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R-7
The first ICBM was launched. The power of this missile opened the door to possiblybreaking the Earth's atmosphere in the coming years -
Launch of First Satellite
The Soviets launch Sputnik 1, effectively putting the USSR ahead of the US in the Space Race. -
Period: to
The Space Race
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Explorer 1 is launched
The first American satellite is launched into space. Maps the Van Allen radiation belts. -
First Man in Space
Yuri Gangarin became the first man to be put into space, and also the first man to orbit the Earth in the Vostok 1, once again showing Russia's dominance in the Space Race. -
First American in Space
The first American, Alan Shepard is launched into space. Inspires Kennedy to make a bold statement: That the US would have a man on the moon by the end of the decade. -
First Human Spacewalk
Sovier Lexei Leonor becomes the first man to exit the spacecraft and "walk" in space. -
Apollo 1 Launch
Apollo 1 has a fire; kills all three aboard:
-Virgil Grissom
-Ed White
-Roger Chaffee -
Apollo Takes Off
Apollo 11 takes off from Kennedy Space Center, hoping to fufill expectations that Kennedy left nearly 10 years before. -
Apollo Lands on the Moon
On July 120, 1969, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin touched down on the surface of the moon. After landing radar falfunctions, guidance systems leading the ship to a moutain of boulders and enduring the pressure of there only being a few seconds of fuel left, the ship successfully touched down at 3:17 PM EST. -
US Accomplishment: Two Lunar Landings by the End of 1969
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Rover Launch
The Soviets launch the first lunar rover, Lunokhod 1. -
Skylab
The Skylab project begins after the conclusion of the Apollo missions.
-3rd mission of Skylab = humans living in space for 84 days