Posted in Web German rocket is 1st to reach space, October 3, 1942 | EDN October 4, 2019 A V-2 A4 rocket launched from Peenemünde, an island off Germany’s Baltic coast, became the first known man-made object to reach space, traveling 118 miles on October 3, 1942. https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/edn-moments/4397678/German-rocket-is-1st-to-reach-space–October-3–1942