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October 4, 1957 - Sputnik 1, the first man-made object to orbit the Earth, is launched by the U.S.S.R., and remains in orbit until January 4, 1958.
November 3, 1957 - Sputnik 2, carrying the dog Laika for 7 days in orbit, is launched by the U.S.S.R., and remains in orbit until April 13, 1958. -
The Soviet Union launches the first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). Known as the R-7 Semyorka, it travels a total distance of 6000 km (3728 miles). A modified version of this missile would be used later to launch the world's first artificial satellite.
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Voyager 1 Arrives at Saturn The Voyager 1 spacecraft arrives at Saturn and begins sending back extraordinary images of the ringed planet and its many moons.
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First Space Shuttle Launch The first manned mission of the Space Transportation System (STS-1), Columbia, is launched. This mission, as well as the next three, will be a test flight to try out the spacecraft's systems. The Voyager 2 spacecraft arrives at Saturn and begins sending back images of the planet and its moons.
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January 31, 1958 - Explorer 1, the first U.S. satellite in orbit, lifts off at Cape Canaveral using a modified ABMA-JPL Jupiter-C rocket. It carries a scientific experiment of James A. Van Allen, and discovers the Earth's radiation belt.
March 5, 1958 - Explorer 2 is launched by a Jupiter-C rocket, and fails to reach orbit.
March 17, 1958 - Vanguard 1 satellite is launched into orbit, and continues to transmit for 3 years. -
Galileo’s refractor used two lenses to concentrate the light from celestial objects, delivering more light to the human eye than it can gather on its own. The light was refracted through a spherical lens, forming an image. The spherical shape of Galileo’s primary lens made the images blurry. The lens also split light into colors, creating a fringe of color around bright objects.
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