Important Space Missions Of World (1931-2014)

Date

Mission Achievements

Country/ Organization

Mission Name

• 1931-First German military liquid-fuelled rocket engines developed-Germany-Walter Riedel

• 10 May 1946-First space research flight (cosmic radiation experiments)-United States-captured and improved V-2rocket

• 20 February 1947-First animals in space (fruit flies)-United States-V-2

• 21 August 1957-First intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)-USSR-R-7 Semyorka/SS-6 Sapwood

• 4 October 1957-First artificial satellite,First signals from space-USSR-Sputnik 1

• 3 November 1957-First animal in orbit, the dog Laika-USSR-Sputnik 2

• 2 January 1959-First firing of a rocket in Earth orbit,First reaching Earth escape velocity or Trans,Lunar Injection,First detection of solar wind-USSR-Luna 1

• 7 August 1959-First photograph of Earth from orbit-USA (NASA)-Explorer 6

• 13 September 1959-First impact into another world (the Moon),First delivery of national (USSR),pennants to a celestial body-USSR-Luna 2

• 4 October 1959-First photos of far side of the Moon-USSR-Luna 3

• 19 August 1960-First plants and animals to return alive from Earth orbit-USSR-Sputnik 5

• 31 January 1961-First Hominidae in space, first tasks performed in space; Ham (chimpanzee).-USA (NASA)-M-R 2

• 12 April 1961-First human spaceflight–(Yuri Gagarin),First human-crewed orbital flight-USSR-Vostok 1

• 16 June 1963-First woman in space (Valentina Tereshkova)-USSR-Vostok 6

• 19 July 1963-First reusable crewed spacecraft (suborbital)-USA (NASA)-X-15 Flight 90

• 3 February 1966-First soft landing on another world (the Moon),First photos from another world-USSR-Luna 9

• 1 March 1966-First impact into another planet (Venus)-USSR-Venera 3

• 3 April 1966-First artificial satellite around another world (the Moon)-USSR-Luna 10

• 2 June 1966-Soft landingon the Moon, photos from the Moon-USA (NASA)-Surveyor 1

• 21 July 1969-First human on the Moon and first space launch from a celestial body-USA (NASA)-Apollo 11

• 23 November 1970-First lunar rover-USSR-Lunokhod 1

• 12 December 1970-First X-ray orbital observatory-USA (NASA)-Uhuru(satellite)

• 15 December 1970-First soft landing on another planet (Venus),First signals from another planet-USSR-Venera 7

• 23 April 1971-First space station-USSR-Salyut 1

• June, 1971-First Manned orbital observatory-USSR-Orion 1

• 14 November 1971-First to maintain orbit around another planet (Mars)-USA (NASA)-Mariner

• 9-27 November 1971First impact into Mars-USSR-Mars 2

• 2 December 1971-First soft Mars landing,First signals from Mars surfaceUSSRMars 3

• 3 March 1972-First human made object sent on escape trajectory away from the Sun-USA (NASA)-Pioneer 10

• 15 July 1972-First mission to enter the asteroid belt and leave inner Solar System-USA (NASA)-Pioneer 10

• 15 November 1972-First orbital gamma ray observatory-USA (NASA)-SAS 2

• 15 July 1975-First multinational manned mission-USSR-USA (NASA)Apollo-Soyuz Test Project

• 20 July 1976-First photos and soil samples from the surface of Mars-USA (NASA)-Viking Lander

• 12 April 1981-First Reusable manned spacecraft (orbital)-USA (NASA)-STS-1

• 1 March 1982-First Venus soil samples & sound recording of another world-USSR-Venera 13

• 25 January 1983-First Infrared orbital observatory,USA (NASA),UK (SERC),Netherlands(NIVR)-IRAS

• 13 June 1983-First spacecraft beyond the orbit of Neptune (first spacecraft to pass beyond all Solar System planets)-USA (NASA)-Pioneer 10

• 7 February 1984-First untethered spacewalk, Bruce McCandless II-USA (NASA)-STS-41-B

• 24 January 1986-First Uranus flyby (closest approach 81,500 kilometres)-USA (NASA)-Voyager 2

• 19 February 1986-First consistently inhabited long-term researchspace station-USSR-Mir

• 25 August 1989-First Neptune flyby (closest approach at 29,240 km)-USA (NASA)-Voyager 2

• 18 November 1989-First orbital cosmic microwave observatory-USA (NASA)-COBE

• 14 February 1990-First photograph of the whole Solar System-USA (NASA)-Voyager 1

• 24 April 1990-Optical orbital observatory-USA (NASA)-ESA-Hubble Space Telescope

• 22 March 1995-Record longest duration spaceflight (437.7 days) set by Valeri Polyakov-Russia (FKA)-Mir

• 7 December 1995-First orbit of Jupiter-USA (NASA)-Galileo

• 7 December 1995-First mission into the atmosphere of a gas giant (Jupiter)-USA (NASA)-Galileo's atmospheric entry probe

• 12 February 1997-First orbital radio observatory-Japan (ISAS)-HALCA

• 4 July 1997-First operational rover on another planet (Mars)-USA (NASA)-Mars Pathfinder

• 20 November 1998-First multinational space station,Largest man-made object built in space to date-Russia(FKA)-USA (NASA),Europe (ESA),Japan (JAXA),Canada (CSA)-International Space Station

• 14 February 2000-First orbiting of an asteroid (433 Eros)-USA (NASA)-ESA-NEAR Shoemaker

• 12 February 2001-First landing on an asteroid (433 Eros)-USA (NASA)-NEAR Shoemaker

• 1 July 2004-First orbit of Saturn-USA (NASA)ESA-Italy (ASI)-Cassini–Huygens

• 19 November 2005-First asteroid ascent (25143 Itokawa).First interplanetary escape without undercarriage cut-off.-Japan (JAXA)-Hayabusa

• 15 January 2006-First sample return from comet (81P/Wild)-USA (NASA)-Stardust

• 6 March 2009-Kepler Mission is launched, first space telescope designated to search for Earth-like exoplanets-USA (NASA)-Kepler Mission

• 13 June 2010-First sample return from asteroid (25143 Itokawa)Japan (JAXA)-Hayabusa

• 18 March 2011-First orbit of Mercury-USA (NASA)-MESSENGER

• 25 August 2012-First manmade probe in interstellar space.-USA (NASA)-Voyager 1

• 12 November 2014-First man-made probe to make a planned and soft landing on a comet (67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko).-ESA-Rosetta