- By the early 20th century, rocket propulsion became a science.
- After World War II, the Americans and the Soviets established competitive space programs.
- By the 1960s, both were developing rocket engines that could launch satellites and humans into space.
Spacecraft have come a long way since the beginning of the space age. Nothing less than a revolutionary change in communications, navigation, computing, and profiles.
Between the launch of Sputnik 1 and the end of the Apollo era, space missions evolved from rockets and orbital modules to three-stage rockets and spacecraft that carried astronauts to the moon.