Space Exploration

Celestial navigation

Related Lives

Uganda

Pearl of Africa

China

Land of Silk

Turkey

The Land of Singing Trees

Chad

Heart of the Sahel

Life cover image

2014

First spacecraft to orbit a comet nucleus

10 Nov 2014

2013

First spacecraft to leave the heliosphere

18 Oct 2013

2012

Curiosity Rover Lands Using First Sky Crane System on Mars

05 Aug 2012

2011

First orbit of an object in the asteroid belt

16 Jul 2011

First Orbit of Mercury by MESSENGER

18 Mar 2011

2010

ARTEMIS-P1 Becomes First Spacecraft to Orbit Earth-Moon L1 Point

01 Aug 2010

First sample return from an asteroid

13 Jun 2010

First Solar Sail Mission by Japan

21 May 2010

First Solar Sail Mission by Japan

2009

First images of structures in planetary rings

11 Aug 2009

First images of structures in planetary rings

First space telescope for Earth-like exoplanets

06 Mar 2009

First space telescope for Earth-like exoplanets

2008

First discovery of lunar water in ice form

08 Nov 2008

First discovery of lunar water in ice form

First spacecraft to photograph another landing

25 May 2008

2007

Expandable Space Habitat Technology Demonstrated with Genesis II

2007

First confirmed lakes on another celestial body

03 Jan 2007

First confirmed lakes on another celestial body

2006

Technology Demonstration Prototypes for Space Habitation

2006

First sample return from a comet

15 Jan 2006

2005

First asteroid ascent and interplanetary escape

19 Nov 2005

First asteroid ascent and interplanetary escape

First spacecraft to impact a comet

04 Jul 2005

First spacecraft to impact a comet

Rockets and People Volume 1 Published

2005

First Confirmed Cryovolcano Discovered on Enceladus

2005

First Confirmed Cryovolcano Discovered on Enceladus

First landing in the outer Solar System

14 Jan 2005

2004

First sample return beyond lunar orbit

08 Sep 2004

First sample return beyond lunar orbit

Cassini-Huygens Completes First Orbit of Saturn

01 Jul 2004

Cassini-Huygens Completes First Orbit of Saturn

Milestones in Private Spaceflight Achievements

21 Jun 2004

Milestones in Private Spaceflight Achievements

First Amateur Spaceflight by CSXT GoFast

17 May 2004

First Amateur Spaceflight by CSXT GoFast

2001

First laser communication in space

Nov 2001

First laser communication in space

First landing on an asteroid

12 Feb 2001

First landing on an asteroid

2000

Uninterrupted human presence in space begins

02 Nov 2000

Uninterrupted human presence in space begins

First orbit of an asteroid

14 Feb 2000

First orbit of an asteroid

1998

First Multinational Space Station Launched

20 Nov 1998

First Multinational Space Station Launched