Space Race

First satellite in space by USSR

Oct 4, 1957

It was the world's first artificial satellite. This event marked the beginning of the Space Age and the start of the space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

First animal in space to orbit Earth for USSR

Nov 3, 1957

First animal sent into space to orbit Earth for USSR was a dog named Laika launched in Sputnik 2 spacecraft. Laika's story sparked debate about animal rights and the ethics of space exploration

First satellite in space by USA

Jan 31, 1958

The United States' first satellite in space was Explorer 1. It was a response to the Soviet Union's earlier launch of Sputnik 1 and marked the beginning of the U.S. space age. Explorer 1 was a project of the U.S. Army and helped discover the Van Allen radiation belts.

Creation of NASA

Jul 29, 1958

President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act. However, it began operations and opened for business on October 1, 1958, taking over the functions of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).

First chimpanzee used to perform tasks in space by USA (Ham the chimp)

Jan 31, 1961

Ham the chimpanzee during the 16-minute Mercury-Redstone mission, he successfully performed learned lever-pulling tasks, helping to demonstrate that a living creature could function during spaceflight and paving the way for America's first human in space, Alan Shepard.

First man in space by USSR

Apr 12, 1961

A USSR (Soviet Union) was cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, on April 12, 1961, he completed a single orbit of the Earth aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft, a flight that lasted 108 minutes and made him an international hero.

First man in space by USA

May 5, 1961

Alan Shepard was the first American in space, completing a 15-minute suborbital flight on May 5, 1961, aboard the Freedom 7 capsule.

JFK's speech and commitment to getting to the moon

May 12, 1961

Committed to the U.S. to land a man on the moon within the decade in a May 25, 1961, speech to Congress and reaffirmed this goal in his September 12, 1962, speech at Rice University.

First man to orbit Earth by USA

Feb 20, 1962

John Glenn, who accomplished this on February 20, 1962, aboard the Friendship 7 capsule as part of the Mercury-Atlas 6 mission.

First man to do an Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) by USSR

Mar 18, 1965

Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov on March 18, 1965, during the Voskhod 2 mission, he spent 12 minutes and 9 seconds outside the spacecraft.

Gemini lll Mission

Mar 23, 1965

Piloted by astronauts Virgil “Gus” Grissom and John Young, their objective was to demonstrate the crewed qualifications of the Gemini spacecraft and evaluation of flight crew equipment and effects of low-level launch vehicle oscillations (POGO) on the crew, performance of three experiments, and to obtain photographic coverage from orbit.

First man to do an EVA by USA

Jun 3, 1965

Astronaut Ed White on June 3, 1965, during the Gemini 4 mission, he was attached to the Gemini spacecraft by a tether and spent 23 minutes outside the capsule, during which he used a hand-held maneuvering unit to move around.

Gemini IV Mission

Jun 3, 1965

Ed White and spaceflight controlled by the Johnson Space Center, while the primary goal of a space rendezvous was not achieved, the mission was a success overall, demonstrating that the human body could withstand the rigors of long-duration spaceflight and laying crucial groundwork for future lunar missions.

Gemini IX Tragedie Leading to The Moon

Feb 28, 1966

The death of the prime crew, astronauts Elliot See and Charles Bassett, in a February 28, 1966, T-38 aircraft crash during a landing in St. Louis. This led to the backup crew, Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan, being moved up to prime crew for the mission.

Gemini VIII Mission

Mar 16, 1966

Neil Armstrong and David Scott had to perform the first successful docking of two spacecraft in orbit and test the combined spacecraft's ability to maneuver.

Apollo 1 Crew Tragedie Leading to The Moon

Jan 27, 1967

The fast-paced nature of the Space Race, technical and design flaws in the command module, and a lack of safety precautions. These issues culminated in a devastating fire during a pre-flight test on January 27, 1967, that killed astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee, as a spark ignited the pure oxygen-filled cabin.

The launch of Apollo 7

Oct 11, 1968

The Apollo 7 astronauts were Walter M. Schirra Jr., Donn F. Eisele, and R. Walter Cunningham. The mission is known for several "firsts," including the first crewed flight of the Apollo program, the first time a three-person American crew launched, and the first live television broadcast from an American spacecraft.

The launch of Apollo 8

Dec 21, 1968

The Apollo 8 astronauts were Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders. The mission was known for being the first crewed mission to leave Earth's orbit and travel to the Moon, the first to orbit the Moon, and the first to witness and photograph an "Earthrise".

The launch of Apollo 9

Mar 3, 1969

The Apollo 9 astronauts were James McDivitt, David Scott, and Rusty Schweickart, was known for its "firsts" in Earth orbit, including the first manned flight of the Lunar Module, the first time a Lunar Module was flown independently, and the first time astronauts rendezvoused and docked the Lunar Module with the Command Module.

The launch of Apollo 10

May 18, 1969

The Apollo 10 astronauts were Thomas Stafford, John Young, and Eugene Cernan, and the mission, launched on May 18, 1969, is known for being a full "dress rehearsal" for the lunar landing and the first manned mission to carry a color television camera.

The launch of Apollo 11

Jul 16, 1969

The Apollo 11 astronauts were Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. The mission's primary "first" was achieving the first human landing on the Moon.