The European explorer who was the first to use new technologies, such as the caravel and astrolabe, to sail around Africa to Asia was Vasco da Gama.
The European explorer who was the first to use new technologies, such as the caravel and astrolabe, to sail around Africa to Asia was Vasco da Gama. In 1497, he set off from Portugal with a fleet of ships and successfully reached the Indian city of Calicut in 1498 after navigating around the Cape of Good Hope. His expedition opened up a direct sea route from Europe to Asia, bypassing the traditional land-based trading routes.
