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Sputnik
Soviet Union launches Sputnik to orbit Earth. First man made object in space. Created panic in the United States. -
Nasa is born
First official gathering of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; symbolized the start of the race to the moon for the United States. -
Ham the space chimp
Ham the space chimp was a test for the space shuttle and safety equipment used inside the shuttle. Ham returns to Earth after orbiting, landing safely. -
Russian Orbits Earth
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin, a Russian, Orbits Earth in a 108 minute ride viewing Earth through port holes. Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin survived the flight and returned home to Moscow. -
Ranger VII
NASA launches satellites to take pictures of the moon, sometimes crashing them into the moon. The pictures were released to the public to raise support for the trip to the moon. -
Offical Shuttle anouncment
Nixon announced the go ahead to build a space shuttle. This shuttle was eventually named the Columbia. -
Excange of education, tech, and culture
An agreement that NASA and the USSR will share scientific information, technology, and data. This does not include military tech such as missiles. -
NASA and USSR Peace in space
NASA and the USSR agreed to use space for peaceful motives. Neither the US nor the USSR were allowed to use space in any military usage. -
NASA USSR Docking
Three American astronaut and two Soviet Cosmonauts spend three days together in orbit. This is the first cooperative mission between the US and the USSR. -
Columbia
The first shuttle from NASA to be launched into orbit around the Earth.
