Space science has come a long way since July 4, 1776. Here's a look back at the saga

Two black circles are shown in this illustration, each surrounded by a yellow glowing ring. There are lots of pink squiggles all around.

On July 4, the United States of America celebrates its 250th birthday, marking the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and becoming a sovereign nation.

Today, this relatively young country leads the way in our understanding of the universe. It's where many major players in space science, like NASA, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Northwestern University, to name just a few.