A history of human spaceflight

11 Apr 1961 - - 4 Apr 2011 -

11 Apr 1961 - The race to be first

There's something in the human genetic code that urges people to explore new worlds and push the boundaries.

Human history is full of exploration, from the Vikings and Marco Polo to Columbus, Magellan and James Cook. Whether it's climbingto the top of Mount Everest, reaching the poles, or just seeing what's over the next hill, that urge to explore remains a fundamentalpart of what it is to be human. So, we shouldnt be surprised that this urge to explore has taken humans to the final frontier, space. The history of space flight has always been a battle between science and politics as the Soviet Union and the US pushed to becomethe dominant power during the Cold War.

The Americans were the first to break the sound barrier in 1947, which in turn helped develop better jet fighters.

A decade later, the launch of Sputnik as the first human-made object to orbit the Earth, demonstrated the Soviet Union's ability todeliver nuclear weapons to anywhere on the planet.

Yuri Gagarin's historic achievement 50 years ago as the first man in space was a natural progression of that race.

Our timeline celebrates the extraordinary achievements we've made since that historic moment.

Resources:Where does space begin? (ABC Science Online) (http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/01/13/2791372.htm)

12 Apr 1961 - The first man in space

Soviet fighter pilot, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly into space on 12 April 1961. Gagarin completed one orbit of the Earthon board Vostok 1 , a capsule mounted on a modified Soviet R7 rocket. During his flight he reached a maximum altitude of 327kilometres before returning to Earth just under two hours later.

Interestingly, the Federation Aeronautique Internationale rules in 1961 required that the pilot must land with the spacecraft to beconsidered an official spaceflight for the record books.

It was later revealed that Gagarin had abandoned the capsule during re-entry at an altitude of 23,000 feet instead of parachuting tothe ground.

After his historic space flight, Gagarin was proclaimed a national hero of the Soviet Union serving as a deputy to the Supreme Sovietand later returned to the cosmonaut facility at Star City. However, Soviet officials worried about losing their hero in an accidentbanned him from training for, and participating in further spaceflights.

On 27 March 1968, while on a routine training flight from Chkalovsky Air Base he and flight instructor Vladimir Seryogin died in a MiG15 jet fighter crash near the town of Kirzhach.

Resources:50 years of human space flight (ROSCOMOS) (http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?lang=en)Yuri Gagarin: first man in space (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/sts1/gagarin_anniversary.html)Yuri Gagarin video (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/mpg/146085main_yuri.mpg)Yuri Gagarin: his life in pictures (Russian Archives Online) (http://www.russianarchives.com/gallery/gagarin/)

5 May 1961 - First American in space

Almost a month after Gagarin's historic flight, US Navy pilot Alan Shepard became the first American in space on 5 May 1961.

Shepard piloted a Mercury capsule named Freedom 7, which was mounted on a Redstone rocket on a sub-orbital flight that lastedjust 15 minutes and 22 seconds. Its ballistic trajectory carried Shepard to an altitude of 187 kilometres before falling back to theEarth's surface 486 kilometres down-range in the Altantic Ocean.

While the Redstone rocket wasn't as powerful as the Soviet rocket that took Gagarin into space, the Freedom 7 enabled Shepard tocontrol the spacecraft's altitude.

Also unlike Gagarin, Shepard stayed with his spaceship for the entire mission, which was broadcast live on television and watched bymillions.

Resources:Alan Shepard biography (NASA) (http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/shepard-alan.html)Project Mercury (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mercury/missions/program-toc.html)

25 May 1961 - Kennedy declares US will "land a manon the moon"

On 25 May 1961 US President John F Kennedy delivered his now famous moon speech "to land a man on the Moon and safelyreturn him to the Earth again".

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon andreturning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for thelong-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish."

Resources:Transcript of Kennedy's speech (Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum)(http://www.jfklibrary.org/Research/Ready-Reference/JFK-Speeches/Special-Message-to-the-Congress-on-Urgent-National-Needs-May-25-1961.aspx)

20 Feb 1962 - First American to orbit the Earth

The introduction of the powerful Atlas rocket into the Mercury program enabled American astronauts to orbit the Earth.

