"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” More than 50 years ago, Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and pilot Michael Collins became the first people to reach the moon. The success of the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969 has since gone down in history.

Sputnik 1: Earth's atmosphere The USSR launched Sputnik 1, the world's very first artificial satellite, on 4 October 1957. The pioneering spacecraft remained in orbit for three months before it fell to Earth and burned up in the atmosphere.

Explorer 1: Earth's atmosphere Hot on the heels of the Soviets, the USA launched its debut satellite on 31 January 1958. Explorer 1 was the first spacecraft to detect the Van Allen radiation belt. It remained in orbit until 1970, vaporising on re-entry over the Pacific Ocean. This image shows a NASA Jupiter C rocket launching the Explorer 1 satellite into orbit at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex.

Vanguard 1: Earth's orbit Vanguard 1 was the fourth artificial satellite and the first to boast solar power. Launched on 17 March 1958, the American spacecraft is also the oldest satellite still in orbit. A "derelict object", it's expected to stay there for several hundred years.

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