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space
For the first time man observed craters on the Moon, satellites around Jupiter and witnessed the phases of Venus like those of the Moon. -
space
Soviet Union launches first rocket of their own. -
space
First animals launched into space (fruit flies) by the U.S. -
space
The Soviet Union launched the earth's first artificial satellite, Sputnik. -
space
First animal launched into orbit, dog named Laika launched by USSR and did not return alive -
space
N.A.S.A. is founded, taking over existing National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics. -
space
Mercury Friendship 7 lifts off with John H. Glenn, Jr., the first American in orbit, and orbits the Earth three times. -
Apollo 14 moon mission is launched by the U.S. with the legendary Alan Shepard, along with Stuart Roosa and Edgar Mitchell on board. They land in the planned Apollo 13 site, the Fra Mauro highlands, which they explore with the help of a two-wheeled cart that permits the transport of a significantly greater quantity of lunar material than previous missions. Shepard becomes the first man to hit a golf ball on the moon.
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Soyuz 11 carried Cosmonauts G.T. Dobrovolsky, V.N. Volkov, and V.I. Patsayev to Salyut 1, the first manned occupancy of an orbital station. However, on June 29, the Cosmonauts died upon Soyuz 11's reentry.
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The Einstein Observatory begins its 30-day mission.
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First Uranus flyby (closest approach 81,500 kilometers)
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Record longest duration spaceflight (437.7 days) set by Valeri Polyakov
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First mission into the atmosphere of a gas giant
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space First sample return from comet
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First manmade probe in interstellar space.
