the race to space! -Hazel

First satellite in space by USSR

Oct 4, 1957

the first satellite was called Sputnik I. This was surprising to people in the U.S.

First animal in space to orbit Earth for USSR

Nov 3, 1957

The first dog in space was named Laika. He was on Sputnik II.

First satellite in space by USA

Jan 31, 1958

Explorer 1 was the first satellite in space by the USA. It was the first to carry science instruments. It orbited Earth every 114 minutes.

Creation of NASA

Jul 29, 1958

President Eisenhower enacted the National Aeronautics and Space Act, this created NASA.

First chimpanzee used to perform tasks in space by USA (Ham the chimp)

Jan 31, 1961

HAM was the first chimp that performed tasks in space. He blasted off at 157 miles per hour. He was on the redstone 2 mission.

First man in space by USSR

Apr 12, 1961

Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space, sent up by the USSR.

First man in space by USA

May 5, 1961

Alan Shepherd was the first man in space by the USA. He piloted a freedom 7 mercury for 15 minutes in space.

First man to orbit Earth by USA

Feb 20, 1962

The first man to orbit earth by the USA was John Glenn. He orbited 3 times on the Mercury-Atlas 6 mission. This spacecraft was called friendship 7.

JFK's speech and commitment to getting to the moon

Sep 12, 1962

JFK says "We choose to go to the moon, not because it is easy, but because it is hard."

First man to do an Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) by USS

Mar 18, 1965

The first EVA was performed by Alexei Leonov. He spent 12 minutes and 9 seconds in space, outside the Voskhod 2 spacecraft.

Gemini mission 3

Mar 23, 1965

Piloted by Virgil Grissom and John Young, Gemini III's goal was demonstrating the qualifications of the spacecraft, the evaluation of the two-man Gemini design, the worldwide tracking network, the orbit attitude and maneuver system, the control of reentry flight path.

First man to do an EVA by USA

Jun 3, 1965

Ed White was the first American to conduct an EVA. This was during Gemini mission 4.

Gemini mission 5

Aug 21, 1965

with astronauts Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad they orbited 8 days, and circled Earth 120 times. The goal was to test medical experiments.

Gemini Mission 7

Dec 4, 1965

astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell were part of the 4th U.S crew to orbit the earth. This was a 12 day mission. The goal was to demonstrate a 2 week flight.

Gemini Mission 9A

Feb 28, 1966

Astronauts Elliot See and Charles Basset were killed in a crash While flying a T-38 jet-trainer to Missouri to get their aircraft inspected.

Apollo 1

Jan 27, 1967

astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger B. Chaffee were supposed to be the first men on the moon. In a cabin fire on a rehearsal run they all died.

Apollo 7

Oct 11, 1968

Astronauts were Walter Cunningham, Wally Schirra, and Don Eisele. The mission was known for being the first successful mission with a crew

Apollo 8

Dec 21, 1968

Astronauts were William Anders, Frank Borman and Jim Lovell. The mission was known for being the first crewed spacecraft to leave Earth's gravitational sphere of influence.

Apollo 9

Mar 3, 1969

The astronauts were Commander James McDivitt, Command Module (CM) pilot David Scott, and LM pilot Russell Schweickart. The mission was known for the first crewed flight of all Apollo lunar hardware, as well as the first crewed flight of the lunar module.

Apollo 10

May 18, 1969

Astronauts were Thomas P. Stafford, John W. Young and Eugene A. Cernan. The mission was best known for being the first to reach the moon.

Apollo 11

Jul 16, 1969

astronauts were Neil Armstrong, lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin, and command module pilot Michael Collins. The mission is known for having the first man walk on the moon.