History of Space Exploration

Space History

• Introduction
• Rocket History
• Early Astronauts
• Automated Spacecraft
• Hypothetical Planets

Space Exploration Chronology

• By Date
• By Planetary Body
• Chronology of Solar System Discovery

U.S. Missions

• Apollo Landing Missions
  • Prologue
  • Spacecraft, Suits, and Rovers
  • Precursors to the Landing Missions
  • Apollo 11, Apollo 12, Apollo 13, Apollo 14, Apollo 15, Apollo 16, Apollo 17
  • Epilogue: When might we go back to the Moon?

• Robotic Spacecraft
  • Mariner Missions
    • Mariner 2, Mariner 4, Mariner 5, Mariner 6 & 7, Mariner 9, Mariner 10
  • Ranger to the Moon (1964 - 1965)
    • Ranger 7, Ranger 8, Ranger 9
  • Lunar Orbiter (1966-1967)
    • Lunar Orbiter 1, Lunar Orbiter 2, Lunar Orbiter 3, Lunar Orbiter 4, Lunar Orbiter 5
  • Surveyor
  • Viking
    • Project Viking Fact Sheet
  • Voyager
    • The Voyager Planetary Mission
      • Voyager Jupiter Science Summary
      • Voyager Saturn Science Summary
      • Voyager Neptune Science Summary
      • Voyager Uranus Science Summary
  • Magellan
  • Galileo
    • Galileo Project Fact Sheet
    • Galileo Crosses Boundary Into Jupiter's Environment
    • Galileo Probe Suggests Planetary Science Reappraisal
  • Cassini
    • Cassini Fact Sheet

USSR Missions

• The Soviet Lunar Program
  • Luna Mission Summaries, 1959 - 1976
  • Zond Mission Summaries, 1965 - 1970
• The Soviet Mars Program
  • Phobos
• The Soviet Venus Program
  • Venera 15 & 16

European Missions

• Giotto
• Ulysses

Japanese Missions

• Sakigake
• Suisei

Educator Guides

• Educator's Guide to Robotic Spacecraft
• Educator's Guide to Spotting the Shuttle

Additional History Resources

• Basics of Space Flight (JPL)
• Apollo Lunar Surface Journal
• NASA Historical Space Archive

Return to the Comets

Author: Calvin J. Hamilton