Space Exploration Timeline
Sputnik 1
First artificial satellite launched by Soviet Union
Weight: 183 lbs
Orbit: 96 minutes
Yuri Gagarin
First human in space aboard Vostok 1
Duration: 108 minutes
Altitude: 327 km
Apollo 11
First humans land on the Moon
Crew: 3 astronauts
Moon time: 21.5 hours
Apollo-Soyuz
First joint US-Soviet space mission
Duration: 9 days
Docked: 44 hours
Space Shuttle
First reusable spacecraft launches
Missions: 135
Payload: 27,500 kg
Mir Space Station
Long-duration space laboratory
Operational: 15 years
Crew: 104 people
ISS Construction
International Space Station assembly begins
Partners: 15 nations
Cost: $150 billion
SpaceX Falcon 1
First private liquid-fueled rocket reaches orbit
Payload: 165 kg
Cost: $7M
Curiosity Rover
Advanced Mars exploration begins
Weight: 899 kg
Distance: 29 km
Perseverance
Search for signs of ancient life on Mars
Samples: 24 collected
Helicopter: Ingenuity
Artemis Program
Return humans to the Moon
Target: 2026
First woman on Moon
Mars Mission
First crewed mission to Mars planned
Duration: 3 years
Crew: 4-6 people
Space Exploration by the Numbers
Launch Success Rate
92%
Success rate of space missions in the last decade
Countries in Space
Mission Types
Satellites (35%)
Planetary (28%)
Crewed (25%)
Deep Space (12%)
Interactive Space Mission Simulator
75%
3
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Success Probability:
85%
Mission Cost:
$125M
Duration:
6 months
The Future of Space Exploration
Mars Colonization
Establishing permanent human settlements on Mars by 2040
35% Complete
Lunar Base
Building a sustainable research station on the Moon
60% Complete
Asteroid Mining
Extracting valuable resources from near-Earth asteroids
15% Complete
Interstellar Travel
Developing technology for travel to other star systems
5% Complete