter 1 second Earth-from-Moon image
Oct 29, 1966
Lunar Orbiter 1 impact on Moon’s far side (planned end)
Oct 29, 1966
Lunar Orbiter 1 primary imaging period; readout through 1966-09-14
Jan 26, 1967
First sounding rocket launch from Antarctica, a Dragon rocket
Mar 8, 1967
Launch of OSO 3 (OSO E1)
May 4, 1967
Lunar Orbiter 4 launch
May 8, 1967
First polar orbit around the Moon
May 11, 1967
Lunar Orbiter 4 began global lunar imaging
May 26, 1967
Lunar Orbiter 4 photographic mission terminated (readout through 1967-06-01)
Jul of 1967
First photos of the Lunar south pole
Sep 15, 1967
Mariner 4 passed through debris of D/1895 Q1 (D/Swift) comet
Oct 3, 1967
World record for the highest speed ever recorded by a crewed, powered aircraft, which remains unbroken
Oct 18, 1967
Launch of OSO 4 (OSO D)
Oct 27, 1967 9:29
Kosmos 186 launch
Oct 30, 1967 8:12
Kosmos 188 launch
Between Oct 30, 1967 8:12 and Oct 30, 1967 23:59
Kosmos 186 and Kosmos 188 first fully automated rendezvous and docking (IGLA system), docking achieved ~62 minutes after Kosmos 188 launch; remained docked ~3.5 hours
Oct 31, 1967
Kosmos 186 landing and recovery
Oct 31, 1967
Lunar Orbiter 4 impact due to orbital decay (end of mission)
Nov of 1967
LEX rocket last flight
Nov 2, 1967
Kosmos 188 descent; recovery prevented by self‑destruct activation (per post‑Soviet accounts)
Nov 10, 1967
Surveyor 6 soft landing in Sinus Medii (0.49°N, 1.40°W)
Nov 17, 1967
First liftoff from another celestial body (the Moon)
Nov 17, 1967 10:32
Surveyor 6 first lunar liftoff “hop” (engine restart; 2.5 s; ~4 m up; ~2.5 m lateral; re‑landed)
Nov 24, 1967
Surveyor 6 shutdown for lunar night
Dec 14, 1967
Surveyor 6 contact reestablished; no useful data
Dec 21, 1967
Mariner 4 last contact
Sep of 1968
First animals and plants to leave Earth orbit and travel to and around the Moon
Oct 24, 1968
X-15 last flight
Dec 7, 1968
First orbital ultraviolet observatory
Dec 21, 1968
First human excursion beyond low Earth orbit
Dec 24, 1968
First human flight to another celestial body (the Moon) and to enter its gravitational influence
Jan of 1969
First spacecraft to parachute in Venus's atmosphere, lost contact before landing
Jan of 1969
First docking between two crewed spacecraft in Earth orbit
Jan 22, 1969
Launch of OSO 5 (OSO F)
May 23, 1969
First docking of two crewed spacecraft around another celestial body
Jul 20, 1969
First human on another celestial body (the Moon)
Jul 21, 1969
First space launch from another celestial body
Aug 9, 1969
Launch of OSO 6 (OSO G)
Nov 19, 1969
First rendezvous on the surface of a celestial body
Mar 31, 1970
Explorer 1 decay
Apr 14, 1970
Farthest distance from Earth traveled by humans
Sep 24, 1970
First automatic sample return from the Moon
Nov 17, 1970
First rover on another celestial body (the Moon)
Dec 12, 1970
First X-ray orbital observatory
Dec 15, 1970
First soft landing on another planet (Venus)
Apr 19, 1971
First space station
Jun of 1971
First crewed orbital observatory
Jul 30, 1971
First motor vehicle on another celestial body (Lunar Roving Vehicle)
Sep 29, 1971
Launch of OSO 7 (OSO H)
Nov 14, 1971
First spacecraft to orbit another planet (Mars)
Nov 27, 1971
First spacecraft to impact another planet (Mars)
Dec 2, 1971
First soft landing on Mars
Mar 3, 1972
First spacecraft on a trajectory out of the Solar System
Jul 15, 1972
First spacecraft to enter the asteroid belt
Nov 15, 1972
First orbital gamma ray observatory
Nov 3, 1973
First mission sent to study Mercury
Dec 3, 1973
First flyby of Jupiter
Jan of 1974
First spacecraft to return data on a long-period comet
Feb 5, 1974
First mission to explore two planets in a single mission (Mercury and Venus)
Mar 29, 1974
First flyby of Mercury
Jul 8, 1974
Re-entry date of OSO 7 (OSO H)
Sep 21, 1974
First spacecraft to flyby the same planet multiple times (Mercury)
Jun 21, 1975
Launch of OSO 8 (OSO I)
Jul 15, 1975
First multinational crewed mission
Sep 27, 1975
Diamant rocket last flight
Oct 20, 1975
First spacecraft to orbit Venus
Oct 22, 1975
First successful photos from the surface of another planet (Venus)
Jul 20, 1976
First successful photos and soil samples from the surface of Mars
Jan 26, 1978
First real time remotely operated ultraviolet orbital observatory
Nov 20, 1978
First spacecraft to orbit the Sun at Lagrange 1
Dec 4, 1978
First extended (multi-year) orbital exploration of Venus (from 1978 to 1992)
Mar 5, 1979
Jupiter flyby (closest approach 349,000 km)
Sep 1, 1979
First flyby of Saturn
Nov 12, 1980
Saturn flyby (closest approach 124,000 km), close encounter of Titan and encounters with a dozen other moons
Mar 7, 1981
Re-entry date of OSO 6 (OSO G)
Apr 12, 1981
First reusable crewed orbital spacecraft (Space Shuttle)
Oct 7, 1981
Re-entry date of OSO 1 (OSO A)
1982
First plants grown in space (Arabidopsis)
Mar 1, 1982
First Venus soil samples
