Space in History
Explore 113 historical moments related to space — from pivotal breakthroughs to world-changing events.
📅 17th Century(1)
📅 20th Century(45)
Meteorite Injury in Sylacauga, Alabama
A meteorite crashed through a roof in Sylacauga, Alabama, and hit a sleeping woman. This was the first verified case of a human being injured by an extraterrestrial object.
Sputnik 1 is launched
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, beginning the Space Age.
Sputnik 2 launched with Laika
The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2, carrying the space dog Laika. This marked the first living creature to enter orbit around Earth.
First Human in Space
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to journey into outer space. He completed one orbit of Earth aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft.
First Woman in Space
Aboard Vostok 6, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space on June 16, 1963.
First Cat in Space
The first cat in space, later known as Félicette, was launched aboard a French Véronique rocket. This mission was part of France's early space program.
Venera 4 Analyzes Venus
The Soviet space probe Venera 4 became the first spacecraft to perform direct in situ analysis of the environment of another planet. It transmitted data from Venus's atmosphere.
Apollo 11 Moon landing
NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans to walk on the Moon, fulfilling President Kennedy's vision.
Venera 7 lands on Venus
The Soviet spacecraft Venera 7 touched down on the surface of Venus. This marked the first successful landing of a spacecraft on another planet.
Soyuz 11 disaster
The Soyuz 11 spacecraft experienced uncontrolled decompression during reentry, killing three Soviet cosmonauts—the only human deaths to have occurred in space.
Prospero, the first British satellite, launched
Prospero, the first British satellite launched on a British rocket, lifted off from Launch Area 5B in Woomera, South Australia.
President Nixon announces the space shuttle program
U.S. President Richard Nixon approves development of the reusable space shuttle system, shaping NASA's next era of human spaceflight.
Apollo 17 launches
Apollo 17 launches from Kennedy Space Center, becoming the last crewed mission to the Moon in the 20th century.
Elvis Presley's Aloha from Hawaii
Elvis Presley's concert "Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite" was broadcast live to audiences in Asia and Oceania.
Launch of Aryabhata Satellite
India's first satellite, Aryabhata, was launched on April 18, 1975. The launch took place from Kapustin Yar in the Soviet Union.
Viking 1 lands on Mars
NASA's Viking 1 spacecraft becomes the first successful mission to land on Mars and operate on its surface, returning images and scientific data.
Uranus ring system discovered
Astronomers using NASA's Kuiper Airborne Observatory discovered a faint ring system around Uranus.
Wow! Signal Received
The Big Ear radio telescope at Ohio State University received a strong, apparently extraterrestrial radio signal known as the Wow! signal.
NASA launches Voyager 1
NASA launched the space probe Voyager 1, currently the farthest spacecraft from Earth. It was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Kosmos 954 reentry
The Soviet nuclear-powered satellite Kosmos 954 burned up during atmospheric reentry, scattering radioactive debris across Canada's Northwest Territories.
First Non-US/Soviet Cosmonaut in Space
As a cosmonaut on Soyuz 28, Vladimír Remek became the first person from outside the Soviet Union or the United States to go into space.
Volcanoes on Io Confirmed
Images taken by Voyager 1 on March 8, 1979, proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
Pioneer 10 Leaves Planetary Proximity
Pioneer 10 passed the orbit of Neptune, becoming the first man-made object to venture beyond the proximity of the major planets in the Solar System.
Sally Ride becomes first American woman in space
Aboard Space Shuttle Challenger, astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman and third person overall in space.
Space Shuttle Discovery Maiden Voyage
Discovery, the third orbiter of NASA's Space Shuttle program, lifted off on its maiden voyage from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
First American woman space walk
Aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan became the first American woman to perform a space walk.
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
The Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds into its tenth mission, killing all seven crew members.