The first to do so was US Marine Corp aviator John Glenn onboard the Mercury spacecraft Friendship 7 on 20 February 1962. Glennorbited the Earth three times in five hours and reached an altitude of 265 kilometres.

After Glenn's flight, NASA sent three more Mercury missions into orbit before the program ended in May 1963.

Resources:John Glenn biography (http://johnglennhome.org/about/john-glenn)Friendship 7 mission (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mercury/missions/friendship7.html)

16 Jun 1963 - First woman in space

Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova, a Russian textile factory worker became the first woman, and civilian in space on 16 June 1963.During her three-day flight she performed various tests to determine how the female body reacts to spaceflight.

Resources:Russian Federal Space Agency (http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?lang=en)The Pioneers (Monash University) (http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/tereshkova.html)

19 Jul 1963 - The world's first space plane

The X-15 was an experimental space plane developed in 1959 by the US Airforce and National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics(NACA), which was to become NASA in 1958.

Between 1959 and 1968, the X-15 project carried out 199 test flights exploring the boundaries between the Earth's atmosphere andspace. The project developed new technologies that were later used in the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs.

On 19 July 1963, an X-15 rocket plane flown by US pilot Joe Walker reached space for the first time, achieving an altitude of 107.96kilometres.

On 3 October 1967, US pilot Pete Knight set a new world aircraft speed record of 7,273 kilometres per hour. The record still stands in2011.

Resources:X-15 website (NASA) (http://history.nasa.gov/x15/cover.html)

8 Apr 1964 - Gemini rises

While Mercury was designed to get Americans into space, NASA developed Gemini to test the technology and skills needed to reachthe moon.

Following two unmanned flights in April 1964 and January 1965, the first manned flight was launched on 23 March 1965. Carryingtwo men into space at a time, Gemini's 10 manned spaceflights examined a human's ability to fly in space for extended periods oftime, to rendevous and dock with other spacecraft and to evaluate an astronaut's ability to perform tasks outside the protection of thespacecraft.

Resources:The Gemini Program (NASA) (http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/gemini.html)On the Shoulders of Titans: A History of Project Gemini (NASA) (http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4203/toc.htm)

18 Mar 1965 - Man walks in space

On 18 March 1965, Soviet cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov became the first man to walk in space.

Leonov was outside the Voskhod 2 spacecraft for 12 minutes and nine seconds, his only link to the capsule being a 5.35 metre tether.

Problems developed at the end of the spacewalk when it was discovered that Leonov's spacesuit had over-inflated, preventing himfrom re-entering the airlock. Eventually after bleeding some pressure off through a valve in the suit, he managed to squeeze back inthe capsule.

Three months later on 3June, US astronaut Edward White became the first American to walk in space, spending 20 minutes outsidethe Gemini 4 capsule. The Americans continued to perfect spacewalk techniques throughout the Gemini missions. Buzz Aldrin trainedfor his November 1966 mission using techniques developed under water to simulate zero-gravity conditions.

Resources:Space: Adventure into Emptiness (Time 1965) (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,841800,00.html)Edward White biography (NASA) (http://www11.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/white-eh.html)Gemini 4 mission (NASA) (http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1965-043A)

16 Mar 1966 - First space dockings

Despite several attempts by the Soviets in 1962 and 1963 using simulatenously launched pairs of spacecraft, it was the Americanswho achieved the first rendevous in space with another spacecraft.

On 15 December 1965 US astronaut Wally Schirra piloted Gemini 6A to within 30 centimetres of its sister ship Gemini 7. Thespacecraft were not equipped for docking but maintained station-keeping for more than 20 minutes.

Then on 16 March 1966 Gemini 8 piloted by Neil Armstrong (who would eventually become the first man to walk on the moon)successfully docked with an unmanned Agena Target Vehicle. The mission almost ended in failure when the two docked spacecraftsuddenly began spinning wildly in orbit eventually reaching some 60 revolutions per minute. Eventually the crew discovered theproblem was caused by one of the thrusters on the Gemini 8 spacecraft, after regaining control of the craft they successfully returnedto Earth.

