Became the first human in space on April 12, 1961, aboard Vostok 1. His flight marked the start of human space travel.
Neil Armstrong (1930–2012)
First person to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission (1969). His words — “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” — became legendary.
Buzz Aldrin (1930– )
Second man on the Moon during Apollo 11. He helped perform scientific experiments and proved humans could work effectively on the lunar surface.
Valentina Tereshkova (1937– )
First woman in space (1963) aboard Vostok 6. She orbited Earth 48 times and became a symbol of gender equality in space exploration.
Wernher von Braun (1912–1977)
Led the development of the Saturn V rocket, which launched Apollo missions to the Moon. His work laid the foundation for modern rocket science.
Carl Sagan (1934–1996)
Helped plan NASA missions like Voyager, which carried the Golden Record into interstellar space. He popularized science through his show Cosmos.
Elon Musk (1971– )
Revolutionized modern spaceflight by creating reusable rockets (Falcon 9, Starship). His goal is to make humanity a multi-planetary species, starting with Mars.
