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Liquid-propellant rocket - utilizes a rocket engine that uses liquid propellants (Until Liquid rocket engine human used sulfur to ignite rockets). Liquid fuel is desirable because its high density relative to solid fuel allows a relatively low volume and weight of the fuel tank (without the fuel), which results in a high mass ratio and a high final speed of the rocket.
Liquid rockets provide more thrust per unit of fuel and allow engineers to specify how long the rocket will stay lit.

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky 1857-1935, was a Russian and Soviet rocket scientist who pioneered astronautic theory.
Tsiolkovsky advocated liquid propellant rocket engines, orbital space stations, solar energy, and solar system colonization. In 1903, he published the article "Research into Interplanetary Space by Means of Rocket Power", in which it was proved for the first time that the rocket is capable of making a space flight. He developed several ideas regarding rockets and the use of liquid-fuel rocket engines. At that time, foreign scientists did not appreciate his research, but since it is now used for every major scientific discipline in space, it can be said that he was ahead of his time. For his ideas, careful research, and great vision, Tsiolkovsky has been called the Father of Modern Astronautics.

Robert H. Goddard (1882-1945) was an American physicist who sent the first liquid-fueled rocket aloft in Auburn, Massachusetts, on March 16, 1926.  The rocket traveled for 2.5 seconds at a speed of about 96.5 kph, reaching an altitude of 12.5 meters and landing 56 meters away. The rocket was 3 meters tall, constructed out of thin pipes, and was fueled by liquid oxygen and gasoline.
He was the forerunner of the Saturn V Moon rocket 43 years later.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzf9wh1Zl3c&ab_channel=ClarkUniversity

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The V-2 rocket was the world's first operational large-scale liquid-propellant rocket, which the nazis developed during the Second World War, The nazis developed the V-2 rocket as a "vengeance weapon". The missile was the world's first ballistic missile, it was assigned to attack Allied cities as retaliation for the Allied bombings against German cities. The nazis used Tsiolkovsky's idea of using liquid rocket engine fuel to increase its thrust capabilities and make it better than the rocket that Robbert built. Since the V-2 rocket humans started using two stages rockets and kerosene which helped get the rocket to faster speed and longer distances.
It became the first artificial object to travel into space by crossing the Kármán line - 100km above Earth (edge of space).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neS5CLRKiBo&ab_channel=BritishPath%C3%A9

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R-7 Semyorka rocket (left) and Sputnik 1 (right)

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1957 - Space age beginning, Sputnik (R-7 Semyorka)

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1957 - Space age beginning, Sputnik (R-7 Semyorka)

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The “Space race” was a Cold War competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to develop aerospace capabilities, including artificial satellites, unmanned space probes, and human spaceflight. it was a competition over who could conquer space exploration first.
On Oct. 4, 1957, Sputnik 1 successfully launched and entered Earth's orbit. Thus, began the space age. The successful launch shocked the world, giving the former Soviet Union the distinction of putting the first human-made object into space and entering Earth's orbit
It had two stages, powered by rocket engines using liquid oxygen and kerosene, and capable of delivering its payload up to 8,800 km.

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Laika the dog (left), Ham the chimpanzee (right)

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1957 - Sending the first mammals into space

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1957 - Sending the first mammals into space

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Less than a month after sending sputnik 1 to space, on 3 November 1957, the Soviet Union launched Laika using the R-7 Semyorka rocket in the Sputnik 2 satellite, she became the first mammal launched into Earth orbit in space, paving the way for human spaceflight and providing scientists with some of the first data on how living organisms react to spaceflight environments.
Animals in space originally served to test the survivability of spaceflight, before human spaceflights were attempted.
Sputnik 2 was a suicide mission for the Laika; the satellite was not designed to come safely back to Earth and the Soviet space program didn't want to delay the launch.
Laika died within hours from overheating, possibly caused by a failure of the central R-7 rocket to separate from the payload

Ham was the first Great Ape launched into space (on January 31, 1961). When he safely returned to Earth after a short trip to space.
During his pre-flight training, Ham was taught to push a lever within five seconds of seeing a flashing blue light; failure to do so resulted in an application of a light electric shock to the soles of his feet, while a correct response earned him a banana pellet.

The results from his test flight led directly to the mission that Alan Shepard made on May 5, 1961, aboard Freedom 7 who became the first American to travel into space.

NASA contrary to the Soviet Union space agency took care of the Astronaut flight security, and although the capsule suffered a partial loss of pressure during the flight, Ham's space suit prevented him from suffering any harm.

