Past, present, future
Timeline
by Joe Miller
Orange dots happened. Blue dots are plans and targets, which often slip.
1945 · Von Neumann's EDVAC report describes the stored-program computer.
1948 · Von Neumann begins lecturing on machines that can build copies of themselves.
1958 · NASA opens on October 1.
1966 · Theory of Self-Reproducing Automata, von Neumann's notes, is published.
1969 · Apollo 11 lands on the Moon.
1980 · Robert Freitas publishes the first engineering study of a self-copying space probe.
2002 · Elon Musk founds SpaceX.
2008 · SpaceX's Falcon 1 reaches orbit on its fourth try.
2015 · First Falcon 9 booster lands upright.
2020 · Crew Dragon carries NASA astronauts to the space station.
2021 · Perseverance lands on Mars; Ingenuity makes the first flight on another planet. NASA picks Starship as its Moon lander.
December 2025 · Jared Isaacman becomes NASA Administrator.
February 2026 · SpaceX merges with xAI.
March 2026 · NASA announces the south pole Moon base and the Skyfall Mars mission.
April 2026 · Artemis II flies four astronauts around the Moon.
June 2026 · SpaceX becomes a public company.
October 29, 2026 · Musk posts that von Neumann probes exploring the galaxy by 2100 would be a great result.
November 2026 · Starship Flight 15 aims to catch both stages. The late-2026 Mars window passes without a Starship.
2027 · SpaceX plans its first in-orbit refueling test.
2028 · Planned: crewed Moon landings (Artemis IV and V) and NASA's Skyfall helicopters to Mars.
Late 2028 to 2029 · Next Mars launch window.
Mid-2030s · Planned: astronauts living year-round at the Moon base.
2100 · Musk's hoped-for date for von Neumann probes exploring the galaxy.