This guide is:

1. guaranteed to work;
2. requires a lot of patience;
3. cannot be used for getting this achievement from the get-go.

Simply put, play the game for some time to understand the basics, evolving, devolving, transmission, symptoms, abilities - everything.

And, most importantly, DO NOT RUSH.

As many of Achievements in the game are USA-centric, you'll be starting there. Get used to it, if you have not done so already.

Your first step is unlocking the Prion pathogen type. It's a lengthy process, but neccessary - Prion has the ability of turning the brains of scientists into mush, slowing the cure research. And you'll need that.

Second, by that time you'll have some genetic code mods unlocked.
What you will need is the following:
1. Sympto-Stasis - you will be devolving some, but then evolving A LOT of symptoms. It is a costly process, and you will need a DNA surge at some point. You won't make it with Ionised Helix, trust me.
2. Catalytic Switch - you will be doing quite a bit of waiting, and there will be plenty of cure bubbles.
2.1. Cytochrome Surge - works if Catalytic Switch is unavailable. Doable, but a bit more risky.
3. Darwinist - for getting more chances to get free DNA from devolving symptoms, or Genetic Mimic - if you want even more time befoe the cure arrives.

OK, start the game (on Casual!), pick USA. Time to kill you some astronauts.

Evolve the following first:

• Drug resistance 1
  
• Air transmission 1 & 2
  
• Cold resistance 1
  
• Drug resistance 2
  
• Water transmission 1 & 2
  
• Extreme Bioaerosol
  
• Neural Atrophy 1, 2 & 3
  
• Genetic Hardening 1 & 2

Make sure you devolve ANY AND ALL symptoms until every country in the world is infected. Or, better yet, every living person.

OK, now you can wait some time for the first symptom to mutate on its own - or just get to it.

What you need is every first symptom, and then every second branch symptom: Insomnia, Paranoia, Cysts, Anaemia, Rash, Nausea, Coughing, Sweating, Vomiting, Sneezing, Pneumonia, Hypersensitivity, Abscesses and Haemophilia.

Common mistake here is evolving every nonlethal symptom - and this is partially true, but if you evolve Skin Lesions, you might get an immediate message regarding the beginning of the preparations of the space cure mission...
And then you get the Profuse Bleeding symptom combo, people start dying, you cannot devolve the combo - and you've botched that mission.
Your mission. Don't do that.

Here's the most important part.

Save enough DNA to evolve Seizures & Insanity at the same time.
Calculate that, save up, do it - and then immediately devolve Seizures.

OK, almost done. Everybody and their mother is going insane - and no-one is dying. YET.
So, remember to devolve ANY symptoms other than those listed above and WAIT.

(Yess, they are making the cure by now. I know. DON'T panic. WAIT!)

AND WAIT.
AND WAIT for the magical popup:

"SPACE CURE MISSION PLANNED"

Whew. Well begun is half done.

Nnnno, guys, it was all in your head.

Devolve EVERY symptom EXCEPT Insomnia, Paranoia, and Insanity.

Yeah, world, you're not sick - you're just plain crazy. Deal with it.
Escape to space.

And you, my dear player - wait for the miraculous

"SPACE CURE MISSION LAUNCHES!"

(yeah, yeah, hunt that alien DNA)

OK, time to end to the world now.

Evolve:

• Dysentery
  
• Seizures
  
• Inflammation

Be sure to devolve ANY other symptoms that evolve. It must be lethal, but low lethal.

Paralysis is OK, if it evolves on its own and you're hunting for other achievements that require it (crazy US bastards nuking China/Russia, anyone?).

But for now, wait for what you've been here for all along:

"SPACE CURE MISSION FAILURE!"

Ok, you're done here. You did start the game on casual, so you might wanna finish it for some extra genemods... your call.

And no matter.
The space program is now officially dead.