This is a list of NASA missions, both crewed and robotic, since its establishment on 1958.

First Human in Space April 12, 1961 . Astronaut fatalities (In the statistics below, "astronaut" is applied to all space travellers to … First Satellite to Orbit Earth October 4, 1957.

The Soviet Union launches the first artificial satellite. “The NASA SpaceX Crew Dragon mission has the green light for the launch,” Nasa tweeted. There was a key onboard in a sealed envelope in case of emergency. 1 Current missions 2 X-Plane program It will be the first flight of an American spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts launching from U.S. soil since the space shuttle completed its final mission in 2011. Ed Dwight made it to the second round of an Air Force program from which NASA selected astronauts, but was not selected by NASA to be an astronaut. Called Sputnik, a combination of words meaning "fellow-traveler of Earth," it weighs about 184 pounds. In the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, NASA focused JPL's expertise on large, complex, one-of-a-kind space missions. Sputnik circles the globe beeping radio signals, demonstrating that the Soviets have rockets that could send warheads anywhere on Earth. First probe to flyby four planets: Voyager 2, 1977; First orbiter to Jupiter: Galileo, 1989; First orbiter to Saturn: Cassini, 1997; First rover on Mars: Sojourner (part of Pathfinder), 1997; Era of Large Space Missions. On Feb. 20, 1962, NASA astronaut John Glenn made history when he became the first American ever to orbit Earth. Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space. Alan Shepard piloted his Freedom 7 Mercury capsule for a 15 minute suborbital flight with no communication glitches. Humans are orbiting the planet Earth right now, aboard the International Space Station. See how NASA launched Glenn into orbit in this SPACE.com infographic.

First American in Space On May 5, 1961, Mercury Astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr. (right, headed to launch) blasted off in his Freedom 7 capsule atop a Mercury-Redstone rocket (left). His 15-minute sub-orbital flight made him the first American in space. Dryden pilot Neil Armstrong standing next to the X-15 ship #1 in 1960. Riding on the Soviet Vostok 1, Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man in space. The station facilitates the growth of a robust commercial market in low-Earth orbit. NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is working with American aerospace industry partners to launch crews of four to the station aboard next-generation spacecraft. Senior officials from the US space agency and Elon Musk’s company had been meeting since Thursday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to verify that everything was ready and secure for the mission.

This event triggers the space race between the United States and the … SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, scheduled to launch two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station on May 27, will — if all goes well — become the first … It will be the first American human flight since 2011. Humans are orbiting the planet Earth right now, aboard the International Space Station. On April 12, 1961, aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Alekseyevich … During a 15-day endurance experiment in a low-pressure altitude chamber with at least 50% oxygen atmosphere, Vostok cosmonaut trainee Bondarenko dropped an alcohol-soaked cloth onto an electric hotplate. Alan Shepard rode Freedom 7 to become the first American in space. He suffered third-degree burns over most of his body and face, and died in a hospital 16 hours later.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is working with American aerospace industry partners to launch crews of four to the station aboard next-generation spacecraft.