Human Spaceflight History
The crewed milestones — first flights, spacewalks, and space stations.
Yuri Gagarin was the first person to travel into space and orbit the Earth, aboard Vostok 1.
- 12 April 1961Gagarin Becomes the First Human in Space
Yuri Gagarin orbits the Earth once aboard Vostok 1, becoming the first human in space and the first to orbit the planet.
Alan Shepard flies a 15-minute suborbital hop aboard Freedom 7, becoming the first American in space three weeks after Gagarin.
Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman to fly in space, aboard Vostok 6.
- 16 June 1963Tereshkova Becomes the First Woman in Space
Valentina Tereshkova spends nearly three days in orbit aboard Vostok 6, the first woman to fly in space.
- 1965First Spacewalk
Alexei Leonov made the first extravehicular activity, floating outside his Voskhod 2 capsule.
- 18 March 1965Leonov Makes the First Spacewalk
Alexei Leonov leaves his Voskhod 2 capsule for about twelve minutes, the first human to walk in space.
- 24 December 1968Apollo 8 Orbits the Moon
The crew of Apollo 8 become the first humans to leave Earth orbit and circle the Moon, returning the famous Earthrise photograph.
Salyut 1 was the first space station, the beginning of humans living and working in orbit.
- 19 April 1971Salyut 1, the First Space Station
The Soviet Union launches Salyut 1, the world's first space station, beginning the long human effort to live and work in orbit.
- 14 May 1973Skylab, America's First Space Station
The United States launches Skylab, its first space station, where crews study the Sun and the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body.
- 18 June 1983Sally Ride, First American Woman in Space
Aboard Challenger, Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space.
- 20 November 1998The First Module of the ISS
The Zarya module launches, the first piece of the International Space Station — the largest structure ever assembled in space, built by fifteen nations.