Early Rocketry
Modern spaceflight began with rocket technology developed in the early 20th century. Early rockets were limited and dangerous, but they laid the foundation for reaching space.
Key milestones:
1940s: Development of large liquid-fuel rockets
1957: Sputnik becomes first artificial satellite
1961: Yuri Gagarin becomes first human in space
The Space Race
The Cold War fuelled rapid advancements:
USA and USSR competed for space achievements
Led to huge investment and innovation
Culminated in the Apollo Moon landings
Apollo and the Moon
Between 1969 and 1972:
12 humans walked on the Moon
Samples were returned to Earth
Scientific instruments were deployed
Apollo proved humans could explore beyond Earth orbit.
Key Takeaways
Spaceflight developed rapidly in the 20th century
The Moon landings were a technological triumph
Early missions shaped modern exploration