Between 1961 and 2011, the U.S. launched 166 manned missions to space. This infographic, created by the artists at mgmt. design, depicts every last one of them. [Click here for hi res]

Some things worth paying attention to in this chart include the short lifespan of each program relative to that of the Space Shuttle, and the gaps in spaceflight that inevitably occur in the months and years following a disaster, or a shift from one program to the next. Given the budget cuts that NASA finds itself faced with at present, and the rise of privatized spacecraft, one can't help but wonder what this infographic might come to look like in the years ahead.





Hat tip to Emma! Via mgmt design.