The Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial satellite called Sputnik 1 in 1957 and first human spaceflight in 1961, while the US established NASA in 1958 which led the Apollo missions landing astronauts on the Moon in 1972. Commercial space tourism began in 2001 when American Dennis Tito became the first space tourist to visit the International Space Station.

1. 1930- The Soviet Union launches space program.

2. 1942- Wernher Von Braun develops the V-2 rocket, this type of rocket will become a foundation for the space programs to come, Braun would defect to the US at the end of World war two.

3. 1957- The USSR launched the world first artificial satellite called Sputnik one, the same year the USSR launched the first the animal larger than a (single celled organism) but the dog died during the mission. Sputnik one Sputnik two

4. 1958- President Eisenhower singed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which gave birth to NASA.

5. 1961-the USSR put the first man in space, what they did not initially mention was he almost died on the mission.

6. Norman Rockwell’s "Astronauts Grissom and Young Suiting Up“1965

7. 1972- The US puts first and second men on the moon with the Apollo mission.

8. April 4, 1983 Maiden Voyage of Challenger Space Shuttle Challenger leaps from the launch pad to begin mission STS-41-C. Credit: NASA

9. December 7, 1995 Galileo Arrives at Jupiter The Galileo spacecraft arrives at Jupiter and a probe is dropped into the planet's atmosphere. The orbiter will spend the next two years orbiting and studying the planet and its moons.

10. Tourist in Space?! April 28, 2001 First Tourist in Space American businessman Dennis Tito becomes the first tourist to fly into space. His 20 million dollar offer is rejected by the United States, but is later welcomed by the Russian space program. A Soyuz space capsule delivers the space tourist and the Russian crew to the International Space Station, where Tito is given limited access to the station.