Space Race

Sputnik 1

Oct 4, 1957

The first artificial satellite was launched into the space, its name was SPUTNIK 1, and it was launched by USSR.

Laika/Sputnik 2

Nov 3, 1957

Again the USSR launched another artificial satellite, but this time was with an animal inside it. The animal was a dog, it was called LAIKA, and he was launched in the spacecraft known as SPUTNIK 2.

Explorer 1

Feb 1, 1958

Here is the turn of the US.
They launched their first satellite known as EXPLORER 1.

NASA

Jul 29, 1958

The NASA was a spatial agency created in the US.
It initials mean: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Mercury 7

Apr 9, 1959

The NASA (US) announced the first astronaut group of history, it was called MERCURY 7. As the name says, it was composed by 7 astronauts, in this case, all men.
Their names were:
-Alan Shepard.
-Gus Grissom.
-Gordon Cooper.
-Walter Schirra.
-Deke Slayton.
-John Glenn.
-Scott Carpenter

Cosmonauts

1960

The USSR selected their first group of COSMONAUTS.

Vostok 1/Yuri Gagarin

Apr 12, 1961

The USSR launched the first human into the space. In this case, it was again a man, and his name was YURI GAGARIN and he was launched in the spacecraft called VOSTOK 1.

John Glenn/ Mercury-Atlas 6

Feb 10, 1962

Now, it was the turn of the United States, thier launched their first human into orbit, again a man, he was called JOHN GLENN, and his spacecraft was known as MERCURY-ATLAS 6.

Valentina Tereshkova/Vostok 6

Jun 16, 1963

VALENTINA TERESHKOVA was the first woman launched into the Space.
This mission was part of the USSR, and her spacecraft was called VOSTOK 6.

Moon programs

1964

The USSR let the two MOON PROGRAMS start by this time.
The programs had different purposes, one of them was a landing plan, and the other a flying one.

Voskhod 1

Oct 12, 1964

The USSR was the first one launching a spacecraft for more than one people. This spacecraft was known as VOSKHOD 1, and his passengers were(all of them men):
-Vladimir Komarov.
-Konstantin Feoktistov.
-Boris Yegorov.

Aleksei Leonov/ Voskhod 2

Mar 18, 1965

This was the time when the first space walk occured, it was performed by ALEKSEI LEONOV, and he went in the spacecraft called VOSKHOD 2. This mission and important advance was led by the USSR.

Gemini 3

Mar 23, 1965

Half a year after the USSR did, the US was now sendig their first multi-person spacecraft. It was composed by (again) all man, and they were called Virgil Grissom and John Young. They were both taking their voyage in a spacecraft known as GEMINI 3.

Ed White/ Gemini 4

Jun 3, 1965

Again, it was time for the US, by the half of the year 1965, they were doing their first space walk. It was done by the american EDWARD WHITE, and he went in the spacecraft called GEMINI 4.

First Orbital Rendezvous

Dec 15, 1965

The US was advance in this, they conducted the first orbital meeting. It was between Frank Borman and James Lovell, who were in the spacecraft called Gemini 7, with Walter Schirra and Thomas Stafford who were located on Gemini 6.

Death of Sergei Korolev

Jan 14, 1966

At the beginning of 1966 the USSR had very bad news. The designer of their first spacecraft had died. RIP SERGEI KOROLEV.

Venera 3

Mar 1, 1966

VENERA 3 was the first spacecraft which landed into another planet, in this case, it landed in Venus.
It was a mission led by the USSR

Gemini 8

Mar 16, 1966

The first docking was part of the US.
Neil Armstrong and David Scott, who were voyaging in the GEMINI 8, docked with an angena target in the middle of the space.

More Deaths

Jan 27, 1967

Now it's time for deaths in the US.
It was a horrible fire the one who killed three very important astronauts. They were called: Virgil Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee.
Due to these terrible deaths, the US had to delay de Apolo Program for more than one year.

Vladimir Komarov/ Soyuz 1

Apr 23, 1967

The USSR was the one who made us know this terrible new.
VLADIMIR KOMAROV who was in the spacecraft called SOYUZ 1 was the one who carried this bad luck, the first space flight fatality of history.

Zond 5

Sep 14, 1968

The USSR launched the first spacecraft which flew around the moon and return to Earth. This spacecraft was called ZOND 5.
It was a voyage without cosmonauts, and it lasted until the 21st of September.

Apollo 7

Oct 11, 1968

Again turn of the US.
They restarted with the Apollo program they had to stop some time ago.
The first flight of this restarting was made by three people: Walter Schirra, Donn Eisele, and Walter Cunningham. The three of them were launched in the spacecraft known as APOLLO 7.

Apollo 8

Dec 24, 1968

The APOLLO 8 was the spacecraft who made the first crewed flight around the moon. This mission was led by the US.
The astronauts, again all men, were: Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders.

N1 Moon Rocket

Jul 3, 1969

This was a day the USSR would always remember. It was the day in which the Soviet N1 MOON ROCKET exploded.

Apollo 11

Jul 20, 1969

The US fulfilled their biggest objective, they reached the moon.
The ones who made this were Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, and they had travelled to the moon on the APOLLO 11.

Salyut 1

Apr 19, 1971

The first spacial station of the USSR was launched on april 1971, and it was called SALYUT 1.

Apolo-Soyuz

Jul 17, 1975

This was the first time in which the United States and the Soviet Union cooperated between them, and it was to create this new cooperative mission, the APOLO-SOYUZ