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space race time line
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Sputnik 1 (The first launch)
The USSR launch Sputnik which is the first man made object to orbit Earth. This is what started the space race with the US and the USSR. It came back to earth in December of 1958. -
Sputnik II
The second spacecraft sent in to space. It carried a female dog named Laika. This was the first ever living animal in space. The satelite remained in space for 162 days. The dog died soon after liftoff. -
Explorer I
This was the first American Satelite sent into Earth's Orbit. It was launched after Sputnik 1 and 2. The Expolorer was in orbit until 1970 and was the first satelite to record the Van Allen radiation belt. This is the first of 90 Explorer Spacecraft series. -
NASA is created
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) was created by the US do to the space race. NASA is in control of all missions and launches to space. -
Luna 1
USSR launches Luna 1 towards the moon but misses it's target. -
Monkeys in space
NASA sends two monkeys into space from Cape Canaveral. They were safetly recovered in the atlantic ocean. -
Vostok 1
The Soviet's Vostok 1 carries Yuri Gagarin into space. This is the first human in space. -
First American in space
John Glenn orbits the Earth three times. He became the first american in space and was hailed as a hero. -
Apollo fire
During a routine testing of the apollo a fire broke loose. It killed three astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chafee while they were in their capsule. -
Apollo 8
The apollo 8 successfully completes it's first manned orbit of the moon. Frank Borman was in command on this mission and Jim Lovell is the navigater. -
First man on the moon
On July 20, 1969 the Americans Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon. They safetly return home on July 24 1969. -
Quick thinking
En route the the moon an oxygen tank expoldes on the apollo 13. Thanks to quick thinking by the mission control the astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise manage to make it back safetly to the command-service module. -
Lunar rover
Apollo 15 lands on the moon with the four wheel drive lunar rover. -
Last men on the moon
Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt are the last men to walk on the moon in the 20th century. They stayed on the moon for three days.
