Low Earth Orbit

John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth, circling the planet three times.

Ed White performs the first American spacewalk, floating free for 23 minutes.

Neil Armstrong and David Scott achieve the first docking of two spacecraft in orbit.

America’s first space station hosts three crews and proves humans can live in space for months.

The first international human spaceflight: an American Apollo docks with a Soviet Soyuz.

The Space Shuttle’s daring first flight: the first crewed test of a reusable winged spacecraft.

The Challenger disaster claims seven lives and forces a reckoning in spaceflight safety culture.

The telescope that rewrote astronomy, saved in orbit by five servicing missions.

The first resident crew boards the International Space Station, beginning 25+ years of continuous human presence in orbit.