Race to the Moon By ashleyhoward Oct 4, 1957 Sputnik 1 Sputnik 1 was the first man made object, by the Soviet Union, to orbit the Earth. It remained in orbit until January 4, 1958. Jan 31, 1958 Explorer 1 Explorer 1 was the first American satellite to orbit around the Earth. Jan 1, 1959 Luna 1 Luna 1 launches from the Soviet Union towards the moon but misses its target. Jan 31, 1961 Mercury 2 Ham, a chimpanzee survives a sub-orbital flight on an American mission. Apr 12, 1961 Vostok 1 Vostok 1 carries Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into oribt. He is the first human in space. Feb 20, 1962 First American in Space John Glenn orits the Earth three times. He is the first American in orbit. Jun 6, 1963 First Woman in Space Valentina Tereshkova, a Russian, becomes the first woman in space. Oct 12, 1964 Multiple Men in Space V. M. Komarov, K. P. Feoktistov and B. B. Yegorov flew on Voskhod 1. This was the first mission to send multiple men into space. Mar 18, 1965 Spacewalk Voskhod 2 carries Pavel Belyayev and Alexei Leonov into orbit. Leonov leaves the spacecraft on the first "spacewalk". Mar 16, 1966 Gemini 8 Neil Armstorng and David Scott dock two spacecraft together for the first time. May 30, 1966 American Surveyor 1 This craft lands on the moon and transmits photographs and other data back to Earth. Jan 27, 1967 Apollo 1 A fire during routine testing of the Apollo 1 spacecract kills three astronauts in their capsule: Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chafee. Dec 27, 1968 Apollo 8 Apollo 8 completes the first manned orbit of the moon. Frank Borman commands the mission, Jim Lovell acts as navigator and William Anders is photographer and geological observer. Jul 16, 1969 Journey to the Moon Apollo 11 begins its mission to the moon. Jul 20, 1969 Man on the Moon! Apollo 11 lands on the moon. American Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first men to walk on the moon. Jul 24, 1969 Heading Home Apollo 11 returns to Earth safely.
