Timeline of space exploration
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 .
Pre-20th century
1900–1956
1957–1959
1960–1969
1970–1979
1980–1989
1990–1999
2000–2009
2010–2019
Since 2020
Notes
^ The record was set because the Moon was nearly at its furthest from Earth during the mission. Apollo 13's unique free return trajectory caused it to go approximately 100 kilometers (60 mi) further from the lunar far side than other Apollo lunar missions, but this was a minor contribution to the record. A reconstruction of the trajectory by astrodynamicist Daniel Adamo in 2009 records the furthest distance as 400,046 kilometers (248,577 mi) at 7:34 pm EST (00:34:13 UTC). Apollo 10 holds the record for second-furthest at a distance of 399,806 kilometers (248,428 mi).
^ Soviet spacecraft Vega 1 and Vega 2 and ESA spacecraft Giotto all made a flyby of Halley's Comet the year after, in 1986.
^ Although the discovery was retracted in 1994, and not confirmed until 2002.
^ On December 3, 1996 (prior to 2008), the US Department of Defense announced that Clementine data suggested evidence of ice at the lunar south pole. However, the discovery was not confirmed and Clementine data might have been misinterpreted.
^ The reason why it is BEAM (2016) rather than Genesis I (2006) is that BEAM was specifically designed for human habitation and was attached to the ISS, while Genesis I and Genesis II (2007) were technology demonstration prototypes for future space habitats.
See also
References
^ Russian title Issledovaniye mirovykh prostranstv reaktivnymi priborami (Исследование мировых пространств реактивными приборами )
^ Siddiqi, Asif (2000). Challenge to Apollo : the Soviet Union and the space race, 1945-1974 (PDF) . Washington, D.C.: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA History Div. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 September 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2022 .
^ Chertok, Boris (31 January 2005). Rockets and People (Volume 1 ed.). National Aeronautics and Space Administration. p. 9. Archived from the original on 28 April 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2022 .
^ a b "Chronology: Cowboys to V-2s to the Space Shuttle to lasers" . Wsmr.army.mil . Archived from the original on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2017 .
^ "Archived copy" . Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2013-01-17 .{{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link )
^ "Part 1" . History.nasa.gov . Archived from the original on 25 January 2008. Retrieved 4 August 2017 .
^ Siddiqi, Asif (2000). Challenge to Apollo: The Soviet Union and the Space Race, 1945–1974 (PDF) . NASA. p. 95.
^ "The Space Review: Old Reliable: The story of the Redstone" . www.thespacereview.com . Archived from the original on 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2023-05-15 .
^ "The United States Army | Redstone Arsenal Historical Information" . history.redstone.army.mil . Archived from the original on 2023-08-03. Retrieved 2023-05-15 .
^ "Able 5A (Pioneer P-30) | Pioneer P-30" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "Yuri Gagarin and Vostok 1, the First Human Spaceflight" . Planetary Society . Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "Yuri Gagarin: Who was the first person in space?" . BBC . Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022 .
^ "Discussion". Space Policy . 14 (1): 6. 1998-02-01. Bibcode :1998SpPol..14....5. . doi :10.1016/S0265-9646(97)00038-6 .
^ "In Depth | Mariner 02" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-15. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ a b "In Depth | Mariner 04" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-15. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "Luna 9" . NASA . Archived from the original on 17 April 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2024 .
^ "In Depth | Lunar Orbiter 1" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ a b "In Depth | Lunar Orbiter 4" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2020-02-17. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "In Depth | Surveyor 6" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2020-02-17. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details" . nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov . Archived from the original on 2019-06-29. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ a b "In Depth | Apollo 8" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "In Depth | Apollo 10" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ a b "In Depth | Apollo 11" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "In Depth | Apollo 12" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "In Depth | Apollo 15" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ a b c d "In Depth | Pioneer 10" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-05-31. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ a b c d e "In Depth | Mariner 10" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2020-02-17. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ a b c "Solar System Exploration: Missions: By Target: Our Solar System: Past: ISEE-3/ICE" . 2015-06-10. Archived from the original on 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ Merkys, A. J.; Laurinavicius, R. S.; Svegzdiene, D. V. (1984). "Plant growth, development and embryogenesis during Salyut-7 flight" . Advances in Space Research . 4 (10): 55–63. doi :10.1016/0273-1177(84)90224-2 . ISSN 0273-1177 . PMID 11539644 . Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-02-02 .
