Eras

Eight decades of space exploration heritage, decade by decade

Atlas

Sputnik 1

R-7 Semyorka

Explorer 1

Luna 2

1950s

The dawn of the Space Age. Sputnik, Explorer, and the first satellites proved humanity could reach orbit.

Convair Atlas OKB-1 Sputnik 1 OKB-1 R-7 Semyorka NASA/JPL Explorer 1 OKB-1 Luna 2

Mercury Capsule

Vostok Capsule

Gemini Capsule

Apollo Command/Service Module

Soyuz (Rocket)

1960s

The Space Race. Mercury, Vostok, Gemini, Apollo. Humanity went from minutes in space to walking on the Moon.

McDonnell Mercury Capsule OKB-1 Vostok Capsule McDonnell Gemini Capsule North American Aviation Apollo Command/Service Module OKB-1 Soyuz (Rocket)OKB-1 Luna 9 NASA Saturn V Grumman Apollo Lunar Module+1 more

Lunokhod 1

Pioneer 10

Skylab

Viking 1

Voyager 1

1970s

Space stations and deep space. Skylab, Salyut, Viking on Mars, Voyager's grand tour of the outer planets.

OKB-1 Lunokhod 1 NASA/JPL Pioneer 10 NASA Skylab NASA/JPL Viking 1 NASA/JPL Voyager 1 Arianespace Ariane 1

Space Shuttle

Mir

Energia

Buran

Delta II

1980s

The Shuttle era. Reusable spaceflight became reality. Mir was assembled. Voyager 2 reached Uranus and Neptune.

Rockwell/Boeing Space Shuttle Roscosmos Mir NPO Energia Energia NPO Energia Buran Douglas/Boeing Delta II NASA/JPL Galileo

Hubble Space Telescope

Ariane 5

Cassini-Huygens

International Space Station

Long March 2F

1990s

Hubble transformed astronomy. The ISS began construction. Mars Pathfinder landed with the first rover.

Lockheed Martin Hubble Space Telescope Arianespace Ariane 5 NASA/JPL Cassini-Huygens NASA International Space Station CALT Long March 2F

Delta IV Heavy

Falcon 1

New Horizons

Kepler Space Telescope

2000s

The ISS became permanently occupied. Spirit and Opportunity explored Mars. SpaceX launched Falcon 1.

ULA Delta IV Heavy SpaceX Falcon 1 NASA/APL New Horizons NASA Kepler Space Telescope

Falcon 9

Curiosity (MSL)

Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission)

Hayabusa2

Orion MPCV

2010s

Rockets learned to land. Falcon 9 proved reusability. New Horizons reached Pluto. Curiosity explored Mars.

SpaceX Falcon 9 NASA/JPL Curiosity (MSL)ISRO Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission)JAXA Hayabusa2 Lockheed Martin Orion MPCV CALT Long March 5 Rocket Lab Electron SpaceX Falcon Heavy

Perseverance

Crew Dragon

Chang''e 5

James Webb Space Telescope

Tiangong Space Station

2020s

Starship became the most powerful rocket ever. Webb revealed the earliest galaxies. Artemis returned to the Moon.

NASA/JPL Perseverance SpaceX Crew Dragon CNSA Chang''e 5 NASA/GSFC James Webb Space Telescope CNSA Tiangong Space Station NASA/JPL Ingenuity Boeing Space Launch System SpaceX Starship / Super Heavy+2 more

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