Mar 1, 1982
First sound recording of another world (Venus)
Apr 4, 1982
Re-entry date of OSO 3 (OSO E1)
Jun 10, 1982
First spacecraft to conduct a deep survey of Earth's magnetic tail
Jun 14, 1982
Re-entry date of OSO 4 (OSO D)
Aug 19, 1982
First mixed gender crew aboard space station, and first woman, Svetlana Savitskaya, on space station
Jan 25, 1983
First Infrared orbital observatory
Jun 13, 1983
First spacecraft beyond the orbit of Neptune
Feb 7, 1984
First untethered spacewalk (Bruce McCandless II)
Apr 2, 1984
Re-entry date of OSO 5 (OSO F)
Jul 25, 1984
First spacewalk by a woman (Svetlana Savitskaya)
Jun 11, 1985
First balloon deployed on another planet (Venus)
Sep 11, 1985
First spacecraft to flyby a comet (21P/Giacobini-Zinner)
Jan 24, 1986
First spacecraft to flyby Uranus
Feb 19, 1986
First consistently inhabited long-term research space station
Mar 13, 1986
First close up observations of a comet (Halley's Comet, 596 kilometers)
Jul 8, 1986
Re-entry date of OSO 8 (OSO I)
Jul of 1988
First suspected detection of an exoplanet (Gamma Cephei Ab)
Aug 8, 1989
First astrometric satellite
Aug 8, 1989
Re-entry date of OSO 2 (OSO B2)
Aug 25, 1989
First spacecraft to flyby Neptune
Nov 18, 1989
First orbital cosmic microwave observatory
Feb 14, 1990
First photograph of the whole Solar System (Family Portrait).
Apr 24, 1990
First telescope designed to be repaired in space.
Jul 2, 1990
First time a spacecraft coming from deep space uses the Earth for a gravity-assist manoeuvre.
Oct 21, 1991
First asteroid flyby (951 Gaspra closest approach 1,600 km).
1992
First confirmed observation of an exoplanet.
Feb 8, 1992
First polar orbit around the Sun.
Sep 13, 1992
First spacecraft to map Venus in its entirety.
1995
First laser communication from space.
Mar 22, 1995
Record longest duration spaceflight to date (437.7 day by Valeri Polyakov).
Jul of 1995
Identification and confirmation of the first exoplanet orbiting a main-sequence star.
Dec 7, 1995
First orbit of Jupiter.
Dec 7, 1995
First spacecraft to enter the atmosphere of a gas giant (Jupiter).
Feb 12, 1997
First orbital radio observatory.
Jul 4, 1997
First operational rover on another planet (Mars).
Sep 17, 1997
First spacecraft to use aerobraking to enter orbit (Martian orbit).
Nov 20, 1998
First multinational space station.
Feb 14, 2000
First orbit of an asteroid (433 Eros).
Nov 2, 2000
Beginning of an uninterrupted human presence in space.
Feb 12, 2001
First landing on an asteroid (433 Eros).
Nov of 2001
First laser communication in space between two objects.
May 17, 2004
First amateur spaceflight.
Jul 1, 2004
First orbit of Saturn.
Sep 8, 2004
First sample return beyond lunar orbit (solar wind).
Jan of 2005
First confirmed cryovolcano (Enceladus).
Jan 14, 2005
First landing in the outer Solar System (Titan).
Jan 14, 2005
First landing on a moon other than Earth's Moon.
Jul 4, 2005
First spacecraft to impact a comet (Tempel 1).
Nov 19, 2005
First asteroid ascent (25143 Itokawa).
Nov 19, 2005
First interplanetary escape without separating and discarding the landing gear.
Jan 15, 2006
First sample return from a comet (81P/Wild).
Jan 3, 2007
First confirmed lakes on the surface of another celestial body (lakes of Titan).
May 25, 2008
First spacecraft to photograph another spacecraft landing on another celestial body (Phoenix, on Mars).
Nov 8, 2008
First discovery of lunar water in the form of ice.
Mar 6, 2009
First space telescope designated to search for Earth-like exoplanets.
Aug of 2009
First images of the structures in the rings of a planet (rings of Saturn).
May 20, 2010
First solar sail
Jun 13, 2010
First sample return from an asteroid (25143 Itokawa)
Aug 25, 2010
First spacecraft to orbit one of the Moon's Lagrange point (L2)
Oct 22, 2010
First spacecraft to orbit the Moon's Lagrange 1 point
Mar 18, 2011
First orbit of Mercury
Jul 16, 2011
First orbit of an object in the asteroid belt (4 Vesta)
Aug 6, 2012
First use of a sky crane to land on another celestial body (Mars)
Aug 25, 2012
First spacecraft to leave the heliosphere
Jan of 2013
First laser communication with a lunar satellite
Sep 10, 2014
First spacecraft to orbit a comet nucleus (67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko)
Nov 12, 2014
First soft landing on a comet (67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko)
Mar 6, 2015
First flyby and orbit of a dwarf planet (Ceres)
Jul of 2015
First flyby of an object beyond Neptune (Pluto and its moons)
Aug 10, 2015
First food grown in space eaten (lettuce)
Sep 14, 2015
First observation of gravitational waves
Nov 23, 2015
First propulsive landing of a rocket after sending something into space
Dec 21, 2015
First propulsive landing of an orbital rocket
Apr 16, 2016
First inflatable space habitat
Sep 15, 2017
First spacecraft to enter the atmosphere of Saturn