^ "First species of plant to flower in space" . Guinness World Records . Archived from the original on 2019-04-22. Retrieved 2023-02-02 .
^ a b "In Depth | Voyager 2" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-18. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "ESA Science & Technology - A brief introduction to exoplanets" . sci.esa.int . Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "Voyagers" . Archived from the original on 2009-03-31. Retrieved 2009-07-21 .
^ "In Depth | Hubble Space Telescope" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "Giotto overview" . European Space Agency . Archived from the original on 2019-07-06. Retrieved 2019-07-11 .
^ "In Depth | Ulysses" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "In Depth | Magellan" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2021-10-19. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "In Depth | Galileo Probe" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-19. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ Araki, Kenichi; Arimoto, Yoshinori; Shikatani, Motokazu; Toyoda, Masahiro; Toyoshima, Morio; Takahashi, Tetsuo; Kanda, Seiji; Shiratama, Koichi (1996). "Performance evaluation of laser communication equipment onboard the ETS-VI satellite". In Mecherle, G. Stephen (ed.). Free-Space Laser Communication Technologies VIII . Vol. 2699. SPIE. p. 52. doi :10.1117/12.238434 .
^ "In Depth | Mars Global Surveyor" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "A world first: Data transmission between European satellites using laser light" . 22 November 2001. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2015 .
^ Rocketman Enterprises (2005). CSXT: Civilian Space eXploration Team. Retrieved on 2007-01-27.
http://www.the-rocketman.com/CSXT/default2.asp%7C [permanent dead link ] http://www.the-rocketman.com/CSXT/about/teamlist.htm#%7C Archived 2012-04-15 at the Wayback Machine http://www.the-rocketman.com/go-fast.html Archived 2015-12-09 at the Wayback Machine
^ Porco, C. C. ; Helfenstein, P.; Thomas, P. C.; Ingersoll, A. P.; Wisdom, J.; West, R.; Neukum, G.; Denk, T.; Wagner, R. (March 10, 2006). "Cassini Observes the Active South Pole of Enceladus" (PDF) . Science . 311 (5766): 1393–1401. Bibcode :2006Sci...311.1393P . doi :10.1126/science.1123013 . PMID 16527964 . S2CID 6976648 . Archived (PDF) from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020 .
^ "In Depth | Stardust" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-25. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ Stofan, E. R.; Elachi, C.; Lunine, Jonathan I.; Lorenz, R. D.; Stiles, B.; Mitchell, K. L.; Ostro, S.; Soderblom, L.; et al. (2007). "The lakes of Titan" (PDF) . Nature . 445 (1): 61–64. Bibcode :2007Natur.445...61S . doi :10.1038/nature05438 . PMID 17203056 . S2CID 4370622 . Archived from the original on 2024-02-23. Retrieved 2024-02-20 .
^ "Titan Has Liquid Lakes, Scientists Report in Nature" . NASA/JPL. January 3, 2007. Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2007 .
^ "In Depth | Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2020-04-03. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "In Depth | Clementine" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "NASA - NSSDCA - Experiment - Details" . nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov . Archived from the original on 2019-05-17. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "NASA launches Kepler Mission: Search for Earth-like worlds" . Spacechornology.com . Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2017 .
^ "About the Mission | Mission" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "The Tallest Peaks" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "JAXA | IKAROS Mission Overview" . global.jaxa.jp . Archived from the original on 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ a b "In Depth | ARTEMIS" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "In Depth | Curiosity (MSL)" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-06-16. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "In Depth | Voyager 1" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-18. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "In Depth | Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2018-12-28. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "In Depth | Rosetta & Philae" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-05-25. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ Chang, Kenneth (November 12, 2014). "European Space Agency's Spacecraft Lands on Comet's Surface" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on November 12, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2014 .