The Soviet Union achieved its first unmanned space docking on 30 October 1967, but it was another two years before themanned-craft Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 docked on 16 January 1969.

Resources:The Whirligig (On the Shoulders of Titans: the Gemini Project) (http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4203/ch13-6.htm)

21 Dec 1968 - Apollo views the Earth rise

On 21 December 1968, Apollo 8 became the first manned capsule to leave the Earth and travel to another world. The spacecraftcompleted 10 lunar orbits in 24 hours. Its crew became the first humans to see the far side of the moon. More significantly, they alsobecame the first people to see Earth rise.

Resources:Apollo 8 mission details (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo8.html)That photograph (ABC Science Online archive) (http://www.abc.net.au/science/moon/earthrise.htm)

20 Jul 1969 - "One small step for man, one giant leapfor mankind"

In one of the most significant achievements of humankind, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on theMoon. During descent the lunar module named Eagle went off course forcing Armstrong to land manually as Aldrin called out altitudeand velocity. Then one of Eagle's landing gear sensors touched the lunar surface. Aldrin said "contact light".

Moments later Armstrong uttered some of history's most famous words "Houston, Tranquillity Base here, the Eagle has landed". Thetime was exactly 20:17 GMT on July 20th 1969, the Eagle touched down in the Sea of Tranquillity with just 25 seconds of fuel left.

Later Armstrong stepped off the lunar module ladder and into history uttering his famous line "That's one small step for man, one giantleap for mankind". Aldrin described the moon as "magnificent desolation". They spent two hours and 36 minutes walking on the moon,taking readings, placing scientific packages on the ground and collecting 21.55 kilograms of moon rocks and soil samples.

Resources:40th Moon landing anniversary special (ABC Science) (http://www.abc.net.au/science/moon/)Catalyst Moon Special (ABC TV) (http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/Moon/)Apollo 11 website (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo11.html)Australia's role in Apollo 11 (CSIRO) (http://www.csiro.au/science/Parkes-receiving-Apollo-11-moon-walk.html)

19 Apr 1971 - Soviets launch the Salyut Space Station

Once the Soviets realied that they couldn't beat the Americans to the Moon, they turned their focus on building a space station inEarth's orbit.

On 19 April 1971, Salyut 1 becomes the world's first space station. Crews would fly up separately aboard a Soyuz capsule, with thestation abandoned once supplies ran out.

There were six more space stations after Salyut 1; three military versions also known as Almaz stations, and three civilian versions,two of which were fitted with docking ports allowing a second crew to visit.

Resources:Russian Federal Space Agency (http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?lang=en)Russian Space Web (http://www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz.html)

30 Jun 1971 - Soyuz 11 tragedy

On 7 June 1971, Soyuz 11 successfully docked with Salyut 1. The three-person crew remained aboard the station for 22 days.

After undocking for their return to Earth, the Soyuz 11 crew were completing preparations for atmospheric re-entry when theircapsule depressurised. The return module made it to the ground without any further damage, but rescuers found the crew deadinside. It was the first time humans had died in space.

Resources:

14 May 1973 - US launches Skylab Space Station

On 14 May 1973, America launched space station Skylab on a Saturn 5 rocket.

The first crew to arrive on 25 May 1973 found the orbiting outpost badly damaged by the launch and began extensive repairs. Thesecond crew arrived on 28July 28 1973 and carried out further repair work to keep the station flying. They stayed on the spacestation for 28 days carrying out experiments in areas such as medical activities, solar observations and Earth resources.

The last crew reached the station on 16 November 1973, carried out additional repairs and conducted scientific experiments includingthe first recording from space of the birth of a solar flare from the Sun.They returned to the Earth on 8 February 1974.

NASA had planned to refurbish Skylab using the space shuttle to boost it to a higher orbit, but delays in the space shuttle programmeant the station's orbit continued to decay. Skylab eventually re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on 11 July 1979 and disintegratedover Western Australia.

