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The launch of Sputnik satellite by the USSR was important because it started the space race between the US and Russia.
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On July 29, 1958, President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, establishing NASA. This was important because it created an agency to focus on space exploration.
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On Sept. 14, 1959, the Luna 2 space probe crashed onto the surface of the moon. This was important because it was the first man-made object to travel from Earth to the Moon.
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USSR returns the first plants and animals alive after orbiting the earth.This showed that life was possible in Earth orbit and that plants and animals could survive the trip.
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Alan Shepard becomes the second human and the first American to enter space. This was important because it showed that humans could survive in space and return back alive.
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President Kennedy isssues a challenge for America to be the first nation to put a man on the moon. This opened the way for fast action to beat the USSR in putting a man on the moon.
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On February 20, 1962, NASA launched John Glenn to orbit the Earth and return home safely. This proved that NASA could use the rockets and capsules to go into deeper space which was needed for a trip to the moon.
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Neil Armstrong becomes the first human to step onto the surface of the moon. This put the US ahead in the space race and proved that NASA had reached it's goal. It made it possible for more space and science technology to be funded.
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Skylab was launched by NASA on May 14, 1973. The importance of this was to see if humans could "live in space" for months instead of just days. This made it possible to do science experiments too.
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USSR Lands the Mars-6 Unmanned Craft on Mars. This is important because it is the first time man-made objects landed on another planet. It started a focus on unmanned exploration of other planets in our solar system.
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The Space Shuttle was very important because it allowed the US to reuse the Shuttles over and over. They carried supplies and astronauts to and from the ISS. They also worked on the Hubble. There were some disasters, but it was a very successful program that ended in 2011.
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The Hubble space telescope is one of the most important events in space exploration because it allows scientists to see our solar system and beyond in great detail. It orbits Earth so it is not effected by atmosphere.
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International Space Station Expedition 1, which launched Oct. 31, 2000, and docked Nov. 2, the space station has been visited by 204 individuals. More than 69 countries have participated in constructing and supplying it. The benefits include lots of science tests and learning how to live in space for long periods of time.
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We thought this was important because it showed how dangerous space exploration is. Even though the astronauts died, the space program continued. This is do keep on doing science and exploring space.
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The Mars Science Lab and Curiosity Rover mission is very important because it will provide information about whether there is or was life on Mars.
