Space Race Timeline

First satellite in space by USSR

Oct 4, 1957

USSR launched Sputnik, the first satellite, into space.

First animal in space

Nov 3, 1957

USSR launched a dog named Laika into space on the Spudnik 2.

First satellite in space by USA

Jan 31, 1958

USA successfully launched the Explorer 1 into space.

Creation of NASA

Jul 29, 1958

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration was officially created for space research and aeronautics. Successor of National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

First animal in space by USA

Jan 31, 1961

Ham the chimp was launched into space on the Mercury Redstone rocket.

First man in space by USSR

Apr 12, 1961

Yuri Gagarin was sent into space by the USSR on the Vostok 1. He circled Earth for 108 minutes.

First man in space by USA

May 5, 1961

Alan Shepard was launched into space from the USA in the Freedom 7.

JFK's speech and commitment of getting to the moon

May 25, 1961

President John F. Kennedy announced his goal of getting an American safely to the moon before the end of the decade.

First man to orbit the Earth by USA

Feb 20, 1962

John Glenn orbited the Earth on the Friendship 7 for 4 hours and 55 minutes, making 3 orbits before returning back down,

First man to do an EVA by USSR

Mar 18, 1965

Alexei Leonov performed the first EVA in space, spending 12 minutes and 9 seconds outside of the Voskhod 2.

First man to do an EVA by USA

Jun 3, 1965

Ed White performed an EVA outside of the Gemini IV for around 20 minutes.

First crewed rendezvous with another craft.

Dec 15, 1965

The Gemini 6 and 7 successfully rendezvous next to each other, coming as close as one foot from each other without colliding. Gemini 6 was piloted by Wally Schirra and Thomas Stafford, Gemini 7 was piloted by Frank Borman and Jim Lovell.

Gemini 9 crew plane crash

Feb 28, 1966

Elliot See and Charles Bassett were killed in a plane crash on their way to the McDonnell Aircraft plant.

First docking between two spacecraft

Mar 16, 1966

The Gemini 8, piloted by Neil Armstrong and David Scott, successfully docked with the Agena target vehicle.

First spacewalk to another spacecraft

Jul 18, 1966

The Gemini 10, piloted by John Young and Michael Collins, successfully rendezvous with the GATV, then docked successfully around 30 minutes later.

Apollo 1 crew dies to a fire

Jan 27, 1967

Three astronauts, Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee, lost their lives due to an electrical fire in the cockpit of the Apollo 1, which spread fast due to the high amount of oxygen in the craft.

First crewed Apollo mission

Oct 11, 1968

Walter Schirra, Donn Eisele, and Walter Cunningham flew the first crewed Apollo mission, the Apollo 7.

First spacecraft to orbit the moon

Dec 21, 1968

The Apollo 8, piloted by Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders, successfully orbiting the Moon 10 times and returning to Earth.

First test of the lunar module

Mar 3, 1969

James McDivitt, David Scott, and Russell Schweickart flew the Apollo 9, carrying the first lunar module to be tested for the moon mission.

Dress rehearsal for moon landing

May 18, 1969

Thomas Stafford, John Young, and Eugene Cernan flew the Apollo 10 as a dress rehearsal for the moon landing, orbiting 31 times and successfully returning to Earth.

First man on the moon

Jul 16, 1969

Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin piloted the Apollo 11 for the moon landing mission. Neil Armstrong was the first to step onto the moon, Buzz Aldrin being the second.