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Launching of Sputnik 1
The Soviet Union sent into orbit Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite in history. -
Period: to
The Space Race
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First Animal In Space (Sputnik 2)
Sputnik 2, also part of the Soviet Union carried the dog Laika into orbit. -
Explorer 1
The first American satellite to reach orbit, is launched. It carried scientific equipment that lead to the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belt. -
Sputnik 3 is launched.
Sputnik 3 was launched by the Soviet Union. It was a research satellite to explore the upper atmosphere and the near space. -
Luna 1
Luna 1 is launched by the USSR. It is the first man made object to orbit the Sun. -
Luna 2
Luna 2 is launched. It impacts the Moon on September 13, becoming the first man-made object to do so. -
Luna 3
Luna 3 orbits the Moon and photographs 70% of its surface. -
First Man In Space
Yuri Gagarin (USSR) orbits the Earth once and becomes the first man in space. -
First American In Space
Alan B. Shepard becomes the first American in space. -
The First Spacewalk
Alexei Leonov spends 12 minutes outside of his Voskhod spacecraft performing the first spacewalk. -
The First Manned Gemini Spacecraft
Gus Grissom and John Young fly the first manned Gemini spacecraft. -
America's First Spacewalk
Ed White performs America's first spacewalk. Jim McDivitt remains in the Gemini capsule. -
Luna 9
Luna 9 becomes the first spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon. -
First Men On The Moon
Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin become the first men to walk on the Moon while crewmate Michael Collins orbits around the Moon alone. -
Apollo 17 return from the moon
Apollo 17 was the eleventh manned space mission in the NASA Apollo programme. It was the first night launch of a U.S. human spaceflight and the sixth and final lunar landing mission.
