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Milestones in U.S. Space Exploration

By southrndays
  • United States launches Explorer 1 from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

    United States launches Explorer 1 from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

    Explorer 1 was the first US satellite.
  • NASA is formed after Congress passes the National Aeronautics and Space Act.

    NASA is formed after Congress passes the National Aeronautics and Space Act.

  • With the launch of Freedom 7, Alan Shepard becomes the first American man in space.

    With the launch of Freedom 7, Alan Shepard becomes the first American man in space.

    The suborbital flight, which was part of the Mercury Project, lasted 15 minutes, 28 seconds.
  • Launch of Friendship 7 makes astronaut John Glenn the first American to go into orbit.

    Launch of Friendship 7 makes astronaut John Glenn the first American to go into orbit.

    Total flight time was just shy of five hours.
  • Launch of Gemini 5, carried astronauts Gordon Cooper and Charles Conrad on an eight-day mission to test rendezvous guidance and navigation systems.

    Launch of Gemini 5, carried astronauts Gordon Cooper and Charles Conrad on an eight-day mission to test rendezvous guidance and navigation systems.

    The launch also studied how humans could handle long-term exposure to a space environment.
  • First test flight of the Saturn V rocket, which would carry dozens of spacecraft into space in the years to come.

    First test flight of the Saturn V rocket, which would carry dozens of spacecraft into space in the years to come.

  • Astronauts Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Neil Armstrong become the first men to walk on the moon.

    Astronauts Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Neil Armstrong become the first men to walk on the moon.

  • Pathfinder lands on Mars.

    Pathfinder lands on Mars.

    The rover Sojourner would go on to explore the Martian surface for more than 80 days.
  • Aboard the space shuttle Columbia, Robert L. Crippen and John W. Young make the first mission in NASA's space shuttle program.

    Aboard the space shuttle Columbia, Robert L. Crippen and John W. Young make the first mission in NASA's space shuttle program.

  • Space shuttle Atlantis launches Galileo to study Jupiter and its moons.

    Space shuttle Atlantis launches Galileo to study Jupiter and its moons.

    It took Galileo six years to reach Jupiter, and it finally disintegrated in Jupiter's atmosphere in September of 2003, 14 years after it began its collision course toward the giant planet.
  • Launch of Mars Pathfinder.

    Launch of Mars Pathfinder.

  • First piece of the International Space Station is launched.

    First piece of the International Space Station is launched.

  • The crew of Expedition One, astronaut Bill Shepherd and cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev, dock at the International Space Station.

    The crew of Expedition One, astronaut Bill Shepherd and cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev, dock at the International Space Station.

    They are the first people to take up residence at the Internation Space Station, staying there for several months.
  • Launch of Genesis, which would collect samples of atoms from solar wind.

    Launch of Genesis, which would collect samples of atoms from solar wind.

    Genesis would be the first attempt to return samples to Earth since the Apollo moon mission in 1972.
  • Spirit and Opportunity arrive on the Martian surface.

    Spirit and Opportunity arrive on the Martian surface.

    They continue to explore the Red Planet today.
  • After capturing particles from the sun, Genesis makes a dramatic crash landing in Utah when its parachute fails to deploy.

    After capturing particles from the sun, Genesis makes a dramatic crash landing in Utah when its parachute fails to deploy.

    Despite the landing, scientists still managed to recover and study the samples.
  • SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately built craft to reach outer space.

    SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately built craft to reach outer space.

  • Phoenix lander launches on its way to explore the northern pole of Mars.

    Phoenix lander launches on its way to explore the northern pole of Mars.

  • Work Cited

    Guevin, Jennifer. (October 2007). Key Milestones in Space
    Exploration. 50 Years in Space. http://news.cnet.com/Timeline-Key-milestones-in-space-exploration/2009-11397_3-6210843.html