Space Race

Sputnik

Oct 4, 1957

The USSR launched Sputnik into space. Sputnik would be the first satellite and man-made object in space. The Space War physically began.

Sputnik 2

Nov 3, 1957

First living passenger, Laika (dog), in space. (USSR)

Vanguard TV-3

Dec 6, 1957

Unsuccessful response to the launching of Sputnik by the US. Was carrying a small satellite, and it exploded when launching.

Explorer 1

Jan 31, 1958

After the USSR launched Sputnik, the US responded with the launching of Explorer 1 (satellite created and operated by the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab).

National Aeronautics and Space Act

Jul 29, 1958

Signed into law; in other words, NASA was created. It would later open for business on October 1st of the same year. (US)

Luna 1

Jan 2, 1959

First man-made object to leave Earth's orbit. (USSR)

Discover 1

Feb 28, 1959

First spy satellite but film isn't recovered successfully. (US) So, it was an unsuccessful spy satellite.

Able and Baker

May 28, 1959

First primates in space (US) aboard the Jupiter missile. Able died four days late. Baker died in 1984.

Explorer 6

Aug 7, 1959

Takes the first pictures of Earth from space. (US)

Luna 2

Sep 14, 1959

Launched by the USSR on September 12th (September 13th, Moscow time). On September 14th, Luna 2, was the first space probe to impact the moon.

Venera

Feb 12, 1961

USSR launches this space probe to Venus, but it stops communicating after a week. So this was unsuccessful.

Yuri Gagarin

Apr 12, 1961

First person in space and to orbit the earth. He did it in the Soviet Union's Vostok 1 spacecraft.

Alan Shepard

May 5, 1961

First American in space. Did it in the Freedom 7 spacecraft.

JFK Announcement

May 25, 1961

President John F. Kennedy made the announcement to Congress, and essentially the American people, that the US should make it possible for a man to land on the moon and return back safely.

John Glenn

Feb 20, 1962

First American to orbit Earth. Circled it three times on the Friendship 7 capsule.

Telstar

Jul 12, 1962

First active communications satellite in space. (US)

Cosmos 7

Jul 28, 1962

First spy satellite that was successful. (USSR)

Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova

Jun 16, 1963

First woman in space. Did it in the Vostok 6. (USSR)

Alexei Leonov

Mar 18, 1965

Completes the first spacewalk aboard Voskhod 2 orbiter. (USSR)

Ed White

Jun 3, 1965

The first American to do a spacewalk aboard Gemini 4. (US)

Luna 9

Feb 3, 1966

First soft landing on the moon, although it didn't have any passengers. (USSR)

Venera 3

Mar 1, 1966

Becomes the first spacecraft to land on Venus, but data wasn't able to be returned due to the system of communications failing. (USSR)

Luna 10

Apr 3, 1966

First space probe to orbit the moon. (USSR)

Surveyor 1

Jun 2, 1966

America's first successful soft landing on the moon. (US)

Apollo 1

Jan 27, 1967

The astronauts aboard suffocated from smoke due to a fire in the launching test. (US)

Soyuz 1

Apr 23, 1967

There were many problems with this spacecraft, and due to stability problems and parachute failures, Vladimir Komarov dies. (USSR)

Apollo 7

Oct 11, 1968

First out of the Apollo missions to have passengers on board. It is also the first live television broadcast of people in space.

Apollo 8

Dec 21, 1968

First mission with passengers to orbit the moon. Happened on a Saturn V. (US)

Apollo 11

Jul 20, 1969

Aboard the Command Module Columbia, American astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, became the first human beings to land on the moon. (US)

Apollo 13

Apr 13, 1970

Failed mission to reach the moon. The spacecraft exploded days after launching. (US)

Luna 16

Sep 12, 1970

First successful mission to retrieve lunar examples automatically. (USSR)

Mariner 9

Nov 13, 1971

First spacecraft to orbit another planet, Mars. (US)

Apollo-Soyuz Test Project

Jul 17, 1975

The US and USSR do a joint space flight. Shows detente and marks the "end" of the Space Race. On this day the Apollo Command/Service Module (US) and the Soyuz 19 capsule (USSR) dock.