Resources:SkyLab: America's first space station (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/index.html)

15 Jul 1975 - Apollo and Soyuz dock together

The Apollo-Soyuz test project was the first orbital docking of an American spacecraft with a Soviet capsule. The Apollo launched fromthe Kennedy Space Centre on a Saturn 1B rocket on 15 July 1975. The same day, a Soyuz was launched from the BaikonurCosmodrome in the USSR. The two spacecraft docked two days later and remained attached for another two days.

The mission was the final flight of the Apollo program.

Resources:Apollo Soyuz History site (NASA) (http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4209/toc.htm)

12 Aug 1977 - The space shuttle era begins

The American space shuttle has become the greatest icon of manned spaceflight in history. The Space Shuttle Enterprise waslaunched on 12 August 1977 as an atmospheric test flight vehicle. Three and a half years later, Space Shuttle Columbia became thefirst space shuttle to fly into orbit on 12 April 1981.

Four more shuttles were built throughout the program: Challenger (4 April 1983), Discovery (30 August 1984), Atlantis (3 October1985) and Endeavour (7 May 1992).

Resources:Space Shuttle website (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/orbiters_toc.html)Space Shuttle: The Time-Lapse Movie (Air&Space Smithsonian) (http://www.airspacemag.com/space-exploration/Shuttle-Time-Lapse.html)

7 Feb 1984 - First untethered spacewalk

In one of the most iconic images ever captured, American Bruce McCandless made the first untethered spacewalk on 7 February1984 during Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-41-B.

While jetpacks were tested as early as the Gemini missions in the '60s, the astronauts were always tethered to the spacecraft.McCandless was the first to fly a new jetpack called the 'manned manoevering unit' (MMU) to move in space without being tethered.HIs spacewalk lasted five hours and 55 minutes.

But untethered spacewalks were shortlived. The manned manoevering unit was last used in November 1984. After the Challengerdisaster in 1986, NASA decided the manned maneuvering unit was too risky for further use.

Resources:Untethered spacewalk history (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oce/appel/ask-academy/issues/volume2/AA_2-2_SF_history.html)Walking the Void (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/workinginspace/eva_stats.html)

28 Jan 1986 - Space shuttle Challenger disaster

Space Shuttle Challenger was destroyed on her 10th flight, 73 seconds after launch when an "O" ring on one of the shuttle's solidrocket boosters failed allowing thrust to burn into the external fuel tank causing an explosion and killing all the crew, which includedcivilians.

The tragedy was a major setback of the space shuttle program, causing a 32-month hiatus while the US government conducted aninquiry into the accident. The Rogers Commission returned with nine recommendations to improve safety. The program resumed on29 September 1988.

Space shuttle Challenger was replaced by Space Shuttle Endeavour, which first went into space on 7 May 1992.

Resources:Challenger anniversary pays tribute to astronauts (ABC News archives) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2006/01/29/1557263.htm)Space Shuttle Challenger information (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/challenger-info.html)

19 Feb 1986 - Russia launches the Mir Space Station

The first module of the Soviet Union's Mir Space Station was placed into orbit on 19 February 1986. When completed in 1996, Mirconsisted of seven pressurised modules and several unpressurised components.

The 130 tonne science outpost remained in orbit until 23 March 2001. It still holds the record for the longest single human spaceflight,437 days 18 hours undertaken by Valeri Polyakov who was trapped on station as the USSR self destructed 400 kilometres below.

He went up as a Soviet citizen, and returned as a citizen of the Russian Federation.

Resources:HIstory of Mir (http://www.russianspaceweb.com/mir_chronology.html)Shuttle-Mir (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle-mir/index.html)

6 Dec 1993 - Flying high to repair the Hubble

Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has been regularly visited by shuttles to repairand upgrade equipment.

As it orbits some 560 kilometres above the Earth, launching and servicing Hubble provides the Space Shuttle with its highest altitudeflights.

On 6 December 1993, astronauts Jeffrey Hoffman and Story Musgrave carried out essential repairs to the telescope while it wasattached to the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Most importantly, installing technology to correct Hubble's faulty main mirror, which haddistorted the telescope's view. This fix enabled the Hubble to finally send back the first stunning, in-focus images of our universe.

