The first rocket to reach space was the German V2 rocket launched during the latter stages of WWII.

The Space Age began on October 4, 1957 with the launch of Sputnik 1. Since then many space launches have been conducted mainly by governments.

In the early 21st century, the ANSARI X PRIZE competition has been set up to help jump start commercial space exploration.

See also

• Space Race
• Information Age
• Atomic Age