Space Race Timeline

By Rye1071
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    Space Race

  • Sputnik 1

    The first man-made object to orbit the Earth, is launched by the U.S.S.R., and remains in orbit until January 4, 1958.

  • Explorer 1

    The first U.S. satellite in orbit, lifts off at Cape Canaveral using a modified ABMA-JPL Jupiter-C rocket. It carries a scientific experiment of James A. Van Allen, and discovers the Earth's radiation belt.

  • Luna 1

    First man-made satellite to orbit the sun, is launched by the U.S.S.R.

  • Tiros 1

    The first successful weather satellite, is launched by the U.S.

  • Vostok 1

    Is launched by the U.S.S.R., carrying Cosmonaut Yuri A. Gargarin, the first man in space. He orbits the Earth once.

  • Mercury Friendship 7

    lifts off with John H. Glenn, Jr., the first American in orbit, and orbits the Earth three times.

  • Vostok 6

    carries Soviet Cosmonaut Valentia Tereshkova, the first woman in space and orbits the Earth 48 times.

  • U.S. Ranger 7

    relays the first close-range photographs of the Moon.

  • First Space Walk

    The first space walk is made from Soviet Voskhod 2 by Cosmonaut Alexei A. Leonov. Duration is 12 minutes.

  • Soviet Luna 9

    is the first spacecraft to soft-land on the moon.

  • Soviet Soyuz 1

    Soviet Soyuz 1 is launched, carrying Vladimir M. Komarov. On April 24 it crashed, killing Komarov, the first spaceflight fatality.

  • Soviet Zond 5

    Soviet Zond 5 is launched, the first spacecraft to orbit the Moon and return.