History of Space Exploration
The Space Age began in 1957 and transformed humanity's understanding of our place in the universe.
The Space Race (1957-1969)
- 1957: Sputnik 1 — first artificial satellite
- 1957: Laika — first animal in orbit
- 1961: Yuri Gagarin — first human in space
- 1963: Valentina Tereshkova — first woman in space
- 1965: Alexei Leonov — first spacewalk
- 1958: NASA founded
- 1961: Alan Shepard — first American in space
- 1962: John Glenn — first American to orbit Earth
- 1969: Apollo 11 — first humans on the Moon
The Moon Landing
July 20, 1969: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon while Michael Collins orbited above.
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
Five more Apollo missions landed astronauts on the Moon through 1972.
Post-Apollo Era
- 1971: First space station (Salyut 1)
- 1981-2011: Space Shuttle program
- 1998-present: International Space Station
- 2004: SpaceShipOne — first private spacecraft
The New Space Age
- 2012: SpaceX Dragon — first commercial spacecraft to ISS
- 2015: Reusable rockets (SpaceX Falcon 9)
- 2020: SpaceX Crew Dragon — first commercial crewed flight
- 2021: James Webb Space Telescope launched
What's Next
- Artemis Program: Return humans to Moon by mid-2020s
- Mars missions: NASA and SpaceX targeting 2030s
- Space tourism: Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, SpaceX
- Lunar Gateway: Space station orbiting the Moon
Related Reading
Listen to the Full Course
Explore humanity's journey in Space Exploration.