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Soviet Union launched the first Earth-orbiting artificial satellite called Sputnik I to initiate the space race. Sputnik\'s radio signals continued for 22 days until the transmitter batteries run out.
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The dog Laika was the first living creature to orbit the Earth by the satellite Sputnik II. However, she died a few hours after launch
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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA was formed by the United States during the space race for more aeronautics and aerospace research. It controls all missions and launches to space.
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The space exploration’s history named Yuri Gagarin from Soviet Union as the first human in outer space and the first to orbit the Earth.
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Alan Shepard became the first American in space on a suborbital flight lasting 15 minutes and 28 seconds.
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Astronaut William Anders successfully took a photograph of the Earth behind the moon\'s horizon during the Apollo 8 mission.
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Neil Amstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin set a new record when they were the first humans to walk on the moon.
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The explosion of space shuttle Challenger after 73-second take-off became a major catastrophe for NASA.
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An American multimillionaire, Dennis Tito, became the first space tourist with 7 days, 22 hours and 4 minutes in space.
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1 February 2003: Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earth\'s atmosphere after 16 days in space.
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SpaceShipOne became the first privately manned craft to reach outer space and won the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE four months later by reaching an altitude of 100 kilometers.