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The Telescope
Space Exploration Timeline
Welcome to the Space Exploration Timeline! In this section of Beyond Earth, you will view the dates and details of mankind's greatest achievements in space exploration. These space milestones are organized by date and grouped by decade.
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April 19, 1971 - First Space Station
The Salyut 1 space station is launched by the U.S.S.R. It remains in orbit until May 28, 1973.
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June 6, 1971 - First Occupation of Space Station
Soyuz 11 carried Cosmonauts G.T. Dobrovolsky, V.N. Volkov, and V.I. Patsayev to Salyut 1, the first manned occupancy of an orbital station. Tragically, on June 29, the Cosmonauts died upon Soyuz 11's reentry.
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July 30, 1971 - First Lunar Rover Mission
Apollo 15 astronauts David Scott and James Irwin drive the first moon rover while exploring the Moon's surface. The next year, Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt drives a similar rover.
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November 13, 1971 - First Spacecraft to Orbit Another Planet
American space probe Mariner 9 (launched May 30, 1971) is the first spacecraft to orbit another planet, Mars. Over the next year, it maps 100 percent of the Martian surface.
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December, 1972 - First Black Hole Candidate
Astronomers designate Cignus X-1 as the first probable black hole.
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May 14, 1973 - First U.S. Space Station
The United States launches Skylab, the first U.S. space station. It will be occupied by three crews and be an important arena for a number of scientific experiments.
- May 25, 1973 - First Skylab Crew
The United States launches Skylab 2, carrying the first crew to visit Skylab. The crew repairs damage sustained by Skylab station during its launch.
- July 17, 1975 - First International Space Rendezvous
American Apollo (18) and Soviet Soyuz 19 dock in what is the first international spacecraft rendezvous. Known as the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, this important mission proved that U.S. and Russian crews could work together successfully in space.
- October, 1975 - First Surface Images of Venus
Soviet Venera 9 and 10 send the first pictures of the Venusian surface to Earth.
- July 20, 1976 - First Surface Images of Mars
Pictures of the Martian surface are taken by Viking 1, the first U.S. attempt to soft land a spacecraft on another planet.
- September, 1976 - Discovery of Water Frost on Mars
Viking 2 lands on Mars on the Plain of Utopia, where it discovered water frost.
- August-September, 1977 - Launch of Historic Voyager Missions
Voyagers 1 and 2 leave Earth to meet with Jupiter in 1979 and Saturn in 1980.
- December, 1978 - U.S. Probes Arrive at Venus
Two U.S. Pioneer spacecraft reach Venus. One drops four probes into the atmosphere, while the other maps the surface.
- March 5, 1979 - Voyager 1 Arrives at Jupiter
The U.S. Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, arrives at Jupiter and begins sending back amazing images of the giant planet and its moons.
- July 9, 1979 - Voyager 2 Arrives at Jupiter
The U.S. Voyager 2 spacecraft, launched in 1977, arrives at Jupiter and begins sending back images of Jupiter and its moons.
- September 1, 1979 - First Images of Saturn
The U.S. space probe Pioneer 11 reaches Saturn, flying within 13,000 miles and taking the first close-up photographs of the planet.
- July 9, 1979 - Voyager 1 Arrives at Saturn
The Voyager 1 spacecraft arrives at Saturn and begins sending back images of of the ringed planet and its moons.
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