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Soviet Union succefully launched Sputnik 1
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Sputnik 2 with the first space dog named Lakia was launched.
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Sputnik 3 was launched with a cargo of scientific instrumentation.
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Alan Shepard on board Freedom 7 became the first American in Space. At this stage America lacked the launch vehicle to place a man in orbit.
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John Glenn on board Friendship 7 became the first American to orbit the Earth (actually 3 orbits).
This was the first of four manned Mercury Atlas rockets -
Scott Carpenter's orbital flight on board Aurora 7.
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Walter Schirra orbital flight on board Sigma 7
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Gordon Cooper's day long, 22 orbit flight on board Faith 7. This was the last of the Project Mercury flights before NASA concentrated its efforts on the Gemini Program
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Grissom and Young's Gemini Titan 3 mission was the first American multi-manned space mission.
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During McDivitt and White's GT-4 mission, Edward White achieved the first American space walk.
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Armstrong and Scott's GT-8 mission featured the first docking with the unmanned Agena and an emergency landing after a problem with the docking.
