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Sep 15, 1242
Gunpowder Invented
Rodger Bacon creates gunpowder, after the Chinese invent a form of the substance in c.850 -
Sep 15, 1379
Rockets as Weapons
Rockets are used in the Siege of Chioggia, Italy. Rockets are used for the purpose of weapons, not for space use in this event. The image shown depicts a patriot missle being fired as a weapon. -
Newton's Laws of Motion
Newton’s Laws of Motion, 1642 to 1727:
Sir Isaac Newton formed three scientific laws with information from rockets. This "provided the foundation for all modern rocket
science." -
Galileo and Motion
In 1564-1642 Galileo proved that an object in motion doesn't need more force to remain in motion. This was the property of matter and involved inertia. -
Rocket's Red Glare
Congreve rockets were very good in battle. They were used by the British to destroy Fort McHenry and this inspired Francis Scott Key to write the line "the rockets' red glare," in the Star-Spangled Banner. -
The first expostion of rocket Mechanics
William Moore published: Treatise on the Motion of Rockets. This included the first exposition of rocket mechanics which was based on the third law of motion by Newton. The image shows Newton's third law in action. -
Russia's 1st Manufacturing Plant
The Russians developed their first manufacturing plant for rockets in St. Petersburg. These rockets developed here later supplied troops during the Russo-Turkish War. Depicted is a rocket launcher in the Artillery museum at St. Petersburg. -
Hermann Oberth's Book
Hermann Oberth published a book in 1923 about rocket travel which resulted in rocket societies being created all around the world. One of those societies developed the V-2 rocket which was used during World War II. -
Liquid Fuel
The first successful liquid-propellant rocket was created and tested by Robert H. Goddard. He was convinced that a rocket would be better propelled with liquid fuel as opposed to solid fuel. "Goddard's gasoline rocket was the forerunner of a whole new era in rocket flight." -
Sputnik l
During the space race the Soviet Union launched Sputnik l, an Earth-orbiting atrifical satellite. Earth soon rivaled the Soviet Union in the space race by creating Explorer l. -
Apollo 8
This was the Apollo 8 mission. This was the first mission to send humans to the moon. It blased off from Florida and went into Lunar Orbit and orbited the moon 10 times before landing. -
Apollo 11
Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin are the first people to walk on the moon. The first step was taken by Neil Armstrong who touched the surface saying "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." -
First Object to Orbit an Asteroid
The first man-made object to orbit an asteroid occured. It circled the asterioid Eros. It will orbit Eros for a year, "slowing moving closer to the surface to make ever more precise measurements, and greatly increase the understanding of what scientists believe are remnants of the formation of the solar system some four billion years ago." -
First orbit of Saturn
The Cassini spacecraft is the first exploring vehicle to enter Saturn. It took about seven years to get there. -
Landing on Titan
The Huygens spacecraft landed on Titan, Saturn's largest moon. This was the first time a probe had landed on a foreign world in the outer Solar System.