SN 1987A Supernova Observed
SN 1987A, the first supernova studied in detail by modern astronomers, was observed from Earth. It occurred in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Soviet spacecraft Buran launched
The Soviet spacecraft Buran, a reusable vehicle built in response to NASA's Space Shuttle program, was launched, uncrewed, on its only flight.
Voyager 2 Confirms Neptune's Rings
On August 25, 1989, the NASA spacecraft Voyager 2 made its closest approach to Neptune and provided definitive proof of the planet's rings.
Hiten spacecraft launched
Japan launched the Hiten spacecraft, the first lunar probe launched by a country other than the Soviet Union or the United States.
Hubble Space Telescope launch
The Hubble Space Telescope was launched into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery as part of the STS-31 mission.
Discovery of first exoplanets
Radio astronomers Aleksander Wolszczan and Dale Frail announced the discovery of two exoplanets orbiting pulsar PSR B1257+12. This marked the first confirmed detection of planets outside our solar system.
Galileo Spacecraft Flies by Asteroid Ida
The NASA spacecraft Galileo passed by the asteroid 243 Ida, capturing the first known images of an asteroid moon.
Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 Impacts Jupiter
Fragments of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 began colliding with the planet Jupiter. The first impact caused a fireball reaching a peak temperature of 24,000 kelvin.
Mir EO-19 Returns to Earth
Mir EO-19, the first expedition to the Russian space station Mir launched on an American Space Shuttle, returned to Earth after approximately 75 days in space.
Galileo spacecraft arrives at Jupiter
The Galileo spacecraft arrived at Jupiter, a little more than six years after it was launched. It was launched by Space Shuttle Atlantis during Mission STS-34.
Valeri Polyakov Returns from Mir
Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov returned from the Mir space station after 437 days. He set a new record for the longest spaceflight in history.
Atlantis docks with Mir
Atlantis became the first U.S. Space Shuttle to dock with the Russian space station Mir as part of the Shuttle–Mir program.
First exoplanet discovered
Astronomers Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz reported the discovery of a planet orbiting 51 Pegasi as the first known exoplanet around a main-sequence star.
Mars Global Surveyor Launched
NASA launched the Mars Global Surveyor from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Comet Hale–Bopp Closest Approach
Comet Hale–Bopp reached its closest approach to Earth at a distance of 1.315 AU. This celestial event was a significant astronomical observation.
John Glenn Returns to Space
At 77 years old, former astronaut John Glenn returned to space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-95 mission.
Mars Polar Lander lost by NASA
NASA lost contact with the Mars Polar Lander spacecraft just before it was scheduled to enter Mars' atmosphere. The lander subsequently disappeared, marking a significant loss in space exploration efforts.
Expedition 1 arrives at International Space Station
As members of Expedition 1, American astronaut William Shepherd and Russian cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko became the first resident crew to arrive at the International Space Station.
📅 21th Century(67)
NEAR Shoemaker lands on Eros
The NASA space probe NEAR Shoemaker touched down on Eros, becoming the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid.
Mir Space Station Deorbited
The Russian space agency deorbited the Mir space station. It reentered Earth's atmosphere and broke up over the Pacific Ocean.
2001 Mars Odyssey Launch
NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey, the longest-surviving continually active spacecraft in orbit around a planet other than Earth, launched from Cape Canaveral.
First exoplanet atmosphere measured
Astronomers announced the detection of sodium in the atmosphere of the extrasolar planet HD 209458 b. This marked the first time an exoplanet atmosphere was measured.
Discovery of 208996 Achlys
The trans-Neptunian object 208996 Achlys was discovered at Palomar Observatory, California.
Pioneer 10 Final Signal
The final signal was detected from the NASA space probe Pioneer 10, then about 12 billion kilometres from Earth.
Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster
All seven crew members aboard Space Shuttle Columbia were killed when the orbiter disintegrated over Texas during reentry.
Discovery of Sedna
Astronomers Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David L. Rabinowitz discovered the trans-Neptunian object Sedna.
