The Space Race

By facebooker_100003704752325

  • The USSR launches Sputnik 1

    It was the first man-made object to go into space. It remained in orbit until January 4, 1958.

  • The launches Sputnik 2 with a dog as its passenger.

    The dog, Laika, was the first animal to go into space.

  • USA launches Explorer 1 into space.

    This was the first U.S. satellite to reach orbit. It lifted off at Cape Canaveral. Explorer 1 carried a scientific experiment of James Van Allen and leads to the discovery of Earth's radiation belt.

  • The U.S.A. launches Explorer 2 into space.

    Explorer 2 failed to reach orbit.

  • The U.S.A. launches Vanguard 1 into orbit.

    It kept functioning for three years.

  • The USSR launches Sputnik 3.

  • N.A.S.A. is formed.

    N.A.S.A. stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

  • The U.S.A. launches Pioneer 1 70,700 miles high.

  • The USSR launches Luna 1.

    Luna 1 was the first man-made object to orbit the sun.

  • The U.S. launches Pioneer 4 to the moon.

    It passed within 37,000 miles of the Moon before falling into a solar orbit. Pioneer 4 was the first U.S. sun orbiter.

  • The USSR launches Luna 2.

    It impacts the moon on September 13, and became the first man-made object to impact the moon.

  • The USSR launches Luna 3.

    Luna 3 orbitted the moon and photographed 70% of its surface.

  • The U.S. launches Tiros 1.

    Tiros 1 was also the first successful weather satellite.

  • The US launches Discoverer XIV.

    Discoverer XIV is the U.S.'s first camera equipped spy satellite.

  • The U.S. sends John Glenn on Friendship 7.

    He was the first American in orbit. He actually orbitted the Earth three times.

  • The USSR sends Turi Gagarin into space.

    Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man in space.

  • Alan B. Shepard becomes the first American in space.

  • The U.S. launches Mariner 2.

    Mariner 2 flew past Venus and entered a solar orbit.

  • The USSR sends the first woman into space.

    Cosmonaut Valentia Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space.

  • U.S.'s Ranger 7 transmits images of the moon.

    Ranger 7 transmits the first close-up images of the Moon.

  • USSR's man does the first spacewalk.

    Cosmonaut Alexei A. Leonov goes outside of his spacecraft, therefore preforming the very first spacewalk.

  • Ed White performs America's first spacewalk.

    Ed White does America's first spacewalk.

  • U.S.'s Mariner 4 gets close-up images of Mars.

  • The USSR's Luna 9 soft-lands on the Moon.

    Luna 9 became the first spacecraft to land on the Moon.

  • The USSR's Luna 10 orbits the Moon.

  • U.S.'s Lunar Orbiter 1 takes distant picture of the Earth.

    The Lunar Orbiter 1 enters orbit and takes pictures of Earth.

  • The USSR's Venera 4 transmits data about Venus.

    Venera 4 transmitted data about the atmosphere and surrounding area around Venus.

  • The USSR launches Zond 5.

    Zond 5 went around the Moon and returned to Earth six days later.

  • Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon.

    Neil Armstrong became the very first man to walk on the Moon. He was on a U.S. spacescraft.

  • Luna 17 lands on the moon with a robot.

    Lunokhod 1 was the first robot to be on the Moon. Driven by a five-man team on earth, Lunokhod 1 traveled over surface for 11 days.

  • USSR's Venera 7 landed on Venus.

  • The U.S. launched Apollo 14.

    Allan Shepard, who came on the Apollo 14 spacecraft, became the first man to hit a golfball on the moon.

  • David Scott and James Irwin drove the first moon rover.

  • Pioneer 10 traveled through the asteroid belt.

    Pioneer 10 became the first man-made object to go through the asteroid belt.

  • Pioneer 11 was launched.

    It flew past Jupiter in 1974, and Saturn in 1979. It also discovered new rings on Saturn.

  • The first military space station was launched.

    USSR's Salyut 3 remained in orbit until February 2, 1977.

  • USSR's Venera 9 & 10 sent pictures of Venus.

  • Viking 2 landed on Mars.

    Viking 2 also discovered water frost.