1900
TSIOLKOVSKY STARTED TESTING ROCKETS
RUSSIA
Tsiolkovsky drafted the design of his first rocket. It was to be
powered by a combination of liquid oxygen and liquid
hydrogen. He was a true visionary and pioneer of astronautics.
He theorized many aspects of human space travel and rocket
propulsion decades before others, and played an important role
in the development of the Soviet and Russian space programs.
He was considered to be the "father" of present Soviet
achievements in rocket technology.
1914
ROBERT GODDARD PATENTED THE FIRST ROCKET
USA
Goddard received two U.S. patents. One was for a rocket using
liquid fuel. The other was for a two or three stage rocket using
solid fuel. He developed and patented many of the technologies
later used on large rockets and missiles including: film cooling,
gyroscopically controlled vanes, and a variable-thrust rocket
motor. He was granted about 70 patents altogether.
MARCH 16, 1926
FIRST LIQUID FUELED ROCKET LAUNCHED
USA
Rocket Scientist, Robert H. Goddard launched the first liquid fueled rocket in
Auburn, Massachusetts. The 4-foot high rocket named “Nell" reached an altitude
of 41 feet and a speed of about 60 miles per hour. The flight only lasted 2 1/2
seconds, but it paved the way for the U.S. Rocket program.
1930
V-2 SPACECRAFT WAS MADE
GERMANY
Under the direction of German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, this
eventually lead to development of the V-2 rocket, one of Nazi Germany's most
powerful weapons of destruction.
1944
V-2 SPACECRAFT LEFT THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE
GERMANY
The V-2 was the world's first practical, mass produced rocket. Developed by
the Germans during World War II, V-2 rockets were designed to deliver
bombs to allied cities in Europe and Great Britain. The V-2 became the
catalyst of rocket research and development into the space age. All of today's
rockets can trace their lineage to the V-2.
MAY 24, 1954
V-2 Rocket
VIKING SPACECRAFT REACHED 159 MILES ABOVE THE EARTH
EUROPE
The Viking 11 spacecraft reached 159 miles above the Earth, setting a new
record for a western single-staged rocket. It launched from White Sands Missile
Range in New Mexico.
OCTOBER 4, 1957
FIRST ARTIFICAL SATELLITE (Sputnik)
U.S.S.R.
The world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik, was launched. It was the first manmade object to
orbit the Earth. It transmitted radio signals back to earth for only a short time, but it was a
major accomplishment.
OCTOBER 27, 1961
THE REDSTONE ROCKET LIFTED (NASA launched its first Saturn rocket)
USA
NASA’s launch of its first Saturn rocket was a major milestone in the challenge to send
humans to the moon before the end of the decade and return them safely to earth. The
Redstone rocket was developed by a group of US rocketry specialists working with
Vonbraunbio and other German scientists at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. A
direct descendant of the German V-2 rocket, it was a high-accuracy, liquid-propelled,
surface-to-surface missile designed to counter Soviet Cold War threats.
APRIL 12, 1961
FIRST MAN IN SPACE
RUSSIA
Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin
became the first human to venture into space. The
Vostok 1 spacecraft made one complete orbit around
Earth in 108 minutes, and reached altitudes of 112 to
203 miles. The flight lasted only one hour and 48
minutes.
FEBRUARY 5, 1967
PHOTOGRAPH OF THE MOON TAKEN BY LUNAR
ORBITER III
USA
It’s mission was to photograph 12 potential landing
sites identified by Lunar Orbiter I and II with a
comprehensive array of vertical, oblique, and forward
wide-angle stereo and convergent telephoto stereo
photography. The spacecraft produced photographs
between February 15th and 23rd. It produced 211
photographs during 54 orbits. Approximately 75% of
the photographs were transmitted to earth, but the
remaining images were lost. The data led to eight
candidate landing sites for early Apollo missions.
The mission also targeted secondary sites of
scientific interest on the lunar farside and at higher
latitudes on the lunar nearside.
JULY 20, 1969
FIRST MAN TO WALK ON THE
MOON USA
Apollo 11 made the first
successful soft landing on the
Moon. Neil Armstrong and Edwin
Aldrin, Jr. became the first
human beings to set foot on
another world.
One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
– Neil Armstrong
NOVEMBER 13, 1971
FIRST SPACECRAFT TO ORBIT ANOTHER PLANET
USA
American space probe Mariner 9 (launched May 30, 1971) was the first spacecraft to orbit
another planet, Mars. During the following year, it took pictures and mapped 100 percent
of the Martian surface.
APRIL 16, 1972
APOLLO 16 TAKES PICTURES OF EARTH
USA
The Apollo program was designed to land humans on the Moon and
bring them safely back to Earth. Six of the missions (Apollos 11, 12,
14, 15, 16, and 17) achieved this goal. En route to the Moon, the Apollo 16 astronauts took
several photos of Earth, one of which was with North America in the background, with
much of the northern portion of the continent under extensive cloud cover.
MAY 25, 1973
FIRST US SPACE STATION LAUNCHED - SKYLAB
USA
Skylab 2 was launched with the first crew to visit Skylab. The crew repaired damage
sustained by Skylab station during its launch.
JULY 11, 1979
SKYLAB SHOWS THE IMAGE OF THE SUN’S
CORONA
USA
Skylab re-entered the Earth's atmosphere in 1979
over Australia. This grazing incidence telescope
produced images of the Sun in x-rays with wavelengths from 6 to 49. Images taken through 6
different filters were recorded on film which was then
returned to Earth with the astronauts for processing. A movie of these images shows
some of the discoveries made from Skylab including coronal holes and x-ray bright points.
APRIL 12, 1981
THE FIRST RE-USABLE SHUTTLE, COLUMBIA, WAS LAUNCHED
USA
The first manned mission of the Space Transportation System (STS-1), Columbia, was
launched. This mission, along with the next three, were test flights to try out the
spacecraft's systems.
APRIL 24, 1990
LAUNCH OF HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
USA
Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off for mission STS-31,
carrying the Edwin P. Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The
telescope was successfully deployed, but was found to
contain a seriously flawed primary mirror resulting in fuzzy
images.
DECEMBER 4, 1996
MARS PATHFINDER LAUNCHED FOR MARS TO RELEASE THE “ROVER”
USA
The Mars Pathfinder, later renamed the Carl Sagan Memorial Station, is an American
spacecraft that landed the first roving probe deployed on another planet, Mars. It
landed on Mars on July 4, 1997. It was made up of a lander and a lightweight wheeled
robotic rover named Sojourner. The Lander spacecraft opened, exposing the rover
which conducted many experiments on the Martian surface. It transmitted collected
data on the atmosphere and surface and also transmitted images that were taken by
the rover’s camera. The rover “Sojourner” is a six-wheeled vehicle which is
controlled by an Earth-based operator, who uses images
obtained by both the rover and lander systems. The
mission carried a series of scientific instruments to
analyze the Martian Celestial body atmosphere. It was
the second project from NASA's Discovery Program,
which promotes the use of low-cost spacecraft and
frequent launches under the motto "cheaper, faster and
better“.
NOVEMBER 20, 1998
FIRST MODULE OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION LAUNCHED
RUSSIA and USA
A Russian Proton rocket was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on
the steppes of the Asian nation of Kazakstan. This rocket carries the
Russian built Zarya Control Module, the first component of the new
International Space Station (ISS).
RESOURCES:
Internet:
http://www.seasky.org/spacexp/sky5di.html
www.nasa.gov
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/
http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/index.html/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_16
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/skylab
http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/skylab.shtml