In particular, in the 1940s there were several test launches of the V-2 rocket, some of which reached altitudes well over 100 km. ==Spacecraft types== ===Crewed spacecraft=== As of 2016, only three nations have flown crewed spacecraft: USSR/Russia, USA, and China. The first crewed spacecraft was Vostok 1, which carried Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961, and completed a full Earth orbit.
The most prominent examples of such companies are SpaceX and Blue Origin. ==History== A German V-2 became the first spacecraft when it reached an altitude of 189 km in June 1944 in Peenemünde, Germany.
It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit (LEO) by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957.
The first example of such was the North American X-15 spaceplane, which conducted two crewed flights which reached an altitude of over 100 km in the 1960s.
In particular, in the 1940s there were several test launches of the V-2 rocket, some of which reached altitudes well over 100 km. ==Spacecraft types== ===Crewed spacecraft=== As of 2016, only three nations have flown crewed spacecraft: USSR/Russia, USA, and China. The first crewed spacecraft was Vostok 1, which carried Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961, and completed a full Earth orbit.
The second crewed spacecraft was named Freedom 7, and it performed a sub-orbital spaceflight in 1961 carrying American astronaut Alan Shepard to an altitude of just over .
The first reusable spacecraft, the X-15, was air-launched on a suborbital trajectory on July 19, 1963. The first partially reusable orbital spacecraft, a winged non-capsule, the Space Shuttle, was launched by the USA on the 20th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's flight, on April 12, 1981.
The first reusable spacecraft, the X-15, was air-launched on a suborbital trajectory on July 19, 1963. The first partially reusable orbital spacecraft, a winged non-capsule, the Space Shuttle, was launched by the USA on the 20th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's flight, on April 12, 1981.
Endeavour was built to replace Challenger when it was lost in January 1986.
Columbia broke up during reentry in February 2003. The first automatic partially reusable spacecraft was the Buran-class shuttle, launched by the USSR on November 15, 1988, although it made only one flight and this was uncrewed.
China developed, but did not fly Shuguang, and is currently using Shenzhou (its first crewed mission was in 2003). Except for the Space Shuttle, all of the recoverable crewed orbital spacecraft were space capsules. The International Space Station, crewed since November 2000, is a joint venture between Russia, the United States, Canada and several other countries. ====Spaceplanes==== Spaceplanes are spacecraft are built in the shape of, and function as, airplanes.
China developed, but did not fly Shuguang, and is currently using Shenzhou (its first crewed mission was in 2003). Except for the Space Shuttle, all of the recoverable crewed orbital spacecraft were space capsules. The International Space Station, crewed since November 2000, is a joint venture between Russia, the United States, Canada and several other countries. ====Spaceplanes==== Spaceplanes are spacecraft are built in the shape of, and function as, airplanes.
Columbia broke up during reentry in February 2003. The first automatic partially reusable spacecraft was the Buran-class shuttle, launched by the USSR on November 15, 1988, although it made only one flight and this was uncrewed.
The Shuttle's heavy cargo transport role is to be replaced by expendable rockets such as the Space Launch System and ULA's Vulcan rocket, as well as the commercial launch vehicles. Scaled Composites' SpaceShipOne was a reusable suborbital spaceplane that carried pilots Mike Melvill and Brian Binnie on consecutive flights in 2004 to win the Ansari X Prize.
The Space Shuttle was subsequently modified to allow for autonomous re-entry in case of necessity. Per the Vision for Space Exploration, the Space Shuttle was retired in 2011 mainly due to its old age and high cost of program reaching over a billion dollars per flight.
In particular, in the 1940s there were several test launches of the V-2 rocket, some of which reached altitudes well over 100 km. ==Spacecraft types== ===Crewed spacecraft=== As of 2016, only three nations have flown crewed spacecraft: USSR/Russia, USA, and China. The first crewed spacecraft was Vostok 1, which carried Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961, and completed a full Earth orbit.
Dragon 2's first crewed flight occurred on May 30, 2020.
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