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The Soviet Union launched the first satellite, Sputnik, into space.
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The Soviet craft Sputnik 5 was launched, carrying the dogs Strelka and Belka. They became the first living beings to survive a trip into space.
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The Russian spacecraft Luna 9 became the first spacecraft to land on the moon
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Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men on the moon.
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Apollo 13 was launched.
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The second Space Shuttle, Challenger, was launched
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John Glenn became the oldest man in space.
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Space Shuttle Discovery was launched with seven astronauts aboard; this was America’s first manned space shot since the 2003 Columbia disaster.
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The NASA space probe Messenger skimmed 124 miles above Mercury.
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NASA's Dawn spacecraft became the first man made craft to orbit an asteroid.
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NASA launched the unmanned ladee spacecraft from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
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NASA’s Galileo mission ended a 14-year exploration of the solar system’s largest planet and its moons with the spacecraft crashing by design into Jupiter at 108,000 mph.
