1946: First photo of Earth from space

The study of Earth’s atmosphere from high altitudes began in earnest after World War II. On October 24, 1946, a captured German V-2 rocket, designated V-2 #13, launched from White Sands Missile Range carrying a 35mm motion picture camera. After reaching a maximum altitude of 65 miles, the camera fell back to Earth and was destroyed upon impact, but the film survived.