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Sputnik I
Sputnik I was an artificial satellite put into a low-Earth orbit launched by the USSR in 1957. This was a suprise to most and spurred the Sputnik Crisis and Space Race. During it's orbit prior to burn up in 1958, it provided a weath of data about the atmosphere. The Sputnik launch is considered the beginning of the Space Age. -
First Dog Enters Space - Sputnik 2
Laika the dog entered space on Sputnik 2 launched in late 1957. This satellite, put together rather quickly by USSR scientists, measured cosmic radiation and rays among other factors. It's purpose was also to observe the ability of living things to survive in space. Laika died shortly after the launch most likely due to overheating from equipment failure. -
Explorer 1 Launch
The first satellite launched by the United States was in 1958, Explorer I's mission was also to measure cosmic radiation, which it did in an Earth orbit. It completed it's mission by the end of February 1958. -
Able and Baker Go to Space
Though Laika didn't have a very long life in Space, the United States launched the Jupiter missile with monkeys, Able and Baker. Both made it back alive -
Yuri - the First Space Man
Yuri Gagarin in his Vostok spacecraft launches into space, being the first man to leave the Earth's orbit. Just like Lindberg years before, he becomes an instant celebrity. His spaceflight lasted for about 108 minutes as he made a single orbit around the Earth paving the way for those late on. -
The United States Enters Space
Alan Shepard becomes the first American into space. In his spacecraft the Freedom 7, he anxiously awaited launch. In his Freedom 7, he had limited control of the craft's attitude and entered a sub-orbital trajectory. After recovery, he was also deemed a national hero and continued to be an important part of the U.S. Space Program. -
John Glenn Orbit
John Glenn was the first man to orbit the Earth multiple times in his Friendship 7 spacecraft. In total, he circled the Earth three times. -
Valentina - the First Woman in Space
Valentina Tereshkova, aboard the Vostok 6 spacecraft, stayed in space for 3 days doing multiple Earth orbits. A former textitle worker, she studied the effects of space flight on the female body. -
First Man on the Moon
The First Man on the Moon is Neil Armstrong part of Apollo 11. He and Edwin Aldrin spend almost 2 hours on the Moon's surface collecting samples and making observations. Though described as a "small step" by Armstrong..it is really a very large step for the world. -
Fire errupts
The Apollo I Command Module, which was set to be the first of the Apollo manned lunar landing modules, experiences a fire during launch pad testing killing three astronauts including Grissom, Chaffee, and White. -
First Space Casulity
The first man to die on a space mission is Vladmir Komarov from the USSR. His Soyez I parachute failed to deploy causing his space capsule to plummet to the ground in Russia. -
Far Away Places
The Marnier 6 unmanned spacecraft makes a fly-by of Mars. -
Exploration of Venus
Just 5 years after walking on the moon, the USSR's Venera 7 spacecraft makes a landing on Venus. It measures the temperature at the surface to be 470 degrees C - pretty hot! -
Space Stations Move Into the Neighborhood
In 1971, the USSR launches Salyut and in 1973, the United States launches Skylab - spacestations and a mark of future operation in space. -
Jupiter's Eye is Watching You
In 1973, the Pioneer 10 flies by Jupiter. -
Mars
The first of what will be 2 Viking probes lands on the surface of Mars where it would stay for 6 years conducting experiments and gathering data. -
And We're Off!
The Space Shuttle Columbia launches, making it the first of the Space Shuttle orbital program. It made 27 missions before burning up in re-entry in 2003 killing all aboard. -
Uranus Too!
Voyager 2 flies past Uranus. -
Human Factors
Spaceshuttle Challenger launches for space with a civilian teacher aboard but explodes due to a solid rocket booster failure. The accident is riddled with human and mechanically errors. -
Soviets and the Mir
The Soviet Union launches the Mir space station which has 6 docking stations and remained in low Earth orbit until 2001. This multi-modular space station allowed for many applications and much habitation by humans during its time in space. -
I see Halley!
Giotto, a robotic spacecraft created by the European Space Agency, approachesd Halley's Comet s at a distance of approximately 600 kilometers. -
The Telescope to the Universe
The Hubble Space Telescope is launched and still in use today. It remains in Earth's orbit where it is a large and versatile telescope. It is expected to remain in service until approximately 2014 when it will be replaced. The Hubble is considered one of the most important contributions to the aerospace industry and has provided a large and never-before-seen glimpse into the far away part of the universe. -
Very long days...
Cosmonaut Valeriy Polyakov remains in space for 437 days continuous aboard the Mir space station. He remains the record holder for the longest spaceflight. -
East Meets West
In 1993, Russia and the United States join forces to create the International Space Station. This is cemented with the launch of the first module - a rocket, Zarya. -
China Enters the Race
The Shenzhou 5 spacecraft is launched by China with an astronaut aboard. China is just the third country to launch a human into space, almost 40 years after the first moon walk. -
The Rings of Saturn
The Cassini, U.S. spacecraft, enters the orbit of Saturn as part of a 4 year project. This is followed by Europe's Huygens probe that lands on Titan's (Saturn's moon) surface in 2005. -
Spaceships and Planes
SpaceShipOne reaches space flying to a sub-orbital height of approximately 100 kilometers which is the boundary of the atmosphere and one the Ansari X-Prize of $10 million. It is the first privately built spacecraft/vehicle to reach space. The craft was flown on several occasions and reached a top speed of almost 3.0 mach. The craft is now displayed in the Air & Space Museum. -
A Multi-National Approach
By 2010, there was a multi-national interest and participation in space operations. This included operations by the United States, South Korea, Russia, China, Japan, Israel, India, and Europe. -
Space Junk
What goes up must come down. Space junk in forms of small pieces of metal to large satellites have been raining down on all parts of the world as the upper atmosphere gets piled up with space junk/debris. Though much is known to burn up during re-entry some remains in larger pieces which can be a hazard to inhabitants on the ground, manned and unmanned aircraft/space vehicles. -
The End of the Space Shuttle
Atlantis, the final Space Shuttle flight, touched down on July 21, 2011. After completing approximately 135 flights, the final space shuttle landed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. -
Look No Hands!
Bruce McCandless is the first to walk in space with no protective safety tether using a manned maneuvring unit (MMA). His space walk lasted approximately 90 minutes.
