-
October 4, 1957
Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 -
November 3, 1957
Sputnik 2 launches with ill-fated Laika the dog on board -
January 31, 1958
United States launches Explorer 1 from Cape Canaveral in Florida -
October 1, 1958
NASA is formed after Congress passes the National Aeronautics and Space Act -
April 12, 1961
Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to eneter space and return saftely -
May 5, 1961
With the launch of Freedom 7 Alan Shepard becomes the first American man in space. The suborital flight which was part of the Mercury Project
Lasted 15 minutes, 28 seconds -
May 25, 1961
U.S President John F. Kennedy announces the goal of sending astraunants to the moon before the end of the decade. -
January 27 1962
Mission AS-204 is struck by tragedy when flash fire breaks out during a launch pad test , killing 3 astraunants Virgil Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee
Was later called Apollo 1 -
Feburary 20, 1962
Launch of Friendship 7 makes astraunants John Glen the first American to go into orbit. Total flight time was just shy of 5 hours