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Launching of Sputnik l
The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. -
Soviet Union - Dog in space
Just a month after sending the first satellite into space, they sent the first animal, a dog, into orbit. -
Explorer 1
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. -
Pioneer 4
Pioneer 4 is launched on a Earth-Moon trajectory. It passed within 37,000 miles of the Moon before falling into a solar orbit. -
Luna 2 - Soviet Union launch
Luna 2 was the second of a series of spacecraft launched in the direction of the Moon. The first spacecraft to land on the Moon, it impacted the lunar surface east of Mare Serenitatis near the Aristides, Archimedes, and Autolycus craters. -
JFK addresses Congress
President John F. Kennedy addresses Congress and challenges the nation to go to the Moon before the end of the decade -
President Kennedy Gives Speech
President Kennedy gives a speech at Rice University reaffirming the importance of the Moon program. -
MOL - U.S.
The U.S announced plans to build the Manned Orbiting Laboratory. A military space station designated for scientific research. -
First Spacewalk - Soviet Union
Alexei Leonov spends 12 minutes outside of his Voskhod spacecraft performing the first spacewalk. -
Luna 9 - Soviet Union spacecraft
Luna 9 was the first spacecraft to achieve a lunar soft landing and to transmit photographic data from the Moon's surface to Earth, preceding the U.S. Surveyor 1 soft lander by about 4 months. -
Soviet Union - Satellite - Luna 10
Luna 10 becomes the first satellite to orbit the Moon. -
Zond 5
Zond 5 was launched from a Tyazheliy Sputnik in earth parking orbit to make scientific studies during a lunar flyby and to return to Earth. -
First manned journey from Earth to the Moon
Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders begin the first manned journey from the Earth to the Moon. On Christmas Eve they take turns reading Genesis in a broadcast heard around the world. -
Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin
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's return from the moon
It was the sixth Apollo lunar landing. Apollo 17 remains the most recent manned Moon landing and the most recent manned flight beyond low Earth orbit.
