20th June 1945: The United States approves the transfer of Nazi rocket scientist Wernher von Braun to America

Wernher von Braun initially developed rockets for the United States Army, but was later made director of the Marshall Space Flight Center where he oversaw the design of the Saturn V rocket that launched the Apollo spacecraft to the Moon.

5th May 1961: Astronaut Alan Shepard becomes the first American to travel in space on board Freedom 7

The flight lasted for 15 minutes and 22 seconds and reached a maximum altitude of 116 miles before returning to earth for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean.

28th October 1971: Prospero, the only British satellite launched with a British rocket

The Prospero satellite was launched, making it the first and only British satellite to be launched using a British rocket.

14th September 1959: The USSR sends the first man-made object to the Moon’s surface

Shortly after midnight in Moscow, the Soviets became the first to successfully send a human-made object to the Moon.