Four more servicing missions by Discovery in 1997 and 1999, Columbia in 2002, and Atlantis in 2009 (see video), have boostedHubble's orbital altitude and kept its technology up to date, allowing the telescope to open a window into the universe which hasunlocked secrets of astronomy and astrophysics that have deeply influenced sciences understanding of the cosmos.

The end of the Space Shuttle era will also mean the eventual end of Hubble as orbital decay and equipment failures will become agrowing problem.

Resources:The Hubble Site (http://hubblesite.org/)Hubble 20 Year anniversary photogallery (ABC Science) (http://www.abc.net.au/science/photos/?gallery=/science/photos/xml/10hubble.xml)

20 Nov 1998 - International Space Station

The ISS or International Space Station (call sign Alpha) has given man a permanent presence in space and a permanent platform forscientific research.

The first module was launched in 1998 and construction of the 376 tonne 16 nation space station is scheduled for completion in May2012. When finished, it will have 15 habitable modules and numerous other segments.

The ISS is home to a crew of six at any one time although visiting spacecraft can bolster that figure by another seven.

Two Soyuz capsules are always docked to the station to act as escape pods in the event of an emergency.

Resources:International Space Station news (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html)International Space Station interactive website (http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/ISSRG/index.html)International Space Station Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/ISS)Russian Federal Space Agency (http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?lang=en)

28 Apr 2001 - First space tourist

On 28 April 2001, American millionaire businessman Dennis Tito became the world's first space tourist paying an estimated US 20million dollars for a seat on the Soyuz TM32 to the International Space Station.

The space tourism industry continues to grow with Virgin Galactic planning to begin regular sub-orbital flights using an expandedversion of the Burt Rutan Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne launching from a new purpose built facility in New Mexico.

Resources:Space tourism now a reality (ABC Science) (http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2001/05/01/286593.htm)Space tourism blasts off into legal mire (ABC Science Online) (http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/08/30/1727009.htm)

1 Feb 2003 - Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

The space shuttle program was dealt another major blow when Space Shuttle Columbia was destroyed while coming home after her28th flight on 1 February 2003.

Subsequent investigation found superheated plasma generated during atmospheric re-entry breached the orbitor's heat shield,melting the airframe. The breach was caused during launch by frozen insulation foam breaking off from the external fuel tank andstriking the wing leading edge, resulting in a suitcase-sized hole in the heat shield.

Following the disaster the space shuttle program and the construction of the International Space Station (ISS) was put on hold for twoyears.

During this time, on 14 January 2004, President George Bush announced that the space shuttle program would be retired in 2010when the ISS was completed. In its place he announced a new space program called Constellation that would return man to the Moonand explore Mars and other destinations. The first flight of the new program was slated for 2014.

Resources:Space Shuttle Columbia information (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/columbia_info.html)Shuttle disaster blamed on wing damage (ABC News archives) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2003/06/25/887616.htm)Report of the Columbia accident investigation board (http://www.nasa.gov/columbia/caib/html/start.html)

15 Oct 2003 - China joins the club

The space program of the Peoples republic of China can be traced back to the late 1950s when Beijing began its ballistic missileprogram in response to perceived American and Soviet threats.

China's first manned space flight was the Shenzhou 5, which launched Yang Liwei into orbit as the first Chinese Taikonaut on 15October 2003. The Shenzhou capsule is based on the Russian Soyuz, but redesigned to be slightly larger. Like the Soyuz it consistsof orbital, re-entry and service modules. It is launched on a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in theGobi Desert of Inner Mongolia.

Resources:China launches manned spaceflight (ABC News archive) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2003/10/15/967326.htm)China National Space Administration (http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n615709/index.html)

21 Jun 2004 - First private spacecraft goes into space

California company Scaled Composites and its head Burt Rutan, developed a rocket powered space plane called SpaceShipOnewhich would be taken to an altitude of about 50,000 feet by a mother-ship called the White Knight. It would then be released, fire upits rocket engine and climb to an altitude of 100 kilometres giving those onboard a few moments of weightless spaceflight, beforegliding back to the ground.

On 21 June 2004 pilot Mike Melvill flew SpaceShipOne to an altitude of 100.124 kilometres, becoming the first privately built vehicle toachieve human spaceflight. Melvill repeated the feat on 29 September 2004 reaching 102.93 kilometres.

