Space Exploration By Ms. Jen Oct 4, 1957 Sputnik, Russia man-made object, launches into space Jan 31, 1958 Explorer I, first American satellite, sent into space Apr 12, 1961 Yuri Gargarin, Russian, is first person in space. Feb 20, 1962 John Glenn, first American in space, in Mercury mission May 24, 1962 Scott Carpenter, American, orbits Earth 3 times, in Mercury mission Jun 16, 1963 First woman in space, Russian Cosmonaut Mar 18, 1965 First space walk by cosmonaut