Juno I, a slightly modified Jupiter-C launch vehicle, shortly before launch of America's first satellite, Explorer I.

January 1958 -- Explorer 1 Into Space Designed by former V-2 German rocket engineer von Braun's team, the Jupiter-C propelled America's first satellite, Explorer 1, into space. The nose cone of the Jupiter-C became the first man-made object to survive a round trip into space and back. Unlike Sputnik, this object did not go into orbit. However, its blunt shape and protective coating proved that Americans had solved the re-entry problem and paved the way for sending humans into space.