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Sputnik 1
Sputnik was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched by the USSR and orbited Earth for three days. This was the first event that sparked the space race. -
First animal in space
Sputnik 2 of the USSR put the first animal into space, a dog named Laika. -
Explorer 1
Explorer 1 was the first satellite that the US successfully got into space. America had officially entered the space race. -
Creation of NASA
In response to Sputnik 1, Congress agrees to create NASA, a program about going into space. -
USA's first animal in space
The US sent out Ham, chimpanzee, into space. -
First man in space (USSR)
Gagarin of the USSR was the first man in space. He was shot into space in a Vostok rocket, and he made it back to Earth safely. -
First man into Earth's orbit (USSR)
Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, of the USSR, is the first man launched into Earth's orbit on the Vostok 1. -
First man in space (USA)
Commander Alan Shepard is the first American in space, less than a month after the USSR puts their first man in space. -
JFK's Speech
In a speech, JFK decided to shoot for the moon by the end of the decade. It seemed like an impossible task, but the speech inspired Americans to reach for hard things. -
First man in Earth's orbit (USA)
John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit Earth, going around the planet three times in about five hours. -
First EVA (USSR)
Alexei Leonov of the USSR is the first person to perform an EVA. He remained outside of the spacecraft for 12 minutes and flew up in the Voskhod 2. -
First EVA (USA)
On Gemini 4, Ed White performed the first American spacewalk. He floated for roughly 20 minutes and travelled 6,500 miles. -
Gemini 7
Frank Borman and Jim Lovell spend 2 weeks in space to prove that man can survive in space. 2 weeks is more than enough time it will take to get to the moon. -
Gemini 9 tragedy
Elliot See and Commander Pilot Charles Bassett, the original crew for Gemini 9, died in a jet training crash in St. Louis, Missouri. It is the first tragedy of the NASA missions. -
Gemini 9-A
Gemini 9-A had achieved the longest spacewalk done yet, with a time of 2 hours and 8 minutes, done by Gene Cernan. -
Gemini 12
Gemini 12 was the last gemini mission. It achieved EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) after 2 previous failed attempts before, done by Buzz Aldrin. -
Apollo 1 tragedy
During training, a fire started in Apollo 1, killing all three of its astronauts: Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee. They all died from asphyxia caused by toxic fumes from the fire. -
Apollo 7
Apollo 7 was the first human occupied space flight of the apollo missions. It was to test equipment, which didn't achieve anything big, but was still important to do. -
Apollo 8
Apollo 8 was the first crewed spaceflight to leave Earth orbit, and the first to reach another astronomical object. They were the first to orbit the moon. -
Apollo 9
Apollo 9 was the first flight of the full Apollo spacecraft. It was a test to see if it could make it and land on the moon, without actually landing on the moon. -
Apollo 10
Apollo 10 was the mission that would work as a dress rehearsal for Apollo 11, which would actually go to the moon. It tested all the components needed to make sure Apollo 11 would be successful. -
Apollo 11
Apollo 11 was the first, and only spacecraft to land on the moon. It was the end of the space race, and was one of the greatest achievements of mankind.