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The history of space programs in modern times
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The Russians launch Sputnik 1 into space. It was the first artificial satellite in space. It's successor, Sputnik 2, would launch in November of 1957 with the dog, Laika, in it.
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A series of 10 crafts that studied Venus, Mercury, and Mars. 3 of the launches failed, including the first one.
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The first space station, Skyland, starts its orbit around Earth. It proves that humans can live and work in space. The station lasted until 1979 and 9 people lived on it.
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The craft Viking 1 begins it's journey to the Red Planet, to discover more about Mars for the human race.
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Viking 2, the successor of Viking 1, is launched at Cape Canaveral, Florida to Mars.
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The lander of Viking 1 is successfully put on another world, to take the first picture from Mars later on.
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Viking 2 lands on Mars 2 months after Viking 1 to begin its primary mission.
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VIking 2 successfully completes its mission after 2 months. It will pick up its second mission in December.
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The second of the Voyager probes is launched to Space. Athough it and it's twin, Voyager 1, were meant to travel to just Jupiter and Saturn, they actually went to Neptune and Uranus as well.
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The first Voyager probe is sent into space to study the atmosphere of Jupiter and Saturn. Ironically, it is sent out after the Voyager 2 probe.
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After completing both of its missions, connection with VIking 2 is terminated.
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After 5 years of faithfully gathering information, Viking 1 completes its mission and is stopped.
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The first launch of a space shuttle. The shuttle launched was Endeavor. The program would last 30 years, ending in 2011 with the last shuttle to be launched, Discovery.
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The Russian Space Station begins orbit around earth. The craft has two add-ons later in the decade and performs an experiment in which it flies a banner visible to earth.
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The spacecraft Magellan is sent from the space shuttle Atlantis to map and study Venus.
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The probe Galileo was designed to study Jupiter. This was the date it started its journey to Jupiter.
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The launch of the Hubble Space Telescope. It takes pictures of deep space and sends them to earth. It is still sending back images.
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The probe Cassini is deployed. It's main purpose was to study Saturn and it's rings. The probe also did flyby's of Earth, the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter.
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The craft Gemini is launched into space on its mission to collect particles from the solar wind.
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The rover was one of two sent to mars. It would arrive on January 4, 2004. Even though it was designed to study Mars for 3 months, its mission was only cancelled in 2011, due to a broken wheel.
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The second part of the Mars rovers, Opportunity would land on Mars on January 25, 2004. The rover is still operating and collecting data today.
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The space probe Cassini reaches Satun and begins it's mission to study it.
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Gemini's parachute doesn't deploy and it crash-lands in Oregon. The particles it collected will still be recieved.
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Launched in 1996, the N.E.A.R. Shoemaker was designed to study the asteroid, Eros. It's last call to Earth was on February 28, 2001.