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Beginning of time -1950's
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Ptolemy
Was an astronomer and mathematician. He proposed a geometric theory that explained the motions of the planets and stars in the sky. He first made the generally held assumtion that the Earth was stationary and the center of the universe. Another generally held belief was that all the planets and stars moved in a perfect circle in the sky around the Earth, but this didn't account for the apparent backward motion of stars. He contended that the stars, and planets moved in small circles around larger circles. Ptolemy called these small circles epicycles. His theories were generally accepted until the 16th century.
Robert Goddard and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky
Both men were pioneers in rocketry who worked in the early 20th century. Tsiolkovsky was a Russian school teacher worked out many principles of astronautics and designed but never built suitable rockets. By contrast Goddard built many rockets and placed patents on his work that still produce royalties. Both came to the conclusion that Solid fuels of the time were not powerful enough and fell back to liquid fuels
All dates are launch dates.
1957
Oct. 4
Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1; first artificial satellite.
Nov. 3
Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2 carries first creature in space; dog Laika
1958
Feb. 1
Explorer becomes 1st US satellite; discovers the Van Allen radiation belt.
1959
Jan. 2
Luna 1, launched by Soviet Union, becomes 1st lunar probe followed shortly thereafter in the same year by Luna 2 and Luna 3
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