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Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball, weighed only 183.9 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R space race.
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The USSR launched a dog named Laika, who was the first dog in space. Laika didn't make it back to Earth alive.
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The first American satellite to reach orbit, is launched. It carried scientific equipment that lead to the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belt.
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NASA was established by the National Aeronautics and Space Act.
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Luna 2 was the second of the Soviet Union's Luna programmed spacecraft launched to the Moon. It was the first spacecraft to reach the surface of the Moon.
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A Russian man named Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. He orbited all the way around the Earth and made it back safely.
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Alan B Shepard Jr. was the first american in space. He had a suborbital flight in space. Lasted about 15 min. .
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John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962.
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L. Gordon Cooper is in space for 34 hours and is the last man to be sent to space alone from the U.S.A.
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Ed White performs America's first spacewalk. Jim McDivitt remains in the Gemini capsule.
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The Venera 3, sent by the Soviet Union, crash-landed on Venus on March 1, 1966 becoming the first spacecraft to land on another planet's surface.
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Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon when Apollo 11 landed. "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." - Armstrong.
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An explosion happened within 56 hours of lauching. USA's Apollo 13 crew was losing oxygen and they had to make a quick repair using only the things they had on board. They never made it to the moon.
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Apollo 17 was the last Apollo mission to land men on the Moon. It carried the only trained geologist to walk on the lunar surface, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt.