A few days later on 4 October Brian Binnie flew SpaceShipOne to an altitude of 112.014 kilometres securing the US $10 millionX-prize as the first privately funded and built reusable manned spacecraft.

The competition was designed to encourage cheaper space flight. The rules called for a vehicle which could carry at least threepeople, fly to an altitude of 100 kilometres (the official start of space) return to the surface and repeat the flight within the space of twoweeks.

Resources:SpaceShipOne flight takes off (ABC Science Online) (http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2004/10/04/1212732.htm)SpaceShipOne webpage (http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/)

25 Feb 2011 - The space shuttle program ends

Now too costly to maintain, the space shuttle program, which has played an integral role in space discovery and servicing theInternational Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope is slated to finish in 2011.

After 39 missions, Space Shuttle Discovery returned to Earth following her final flight into space delivering supplies, scientificequipment and a new module to the International Space Station.

Space shuttle Endeavour's final flight launched on 16 May 2011. Endeavour carried a particle accelerator to the International SpaceShuttle and returned to Earth on 1 June 2011.

Space Shuttle Atlantis launched on the last ever space shuttle flight on 8 July 2011. Mission STS-135 is the 32nd flight for Atlantisbringing an end to over 30 years of the space shuttle program.

When the Space Shuttle program ends, US astronauts will rely on the Russian Soyuz capsules to ferry them to the InternationalSpace Station and supplies are likely to be provided by commerical companies such as the SpaceX program .

Resources:Space shuttle special (ABC Science Online) (http://www.abc.net.au/science/spaceshuttle/)Space Shuttle Discovery (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/discovery-info.html)Space Shuttle Endeavour (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/endeavour-info.html)Space Shuttle Atlantis (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/atlantis-info.html)Final flight of Space Shuttle Discovery (NASA) (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/main/index.html)Endeavour blasts off on final mission (ABC News) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/16/3218552.htm)SpaceX cleared for Florida lift-off (http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/06/04/2918356.htm)Atlantis blasts off on final space mission (ABC News) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-09/atlantis-blasts-off-on-final-space-mission/2787988)Atlantis docks at space station for last time (ABC News) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-11/atlantis-docks-at-space-station-for-last-time/2789364)Astronauts in last spacewalk of shuttle era (ABC News) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-13/atlantis-astronaut-space-moon-walk/2792390)

4 Apr 2011 - Where next?

Fifty years since man first went into space, the Cold War is over and the US and Russia are no longer sparring partners in the spacerace. But the American dream of returning to the moon or travelling to Mars is over, at least for now.

On 1 February 2010 President Obama announced that the Constellation program to send man to the moon and to Mars would not goahead, however he has called on NASA to put together a plan to send astronauts to a near Earth asteroid by 2025.

No specific asteroid target was chosen. However the President says the crew would use the Orion capsule originally designed as partof Constellation to undertake the flight. The mission will allow scientists to better understand the physical make up of near-Earthasteroids, so humans have a better chance of knowing how to deal with the next asteroid on an Earth impacting orbit.

Once operational in about 2016 Orion will also be used as a space taxi to transport astronauts to the International Space Station.

While the American manned space program is moving to private enterprise, Both Russia and China are continuing their own humanspaceflight programs with no sign of slowing down.

The Chinese plan to launch a space station during the current decade, and Russia is building extra Soyuz capsule to carry morecrews to the International Space Station following the end of the space shuttle program.

Meanwhile both Japan and Europe are also looking at future human rated versions of their existing cargo ships. And India is alsotalking about a human space program.

In the coming years it is also likely that commercial companies such as the SpaceX program will play a large role in spaceflight,servicing the International Space Station.

The big change in human spaceflight, however, is likely to be the introduction of space tourism. Private companies such as VirginGalactic could transport more people to space in a year, than the entire space program has done in the last 50 years.

It may not be the dream of returning to the Moon and then on to Mars, but it's a start to the next chapter of our space journey.

Resources:Obama abandons man's return to the moon (ABC News) (http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/01/2807263.htm)