History Spaceport

peenemünde, germany - v-2 , first rocket reaching space in june 1944 launched

the first rockets reach space v-2 rockets launched peenemünde, germany in 1944 during world war ii. after war, 70 complete v-2 rockets brought white sands test launches, 47 of them reaching altitudes between 100 km , 213 km.

the world s first spaceport orbital , human launches, baikonur cosmodrome in southern kazakhstan, started soviet military rocket range in 1955. achieved first orbital flight (sputnik 1) in october 1957. exact location of cosmodrome held secret. guesses location misdirected name in common mining town 320 km away. position became known in 1957 outside soviet union after u-2 planes had identified site following railway lines in kazakhstan, although soviet authorities did not confirm location decades.

the baikonur cosmodrome achieved first launch of human space (yuri gagarin) in 1961. launch complex used, site 1, has reached special symbolic significance , commonly called gagarin s start. baikonur primary soviet cosmodrome, , still used russia under lease arrangement kazakhstan.

in response soviet successes, united states built major spaceport complex @ cape canaveral in florida. large number of unmanned flights, human flights, carried out @ cape canaveral air force station. apollo programme, adjacent spaceport, kennedy space center, constructed, , achieved first manned mission lunar surface (apollo 11) in july 1969. base space shuttle launches , of runway landings. details on launch complexes of 2 spaceports, see list of cape canaveral , merritt island launch sites.

the guiana space centre in kourou, french guiana, major european spaceport, satellite launches benefit location 5 degrees north of equator.

in october 2003 jiuquan satellite launch center achieved first chinese human spaceflight.

breaking tradition, in june 2004 on runway @ mojave air , space port, california, human first time launched space in privately funded, suborbital spaceflight, intended pave way future commercial spaceflights. spacecraft, spaceshipone, launched carrier airplane taking off horizontally.