^ "Overview | Dawn" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2023-02-03. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "In Depth | New Horizons" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-04-22. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "Meals Ready to Eat: Expedition 44 Crew Members Sample Leafy Greens Grown on Space Station" . Nasa . 7 July 2015. Archived from the original on 26 May 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2018 .
^ Abbott, Benjamin P.; et al. (LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration) (2016). "Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger". Phys. Rev. Lett. 116 (6): 061102. arXiv :1602.03837 . Bibcode :2016PhRvL.116f1102A . doi :10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102 . PMID 26918975 . S2CID 124959784 .
^ Castelvecchi, Davide; Witze, Alexandra (11 February 2016). "Einstein's gravitational waves found at last" . Nature News . doi :10.1038/nature.2016.19361 . S2CID 182916902 . Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016 .
^ Foust, Jeff (24 November 2015). "Blue Origin Flies — and Lands — New Shepard Suborbital Spacecraft" . Space News . Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2015 . We're going to take that same exact architecture that was demonstrated and use it on our the booster stage of our orbital vehicle
^ "BEAM Successfully Installed to the International Space Station – Space Station" . blogs.nasa.gov . 16 April 2016. Archived from the original on 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2023-02-05 .
^ Chang, Kenneth (2017-09-14). "Cassini Vanishes Into Saturn, Its Mission Celebrated and Mourned" . The New York Times . ISSN 0362-4331 . Archived from the original on 2018-07-08. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "Hayabusa 2" . NASA Science Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-09-04. Retrieved 2020-07-29 .
^ "In Depth | InSight" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-06-23. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "Ultima Thule: Clearest image yet of 'snowman' space rock released by NASA" . Sky News . Archived from the original on 2019-01-02. Retrieved 2019-01-02 .
^ Lyons, Kate (2019-01-03). "Far side of the moon: China's Chang'e 4 probe makes historic touchdown" . The Guardian . ISSN 0261-3077 . Archived from the original on 2019-01-03. Retrieved 2019-01-03 .
^ Barbosa, Rui (3 January 2019). "China lands Chang'e-4 mission on the far side of the Moon" . Nasaspacefight . Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2024 .
^ Drake, Nadia (10 April 2019). "First-ever picture of a black hole unveiled" . National Geographic . Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved 27 Jan 2021 .
^ Cowing, Keith (2022-04-26). "Two Largest Marsquakes To Date Recorded From Planet's Far Side" . SpaceRef . Archived from the original on 2024-02-23. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Succeeds in Historic First Flight" . www.nasa.gov . 2021-04-19. Archived from the original on 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-04-19 .
^ Potter, Sean (2021-04-21). "NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Extracts First Oxygen from Red Planet" . NASA . Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 2021-04-22 .
^ "Nasa device extracts breathable oxygen from thin Martian air" . The Irish Times . Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-04-22 .
^ "In Depth | Parker Solar Probe" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2019-06-23. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ "In Depth | James Webb Space Telescope" . NASA Solar System Exploration . Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2023-02-04 .
^ Bardan, Roxana (2022-10-11). "NASA Confirms DART Mission Impact Changed Asteroid's Motion in Space" . NASA . Archived from the original on 2022-10-11. Retrieved 2023-02-02 .
^ Robert Lea (2023-08-25). "Why Chandrayaan-3 landed near the moon's south pole — and why everyone else wants to get there too" . Space.com . Archived from the original on 2023-09-22. Retrieved 2023-09-22 .
^ Foust, Jeff (2024-04-27). "SpaceX making progress on Starship in-space refueling technologies" . SpaceNews . Retrieved 2024-04-28 .
^ Harwood, William (2024-06-06). "SpaceX's Super Heavy-Starship rocket launches on "epic" test flight - CBS News" . www.cbsnews.com . Retrieved 2024-06-07 .
^ Billings, Leonard David, Lee. "China Makes History with First-Ever Samples from the Moon's Far Side" . Scientific American . Retrieved 2024-06-25 . {{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link )
External links
Exploration of Artificial objects
Lists
Exploration by environment Exploration by region Timelines Expeditions Lists of explorers
By country of origin By environment