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USSR Launched Sputnik 1
The Soviet Union launches into earth's orbit. This was the first man-made satellite. It passed overhead, making one revolution every 90 minutes. -
Period: to
Space Race
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USSR launches The USSR's launches Sputnik 2
Sputnik 2 carries Laika, a female dog, into space. Although the satellite will remain in orbit for 162 days, scientists plan to put Laika to sleep after a week because there is no way to return her to Earth safely. Later reports indicate that Laika died soon after liftoff, from stress and high temperatures inside the capsule. -
The United States Explorer 1 is launched
The Explorer 1 was launche don January 31st 1958. It was the first American Satellite to reach the earth's orbit. The USSR had already accomplished this. -
The USSR launches Luna 1
Luna 1 was supposed to orbit the moon. Unfortanley it missed its target and later got caught in the orbit of the sun. It is the first man made object to orbit the sun. -
The USSR launches Luna 2
Luna 2 is launched. It impacts the Moon on September 13. This was the first man-made object to do so. -
The United States launches Discoverer XIV
The Discoverer XIV was the first camera equipped spy satellite. Discoverer XIV was launched into a polar orbit by a Thor Booster. The Discoverer XIV is the first satellite to be ejected from an orbiting space vehicle and to be recovered in midair -
Soviet Union's Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man in space.
Yuri Gagarin orbits the Earth once. He became the first man in space. He was carried in the Vostok 1. -
The United States' Alan Shepard becomes first American in space
Alan Shepard commands Freedom 7 on the first Mercury mission. He became the first American in space. His ballistic trajectory during the 15-minute flight takes him to a maximum height of 116.5 statute miles. -
United States' John Glenn orbits the Earth three times
John Glenn became the first American in orbit. He orbited the earth three times. Hailed as a hero, he will later leave the space program to enter politics. -
Soviet Union's Cosmonaut Valentia Tereshkova
Valentia Tereshkova was flown into space. She became the first woman ever in space. She was from the Soviet Union. -
The USSR sends multiple people into space
The USSR send multiple people into space. V. M. Komarov, K. P. Feoktistov and B. B. Yegorov all fly on Voskhod 1. This was the first mission to send multiple men into space. -
Soviet Union's Alexei Leonov performs the first spacewalk.
Alexei Leonov spends 12 minutes outside of his Voskhod spacecraft. He performed the first spacewalk. He was carried into space by the Voskod 2. -
The United States' Gus Grissom and John Young fly the first manned Gemini spacecraft
Gus Grissom and John Young pilot the first two-man Gemini spacecraft. The spacecraft eas the Gemini 3. The Gemini 3 was named the Molly Brown in recognition of Grissom's Mercury splashdown. -
American's first spacewalk
Ed White is flown into space. He performed the American's first space walk. He was carried on the Gemini 4. -
Soviet Union's satellite becomes first to orbit the Moon
Luna 10 becomes the first satellite to orbit the Moon. It also sent back information about the moon to the earth. The probe also proved that the lunar surface could support the weight of a lander and that an object would not sink into a loose layer of dust as some models predicted. -
American's Surveyor 1 soft-lands on the Moon
The Surveyor 1 was America's first to perform a soft-land on the moon. It transmits photographs and other data back to Earth. The USSR's Luna 9 was the first ever to do this. -
The United States' Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee are killed when a fire ignites in their Apollo 1 capsule while performing a test on the launch pad
A fire during routine testing of the Apollo spacecraft kills three astronauts. The three men were Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chafee.They were killed in their in their capsule. -
Soviet Union's Zond 5 is launched
The Zond 5 carried a biological payload (including two turtles) around the Moon. It then returned to Earth six days later. This was an unmanned test of their circumlunar spacecraft. -
The United Staes' crew of Apollo 7 begin a 10 day mission
The crew of Apollo 7 were launched on October 11th 1968. This event was a 10 day mission to study the new spacecraft. The mission was commanded by Wally Schirra. -
The United States' Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin become the first men to walk on the Moon
Americans Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first men to walk on the moon. Michel Collins stayed in the spacecraft and orbited around the moon alone. They then rendezvous in the command module for the return to Earth.
