Human Epic
Exploration and voyages
Zheng He’s voyages: fleets, ports and Indian Ocean contacts
Zheng He’s fleets visited Southeast Asian and Indian Ocean ports for diplomacy and exchange, also intervening in conflicts. They entered existing maritime networks.
A balloon over Paris in 1783: the first free human flight
Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis d’Arlandes flew a Montgolfier hot-air balloon over Paris in the first untethered manned balloon flight. Franklin described it in a letter that day.
The Wright brothers’ four flights: power, wings and control
The Wright brothers made four flights in North Carolina, achieving sustained, controlled flight in a piloted, powered airplane.
Sputnik 1: the first artificial signal from Earth orbit
The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1. It orbited Earth and transmitted radio signals, opening the era of artificial satellites.
Luna 2: a human-made probe reaches the Moon
Luna 2 struck the lunar surface, becoming the first human-made object to travel from Earth to another celestial body.
Gagarin and Vostok 1: the first human spaceflight
Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth aboard Vostok 1, becoming the first human in space and returning safely.
Glenn and Friendship 7: the course of three orbits
Glenn completed three orbits aboard Friendship 7, becoming the first American to orbit Earth.
Apollo 8: three people make ten lunar orbits
Borman, Lovell, and Anders entered lunar orbit aboard Apollo 8. The crew completed ten lunar revolutions, becoming the first humans to reach and orbit the Moon.
Apollo 11: the first human landing on the Moon
Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed Eagle in the Sea of Tranquility during Apollo 11, completing the first crewed lunar landing.
Viking 1: cameras and a laboratory on Mars
Viking 1 landed safely in Chryse Planitia on Mars, began imaging its surroundings, and carried out soil, weather, and biology experiments.
Voyager 1: Jupiter, Saturn and a route outward
Voyager 1 launched toward Jupiter and Saturn, returning close-up images of the planets and their moons.
Deploying Hubble: a serviceable observatory in orbit
Discovery released the Hubble Space Telescope from its robotic arm. The STS-31 mission had launched the previous day.
Zarya launches: the first module of the International Space Station
A Proton rocket launched the Zarya functional cargo block, the first component of the International Space Station in orbit, beginning its assembly.
New Horizons at Pluto: icy plains and mountains revealed
New Horizons made the first close encounter with Pluto and its moons, revealing icy plains, mountains, and varied geology in a once-distant point of light.
Chang’e-4: Queqiao and the first farside soft landing
Chang’e-4 made the first soft landing on the Moon’s farside near Von Kármán crater, using the Queqiao relay satellite to communicate with Earth and investigate the surface.
Perseverance lands on Mars: Jezero’s terrain and samples
The Perseverance rover landed in Jezero Crater to study Martian geology and seek possible evidence of ancient life.
Webb launches: a folded mirror becomes an observatory
The James Webb Space Telescope launched on Ariane 5 toward the Sun–Earth L2 region, where infrared observations study early galaxies, stars, and planets.
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