Aerospace · Recorded milestone
First satellite
Recorded year1957
The USSR's Sputnik 1 orbits Earth, starting the Space Age.
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- Transatlantic radioRecorded · 1901requires
- Triode amplifierRecorded · 1906requires
- Ballistic rocketRecorded · 1944enables
- ICBMRecorded · 1957requires
Led to
- Spy satellite photographyRecorded · 1960enables
- Weather satelliteRecorded · 1960enables
- Human spaceflightRecorded · 1961enables
- Radioisotope power generatorRecorded · 1961enables
- Communications satelliteRecorded · 1962enables
- Transit satellite navigationRecorded · 1964enables
- Voyager probesRecorded · 1977enables
- Satellite rescue beaconsRecorded · 1982enables
- Handheld GPS receiverRecorded · 1989requires
- GPSRecorded · 1995enables
- Ion-engine spacecraftRecorded · 1998enables
- CubeSat standard satellitesRecorded · 2003enables
- Kepler planet hunterRecorded · 2009requires
- Solar sail fliesRecorded · 2010enables
- Property law for the Moon and asteroidsRecorded · 2015enables
- Satellite quantum key exchangeRecorded · 2017requires
- Whole Earth imaged dailyRecorded · 2017enables
- Space traffic control and debris removalForecast · ~2028enables
- Protected, tracked marine giantsForecast · ~2062requires
Sources & evidence
Dataset updated 2026-10-18. This individual record has not been separately re-reviewed.