-
Period: to
Space Exploration
-
Launch Of Sputnik 1
First man-made object sent into orbit. Launched by the Soviet Union. -
Launch Of Pioneer 0
A project funded NASA designed for planetary exploration. Studied planets such as Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, the moon, and the sun. Pioneer 13 established spin stability. -
Launch Of The First Venera Probe
A series of unmanned probes that were sent to Venus by the Soviet Union. Landed on the planet numerous times and captured photos and took readings from the surface. -
Mercury 1 Puts First American In Space
A series of NASA missions to put a man in space, Alan Shepard became the first American in space, one month after the Soviet Union had put Yuri Gagarin into space. -
Launch of Mariner 1
A $544 million dollar program run by NASA, lasted for 10 years. It became the first robotic interplanetary probes launched near Venus and gather valuable information. -
Gemini Program Lauches First Spacecraft
A series of ten manned flights occurring in 1965 and 1966. A continuation of NASA's Mercury Program. -
The First Viking Probe Lands On Mars
A $1 billion dollar project run by NASA. Sent to Mars to gather photos from the surface and to determine if there was life to be found on the planet. -
Launch Of Voyager 2
A program run by NASA which was tasked with locating and studying the boundaries of the Solar System. First machines to come close to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. They are still functioning today. -
Launch Of First Space Shuttle
A project run by NASA, it provide a reusable transportation into space. It helped build the ISS and lasted for over 30 years. When it takes of it blasts straight up like a rocket but then lands like a plane. -
Launch Of The Magellan Spacecraft
A project run by NASA to map the surface of Venus. It orbited for 4 years before losing signal. The spacecraft consisted completely of spare parts. -
Launch Of The Galileo Spacecraft
A $1.5 billion dollar project run by NASA. Sent to Jupiter and Venus. It discovered interplanetary dust storms and found that one of Jupiter's moons has an active volcano. -
Launch Of The Hubble Telescope
A $36 million dollar project run by NASA. One of the largest and most versatile space telescopes ever, it provides scientists with amazing photos of our universe. It is still orbiting Earth today at 17,500 miles per hour, -
The Sojourner Rover Lands On Mars
A project run by NASA designed to explore the surface of Mars. It took photos from the surface, studied samples of Mars materials, and mapped out a portion of the planet. Three months later the rover lost communications with Earth and to this day its location is still unknown. -
Launch Of The Cassini Probe
A $475 million dollar program run by NASA, ESA, and ISA. Its goal was to take pictures of Saturn and its rings. Discovered Titan, a planet that closely resembled Earth. Will continue taking pictures until 2017. -
Launch Of The Genesis Spacecraft
A program run by NASA designed to collect solar winds. 4 years later it crashed while reentering Earth's atmosphere. All samples were contaminated. -
American Portion Of The ISS Is Launched
A $100 billion dollar multi-nation project that created man-kinds first "real" space station. It currently orbits 220 miles of Earth's face and provides crucial research to scientist around the world. Construction was finished in 2011. -
N.E.A.R. Lands On The Asteroid Eros
A $233 million dollar program run by NASA. Became the first machine to ever orbit or land on a asteroid. It took pictures from the surface and determined its mass and density.
