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Sir Isaac Newton publishes the Philosophae Naturalis Principia Mathematica.
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The Soviet Union establishes the Society for Studies of Interplanetary Travel. This group would soon be renamed the Society for the Study of Interplanetary Communications and would become the first Soviet rocket society
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U.S. rocket scientist Robert H. Goddard launches the first liquid fueled rocket from his Aunt Effie's farm in Auburn, Massachusetts.
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Germany successfully launches their V-2 rocket. It is the first man-made object to achieve sub-orbital spaceflight.
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The U.S. military achieves its first high-altitude space flight using a rebuilt German V-2 rocket.
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The United States launches its first American-designed rocket. Known as the Wac Corporal, the rocket reaches the edge of space at an altitude of 50 miles.
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Fruit flies become the first animals in space as a V-2 rocket is launched from the White Sands Proving Ground. Inside are several vials containing fruit flies, rye seeds, and cotton seeds.
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The Soviet Union launches the first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).
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The USSR beat the United States into space by launching Sputnik 1. At 184 pounds, it was the world's first artificial satellite.
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Following the success of Sputnik 1, the Soviets launched Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957. The spacecraft contained a pressurized container that housed a dog named Laika. The capsule contained a controlled atmosphere, food supply, waste collection system and biological sensors.