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Soviet Union launches Sputnik
As the tiny satellite orbited the earth, Americans reacted with fear that the Soviets could have gotten so far ahead of the supposedly technologically superior United States -
Luna 2 probe reaches the moon
on September 12th, 1959 Luna 2 was launched. At just past midnight Moscow time on September 14th it crashed some 240,000 miles away on the Moon -
First human orbits Earth (Yuri Gagarin)
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space when he launched into orbit on the Vostok 3KA-3 spacecraft (Vostok 1). -
First woman in space (Valentina Tereshkova)
Soviet Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman to travel into space. After 48 orbits and 71 hours, she returned to earth, having spent more time in space than all U.S. astronauts combined to that date.