Space Exploration

Celestial navigation

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Bolivia

The Heart of South America

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The Land of Fire

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

The Head of Government

Monarchy of the United Kingdom

The enduring legacy of the Royal Family.

Life cover image

1998

20-Nov-1998

First Multinational Space Station Launched

First Multinational Space Station Launched

1997

17-Sep-1997

First spacecraft to use aerobraking to enter orbit

First spacecraft to use aerobraking to enter orbit

04-Jul-1997

First operational rover on another planet

First operational rover on another planet

12-Feb-1997

First Orbital Radio Observatory Launched by Japan

First Orbital Radio Observatory Launched by Japan

1995

07-Dec-1995

First spacecraft to enter the atmosphere of a gas giant

First spacecraft to enter the atmosphere of a gas giant

07-Dec-1995

Galileo's First Orbit Around Jupiter

1995

First laser communication from space

22-Mar-1995

Longest Duration Spaceflight Achieved by Polyakov

Longest Duration Spaceflight Achieved by Polyakov

1992

13-Sep-1992

First spacecraft to map Venus in its entirety

1992

First confirmed observation of an exoplanet

08-Feb-1992

First polar orbit around the Sun

First polar orbit around the Sun

1991

21-Oct-1991

First Asteroid Flyby by NASA's Galileo

First Asteroid Flyby by NASA's Galileo

1990

02-Jul-1990

First gravity-assist manoeuvre using Earth

24-Apr-1990

First telescope designed to be repaired in space

First telescope designed to be repaired in space

14-Feb-1990

First photograph of the whole Solar System

First photograph of the whole Solar System

1989

25-Aug-1989

First Orbital Cosmic Microwave Observatory

First Orbital Cosmic Microwave Observatory

25-Aug-1989

First Spacecraft to Flyby Neptune

First Spacecraft to Flyby Neptune

08-Aug-1989

First Astrometric Satellite by ESA

First Astrometric Satellite by ESA

1988

15-Jul-1988

First Suspected Detection of an Exoplanet

First Suspected Detection of an Exoplanet

1986

13-Mar-1986

First Close Up Observations of a Comet

First Close Up Observations of a Comet

19-Feb-1986

First Consistently Inhabited Long-Term Research Space Station

First Consistently Inhabited Long-Term Research Space Station

24-Jan-1986

First Spacecraft to Flyby Uranus

First Spacecraft to Flyby Uranus

1985

11-Sep-1985

First Spacecraft to Flyby a Comet

First Spacecraft to Flyby a Comet

11-Jun-1985

First Balloon Deployed on Another Planet

First Balloon Deployed on Another Planet

1984

25-Jul-1984

First Spacewalk by a Woman

First Spacewalk by a Woman

07-Feb-1984

First Untethered Spacewalk by Bruce McCandless II

First Untethered Spacewalk by Bruce McCandless II

1983

25-Jan-1983

Launch of First Infrared Orbital Observatory

Launch of First Infrared Orbital Observatory

1982

19-Aug-1982

First Mixed Gender Crew on Space Station

First Mixed Gender Crew on Space Station

1982

First Plants Grown in Space

10-Jun-1982

Deep Survey of Earth's Magnetic Tail

Deep Survey of Earth's Magnetic Tail