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Publication of Philosophae Naturalis Principia Mathematica
Sir Isaac Newton publishes this three-volume work outlining the three laws of motion, his law of universal gravitation, and a derivation of Kepler's laws for the motion of the planets -
First Exposition of Rocket Mechanics
British mathematician William Moore publishes Treatise on the Motion of Rockets. This work has the first ideas of rocket mechanics based on Newton's third law -
Exploration of Cosmic Space by Means of Reaction Devices
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky publishes this article and laid out many of the principles of spaceflight -
A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes
With funding from the Smithsonian Institution, Robert Goddard published a theoretical argument, A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes. This book describes how Goddard's mathematical theories of rocket flight and his research into solid-fuel and liquid-fuel rockets would be able to send objects as far as the Moon -
Die Rakete zu den Planetenräumen
The work explained the mathematical theory of rocketry, applied the theory to rocket design, and discussed the possibility of constructing space stations and of traveling to other planets -
First Suborbital Flight
The German V-2 Rocket, a ballistic missile, is launched successfully toward Europe and later serves as the predecessor of all modern rockets -
Launch of Sputnik I
Sputnik was the world's first artificial satellite and it was created by the USSR -
First Live Animal in Space
After the success of Sputnik I, Soviets quickly launched Sputnik II, which contained a dog named Laika who survived for 8 days until the food supply ran out -
NASA is founded
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is formed -
First Man in Space
Yury Gagarin was a 27-year-old Russian test pilot who lifted into space in Vostok 1 atop a modified R-7 rocket -
First American in Space
Alan Shepherd became the first American man launched into space -
First U.S. Space Tragedy
During a routine test of the Apollo 1 spacecraft on the launch pad, a spark caused a fire to start in the crew compartment of the command module. Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee, were killed in this tragic incident -
Moon Landing
Apollo 11 makes the first successful soft landing on the Moon. -
Voyager II
Voyager II, the first space probe to fly by the four gas giant planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune – is launched. -
Columbia Launch
The first American space shuttle is launched. This is the first “re-usable” space craft in history. -
Challenger Explosion
The space shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after take-off, killing all of its crew members including the first teacher in space, Christa McAuliffe. -
Hubble Telescope Launch
The Hubble Space Telescope, the most sophisticated optical observatory ever placed into orbit around Earth, is launched into orbit -
Pathfinder Landing
The unmanned American space probe “Pathfinder” lands on Mars and begins its successful exploration of the planet. -
International Space Station
The ISS begins hosting human habitation -
Columbia Explosion
Columbia, the first American space shuttle, explodes upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere