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First telescpoic observation of the night sky
Jupiter's moons, lunar craters and the phases of Venus were discovered. Key person involved: Galileo Galilei -
First exposition of the rocket equation based on Newton's third law of motion
Treatise on the Motion of Rockets. Key person involved: William Moore -
First clear telescopic photograph of another world
The moon was in the photograph. Key person involved: John William Draper -
Goddard launches first liquid-fueled rocket
Key person involved: Robert H. Goddard -
First vehicle to cross the Kármán Line
First vehicle to cross the Kármán Line, and thereby enter outer space.
Key people involved: V-2 rocket, military program -
First space research flight
(Cosmic radiation experiments) Key person involved: captured and improved V-2 rocket -
First U.S. designed rocket to reach the edge of space
(49 miles) Key person involved: V-2 rocket -
First pictures from Earth
(From 65 miles) Key person involved: WAC Coporal -
First animal in space
(Fruit flies) Key person involved: V-2 rocket -
First animal in orbit
The dog Laika. Key person involved: Sputnik 2 -
First photograph of Earth from orbit
Key person involved: Explorer 6 -
First plants and animals to return alive from Earth orbit
Key person involved: Sputnik 5 -
First woman in space
Key people involved: Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok 6 -
First Mars flyby
(Closest approach 9,846) Key person involved: Mariner 4 -
First impact into another planet
(Venus) Key person involved: Venera 3 -
First automatic sample return
(From the moon) Key person involved: Luna 16 -
First space station
Key person involved: Salyut 1 -
First mission to enter asteroid belt
(And leave inner Solar system) Key person involved: Pioneer 10 -
First photos and soil samples from the surface of Mars
Key person involved: Viking Lander -
First real time remotely operated ultraviolet orbital observatory
Key person involved: International Ultraviolet Explorer -
First reusable manned spacecraft
Key person involved: STS-1 -
First astrometric satellite
Key person involved: Hipparcos -
First Neptune flyby
(Closest approach at 29,240 km) Key person involved: Voyager 2 -
First photograph of the whole solar system
Key person involved: Voyager 1 -
First polar orbit around the Sun
Key person involved: Ulysses -
First landing on an asteroid
Key person involved: NEAR Shoemaker -
First orbiting of an asteroid
Key person involved: NEAR Shoemaker -
First sample return from comet
Key person involved: Stardust -
First orbit of dwarf planet
(Ceres) Key person involved: Dawn -
First food eaten that was grown in space
(Lettuce) Key person involved: Scott Kelly