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Yuri Gagarin (left), The launch of Apollo 11 on Saturn V (right) 

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On April 12th, 1961 Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel to space in a tiny capsule attached to an R-7 ballistic missile.
His spaceflight lasted 1 hour and 48 minutes. During that time, Gagarin orbited Earth one time inside his Vostok 1 space capsule, reaching a maximum altitude of 315 kilometers. Gagarin ejected himself from the capsule at an altitude of 6,100 meters and parachuted safely to the ground. Upon his return from his history-making single orbit of Earth, the Soviet Union treated Gagarin as a national hero. It kept the Soviet Union ahead in the space race with America.

On July 20, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon. It was the first time in history that humans had touched another world.
The Saturn 5 rocket was human-rated (certification of a spacecraft as capable of safely transporting humans), with three stages, and powered with liquid fuel.
Dr. von Braun who helped design and co-developed the V-2 rocket was the chief architect and engineer of the Saturn V Moon rocket.

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The Space Station will serve as the gateway to new frontiers in human space exploration, a place where we can learn how to live and work "off the planet." It will allow for the study of the long-term effects of weightlessness on the human body and as a test, an understanding of what adjustments need to be made to current methods before astronauts are sent to Mars and beyond. In addition, it will allow for critical research in fluids, combustion, life support systems, and the radiation environment, which is needed for future human space exploration.

Salyut 1 was the world's first space station launched into low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on April 19, 1971.

Skylab using a modified third stage of the Saturn V rocket, the US launched its first space station, called Skylab, into Earth orbit in 1973. Rather than engines and fuel tanks, the interior of the third stage was fitted with living quarters and laboratories for three astronauts for extended stays in space. Solar panels provide electric power. The Skylab program proved that humans could live and work in outer space for extended periods of time.

Mir was the first modular space station assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996. It had a greater mass than any previous spacecraft.

The International Space Station (ISS) is a large spacecraft in orbit around Earth. It was launched on November 20, 1998. It serves as a home where crews of astronauts and cosmonauts live. The space station is also a unique science laboratory. Several nations worked together to build and use the space station. The space station is made of parts that were assembled in space by astronauts.

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For the first in history, humans successfully made partially reusable rockets and spaceships.
The space shuttle program has seen many highs and lows. The shuttle is the world's first reusable spacecraft and consists of three main components: the two white solid rocket boosters, the orange external tank, and the orbiter. The solid rocket boosters are reusable and are ejected from the shuttle system about two minutes after lift-off. They use a parachute to land in the ocean. After they have been retrieved they are prepared to use for another launch. The external tank is ejected from the orbiter after eight minutes of the launch. As it falls back to Earth, it burns up in the atmosphere.
Despite all its advantages, the Space shuttle retired due to high costs, slow turnaround, few customers, and a vehicle that had major safety problems.
The space shuttle program was retired in July 2011 after 135 missions, including the catastrophic failures of Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003 which killed a total of 14 astronauts, including Ilan Ramon.

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SpaceX is an American spacecraft manufacturer, space launch provider, and satellite communications corporation. It was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, with the goal of reducing space transportation costs to enable the colonization of Mars.
Falcon 9, one of the rockets SpaceX manufactured, allows them to offer many lower-cost options to companies wanting to gain access to space.
It is the world’s first orbital-class reusable rocket. Reusability allows SpaceX to refly the most expensive parts of the rocket, which in turn drives down the cost of space access.
The Dragon 1 was a reusable cargo spacecraft developed by SpaceX. It was launched aboard the Falcon 9 launcher into low satellite orbit to the International Space Station to bring equipment and supplies. In March 2020 it was launched for the last time and has since been replaced by Dragon 2.

Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser was selected by NASA to provide cargo delivery, return, and disposal service. Dream Chaser will be the first orbital vehicle in the Dream Chaser spaceplane fleet. Dream Chaser will provide a minimum of six cargo missions to and from the space station carrying critical supplies like food, water, and science experiments. It’s a symbol of engineering prowess and allowed America to have influence in low earth orbit for the duration of its 135 missions over 30 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4TXCZG_NEY&ab_channel=SpaceX

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Artist’s conception of a Martian colony, with SpaceX Starship rockets in the background.

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SpaceX has stated its goal is to colonize Mars to ensure the long-term survival of the human species, using Starship.
Starship is a fully-reusable, super-heavy-lift launch vehicle being developed by SpaceX. It is the tallest and most powerful launch vehicle ever built. Starship is a two-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle, consisting of the Super Heavy booster stage and the Starship second stage or spacecraft. The spacecraft is planned to have four main variants: cargo, crew, propellant tanker, and lunar lander.

NASA aims to launch astronauts to Mars by the late 2030s or early 2040s. Making that vision a reality will be challenging. Assuming the funding and technology come into play at the right time.