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Sputnik 1 first artificial satellite of the Earth
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4 October 1957
Launch of Sputnik 1
Sputnik was the first man-made object to be sent into space. Its launch was the starting point for the conquest of space. Caption Sputnik 1 being assembled.
Credits NASA |
Gagarin the first cosmonaut in history.
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12 April 1961
Yuri Gagarin, first man in space.
The Soviets consolidated their lead by sending the first man into the cosmos. Caption Gagarin on his way to the Vostok launch base on 12 April 1961. Behind: Titov, his back-up, Nelyubov and Nikolaïev.
Credits NASA |
The first video link between two continents
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11 July 1962
First video link between the USA and France.
On 11 July 1962 Telstar 1 relayed signals from the United States to the station in Pleumeur-Bodou.
Caption Telstar 1 which was presented to the Parade of Progress in Cleveland in 1964.
Credits NASA-GRC |
First walk in space
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18 March 1965
Leonov's first space walk
Wearing a pressurised suit, Leonov spent 12 minutes outside his space craft. Caption Leonov in space filmed by a camera mounted on Voskhod 2.
Credits NASA |
France, the world's third space power
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26 November 1965
Launch of the French Asterix satellite
With the launch of Asterix, France took its first official steps on the international space scene. Caption Preparation of the A1 capsule (later dubbed Asterix) in 1965.
Credits © SEREB |
First space rendezvous
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15 December 1965
Space rendezvous between Gemini 6 and Gemini 7
The race to the Moon was under way. In 1964 the Americans launched the Gemini programme to prepare manned space flights under the Apollo programme.
Caption Gemini 6 photographed by the Gemini 7 team
Credits NASA |
One giant leap for mankind
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21 July 1969
First man on the Moon
"One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind": Armstrong walks on the moon watched by millions on TV.
Caption Buzz Aldrin at the foot of the LEM Eagle. Credits NASA |
Detente in space
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17 July 1975
Rendezvous between Apollo and Soyouz
After years of unrelenting competition, east-west relations began to thaw in the 1970s.
Caption The astronaut Stafford and the cosmonaut Leonov in the docking module between Apollo and Soyouz. Credits NASA |
A Christmas present for Europe
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24 december 1979
Successful launch of Ariane 1
With Ariane, Europe achieved an independent space capacity alongside the USA and the USSR.
Caption Ariane 1 on its launch pad at the space centre in French Guyana in December 1979. Credits © CNES/ESA/CSG Service Optique, 1979 |
The first reusable space vehicle
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12 April 1981
Inaugural flight of the Columbia shuttle
Exactly 20 years after Gagarin's historic achievement, the launch of the first reusable space vehicle confirmed a certain American supremacy.
Caption Take-off of Columbia on 12 April 1981 Credits NASA-KSC |
The first "space datcha"
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19 February 1986
Construction of the MIR station begins
Drawing on the experience gained with the Saliout stations, the Soviets pushed ahead with continuous crewed missions in space.
Caption Mir photographed by the crew of the Atlantis shuttle during the STS-86 mission in 1997. Credits NASA |
The eyes of space
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24 april 1990
Hubble space telescope placed in orbit
The space telescope grabbed all the headlines and made a major contribution to our understanding of planets, galaxies and nebula.…
Caption Hubble during the SM2 maintenance mission in 1997 Credits NASA |
Live from Mars
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4 july 1997
The Pathfinder mission lands on Mars
The red planet continues to excite our curiosity. In 1996, NASA sent two probes in the direction of the planet, Mars Global Surveyor and Pathfinder.
Caption Sojourner the first day on Mars surrounded by its airbags. Credits JPL/NASA |
An international space "house"
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20 november 1998
First module of the International Space Station (ISS).
The International Space Station is the fruit of a partnership between the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, Canada and Brazil.
Caption ISS viewed from the Discovery shuttle in November 1997 Credits NASA |
1.5 billion kilometres from Earth
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14 January 2005
The Huygens probe lands on Titan
The Huygens European probe is currently the object which has achieved the most distant landing from Earth.
Caption Artist's impression based on the images and data transmitted by Huygens. Credits ESA |