Stardust spacecraft collects material from comet Wild 2
NASA's Stardust mission gathers dust grains from comet Wild 2, later providing scientists with valuable evidence about the early solar system.
Spirit Rover Lands on Mars
Spirit, the first of two rovers of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission, successfully landed on Mars.
Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity lands on Mars
The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity landed on Mars and rolled into Eagle crater on the Meridiani Planum.
Dwarf Planet Eris Discovered
The dwarf planet Eris was discovered by a team using images from the Samuel Oschin telescope at Palomar Observatory.
Discovery of Pluto's Moons Nix and Hydra Announced
The discovery of the Plutonian moons Nix and Hydra was announced, based on Hubble Space Telescope photographs.
Discovery of OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb
Three independent observing campaigns announced the discovery of OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb, a super-Earth exoplanet. It is located 21,500 ± 3,300 light-years away from Earth near the center of the Milky Way.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter enters orbit
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reached and entered orbit around Mars.
Pluto reclassified as a dwarf planet
The International Astronomical Union passed a resolution redefining the term planet. Pluto was subsequently classified as a dwarf planet.
GRB 080319B Observed
The gamma-ray burst GRB 080319B, the farthest object from Earth that was observable by the naked eye, was observed.
Farthest Naked-Eye Event Observed
The gamma-ray burst GRB 080319B was observed, setting a record for the farthest event from Earth observable with the naked eye.
Michael Phelps' Record-Breaking Olympic Performance
Michael Phelps won his eighth gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. This set the record for the most gold medals won by an athlete at a single Olympic Games.
MESSENGER discovers Rembrandt crater on Mercury
The MESSENGER probe discovered Mercury's Rembrandt crater, the second largest impact crater on the planet.
2008 TC3 Asteroid Impact
2008 TC3 exploded above the Nubian Desert in Sudan, the first time an asteroid impact was predicted prior to atmospheric entry.
GRB 090423 Detected
The gamma-ray burst GRB 090423 was detected coming from the most distant astronomical object of any kind known at the time.
Omid satellite launched
Omid, Iran's first domestically made satellite, was launched from Semnan Space Center.
Satellite Collision
The satellites Iridium 33 and Kosmos 2251 collided and were destroyed in low Earth orbit on February 10, 2009. This was the first accidental hypervelocity collision between two intact satellites.
Kepler Space Telescope Launched
The Kepler space telescope, designed to discover Earth-like planets orbiting other stars, was launched.
North Korea Satellite Launch
North Korea launched the satellite Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2, which passed over Japan. This sparked concerns it was a test of intercontinental ballistic missile technology.
IKAROS Spacecraft Flies by Venus
The Japanese spacecraft IKAROS successfully flew by Venus, demonstrating solar-sail technology. The mission objective was met.
Hottest white dwarf documented
Astronomers documented H1504+65, a white dwarf with the hottest known surface temperature of 200,000 kelvins, on January 27, 2011.
NASA launches Juno probe
NASA launched the Juno probe to Jupiter as part of the New Frontiers program. The spacecraft is designed to study Jupiter's composition, gravity field, magnetic field, and polar magnetosphere.
Mars Science Laboratory Launch
NASA launched the Mars Science Laboratory mission from Cape Canaveral, carrying the Curiosity rover on board.
Felix Baumgartner's Stratospheric Jump
Felix Baumgartner became the first person to break the sound barrier without vehicular power by jumping from the stratosphere.
First Vega rocket launch
The first Vega rocket was launched by the European Space Agency from the Guiana Space Centre.
SpaceX Dragon Docks with ISS
SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft became the first commercial vehicle to rendezvous and berth with the International Space Station during a test flight.
First Chinese Woman in Space
Liu Yang, a member of the Shenzhou 9 crew, became the first Chinese woman in space on June 16, 2012.
Voyager 1 Enters Interstellar Space
On August 25, 2012, the NASA space probe Voyager 1 became the first man-made object to enter interstellar space.
