Space Exploration Timeline Kalob Roach By kalobroach Oct 4, 1957 1st Artifical satellite was launched-Sputnik Soviet Union Sputnik Nov 3, 1957 1st mammal sent into orbit around Earth-Laika USA Jan 1, 1959 Mercury Program USA Apr 12, 1961 1st time man sent into space-Yuri Gagarin Soviet Union May 5, 1961 1st US astronaut sent into space-Allen Shepard Jr. Jan 3, 1962 Gemini Space program USA Feb 20, 1962 1st US astronaut orbited the Earth-John Glenn Mar 28, 1963 Apollo Space Program-USA Jun 16, 1963 1st woman in space Valentina Tereshkova Soviet Union Jul 20, 1969 1st man on the Moon-Neil Armstrong USA Apr 11, 1970 Apollo 13-USA Apr 11, 1970 Apollo 13 Jan 31, 1971 Apollo 14 USA Aug 20, 1977 Voyager 2 USA Sep 5, 1977 Voyager 1 USA Apr 21, 1981 1st space shuttle mission Columbia USA