North Korea launches satellite
North Korea made its first successful satellite launch, as Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2 reached orbit.
Chelyabinsk Meteor Explosion
A meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, producing a shock wave that injured about 1,500 people.
South Korea launches Naro-1 rocket
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute launched Naro-1, South Korea's first carrier rocket and first launch vehicle to achieve Earth orbit.
IAU names Pluto moons
The International Astronomical Union announced that the fourth and fifth moons of Pluto to be discovered would be named Kerberos and Styx, respectively.
Cassini's "Wave at Saturn"
The NASA spacecraft Cassini took a photograph of Saturn with Earth in the distance, inviting people to "wave at Saturn".
ISRO launches Mars Orbiter Mission
The Indian Space Research Organisation launched the Mars Orbiter Mission, India's first interplanetary probe.
Gaia spacecraft launched
The European Space Agency's spacecraft Gaia was launched with the goal of constructing the largest and most precise star catalogue ever made.
NASA discovers Kepler-186f
NASA announced the discovery of Kepler-186f, the first exoplanet with a radius similar to Earth's discovered in the habitable zone of another star.
MAVEN enters Mars orbit
The NASA spacecraft MAVEN entered into orbit around Mars to study the planet's atmosphere.
Philae lands on comet
The European Space Agency's lander Philae touched down on 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. It became the first spacecraft to land on a comet.
Akatsuki enters orbit around Venus
The JAXA space probe Akatsuki entered into orbit around Venus to study the planet's atmosphere. This occurred five years after its first attempt failed.
ʻOumuamua discovered
Canadian astronomer Robert Weryk discovered ʻOumuamua, the first known interstellar object detected passing through the Solar System.
Bruce McCandless II
US astronaut Bruce McCandless II, who conducted the first untethered spacewalk, died on December 21, 2017. He was born in 1937.
Hayabusa2 arrives at asteroid Ryugu
The Japanese space probe Hayabusa2 arrived at the asteroid Ryugu to collect samples for return to Earth.
New Horizons flies by Arrokoth
The NASA space probe New Horizons flew by the trans-Neptunian object Arrokoth. This made it the farthest object ever visited by a spacecraft.
First image of a black hole released
Scientists from the Event Horizon Telescope project released the first image of the black hole at the center of the galaxy M87 on April 10, 2019.
Alexei Leonov dies
Alexei Leonov was a Soviet/Russian cosmonaut and the first human to conduct a spacewalk.
Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson was an American physicist and mathematician.
Alfred Worden
American test pilot, engineer, and astronaut who flew on the Apollo 15 mission.
Guido Münch
Guido Münch, a Mexican astronomer and astrophysicist, died on April 29, 2020. He was born in 1921.
Glynn Lunney
Glynn Lunney, American engineer, died.
Michael Collins
Michael Collins was an American astronaut and U.S. Air Force pilot, notable for his role in the Gemini and Apollo programs, including commanding Apollo 11.
Frank Drake
Frank Drake was an American radio astronomer and astrophysicist, born in 1930.
Ken Mattingly
Ken Mattingly, American astronaut, died.
Frank Borman
Frank Borman was an American astronaut, born in 1928.
Thomas P. Stafford
American Air Force officer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut.
William Anders
William Anders was an American astronaut and lunar explorer.
Chikangawa Dornier 228 Crash Victims
This entry refers to the victims of the 2024 Chikangawa Dornier 228 crash.
Joe Engle
American Air Force officer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut.
Jon McBride
Jon McBride was an American astronaut.
Marc Garneau
Canadian astronaut and Member of Parliament Marc Garneau died.
Rick Hauck
American naval officer, fighter pilot, and NASA astronaut.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the most important space events in history?
- Notable space events include: Galileo observes four major moons of Jupiter (1610), Meteorite Injury in Sylacauga, Alabama (1954), Sputnik 1 is launched (1957).
- How many space events are in the timeline?
- Our collection includes 113 historical entries related to space, spanning centuries of human history.
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