-
First satellite in space by USSR
The USSR launched Sputnik I. It was the world's 1st artificial satellite and around 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. -
First animal in space to orbit Earth for USSR
A dog named Laika was the 1st animal to orbit Earth on the USSR spacecraft Sputnik 2. Sadly Laika did not survive the mission from the cabin overheating. -
First satellite in space by USA
Explorer 1 was the 1st U.S. satellite and the 1st satellite to carry science instruments. Explorer 1 did a flight path that orbited Earth once every 114 minutes. -
Creation of NASA
President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 into law creating NASA. The agency officially opened for on October 1, 1958. -
First chimpanzee used to perform tasks in space by USA
Ham was the 1st chimpanzee in space during the Mercury-Redstone 2 mission. Ham experienced weightlessness and performed lever-pulling tasks he had trained for. Ham made it back from the mission alive despite a bit of fatigue and dehydration. -
First man in space by USSR
Yuri Gagarin was the 1st human in space and to orbit Earth in Gagarin's spacecraft, Vostok 1 under the USSR. The flight lasted 108 minutes -
First man in space by USA
Alan Shepard became the 1st American and the second man to travel in space aboard NASA's Mercury spacecraft Freedom 7. He launched a 15 minute sub-orbital flight. -
JFK's speech & commitment to get to the moon
In President JFK's speech he set and announced his goal of sending a person to the Moon before the end of the decade. -
First man to orbit Earth by USA
John Glenn became the 1st American to orbit the Earth in the Friendship 7 capsule during the three orbit Mercury-Atlas 6 mission. -
Gemini 2 Mission
No astronauts for Gemini 2. It was the 2nd uncrewed test mission, consisting of a sub-orbital flight and reentry with the objectives being able to demonstrate the adequacy of the spacecraft reentry heat protection during a maximum heating rate return and the structural integrity of the spacecraft. -
First man to do an EVA by USSR
The 1st Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) was performed by the USSR's Alexei Leonov, who spent 12 minutes and 9 seconds outside the Voskhod 2 spacecraft. -
First man to do an EVA by USA
Ed White became the 1st American to conduct a spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission. The spacewalk started at 3:45 p.m. on the third orbit when White opened the hatch and used the hand held maneuvering oxygen-jet gun to push himself out of the capsule. -
Gemini 6
Thomas Stafford and Walter Schirra Jr. were the Gemini 6 crew. The mission objectives were to demonstrate on time launch procedures, closed loop rendezvous capabilities, and stationkeeping techniques with Gemini VII. As well as evaluate the spacecraft reentry guidance capabilities and conduct spacecraft systems tests. -
Tragic Event: Gemini 9
Gemini 9 crew members Elliot See and Charles Bassett were flying a T-38 Talon aircraft to St. Louis to attend a rendezvous simulation at the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation’s plant, the manufacturer of the Gemini spacecraft. While attempting a landing at Lambert International Airport. The aircraft chased into the roof of a McDonnell building. See and Bassett died instantly and many McDonnell employees suffered minor injuries. -
Gemini 10
Gemini 10 astronauts were John Young and Michael Collins. Its mission objectives were to conduct rendezvous and docking tests with the Agena target vehicle. The mission plan included a rendezvous with the Gemini 8 Agena target, two extravehicular activity (EVA) excursions, and the performance of 15 scientific, technological, and medical experiments. -
Tragic Event: Apollo 1
A fire swept through the Apollo 1 Command Module during a launch rehearsal test. Three astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee were trapped inside and killed. -
Apollo 7
Wally Schirra was Commander, Donn Eisele was Command Module Pilot, and Walter Cunningham was Lunar Module Pilot. Apollo 7 was the 1st test of the command and service module with a crew. They orbited Earth 163 times and spent 10 days and 20 hours in space. This mission was the 1st opportunity to test the new Block II spacecraft (CSM 101) -
Apollo 8
Crew of Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders. Apollo 8 was the 1st mission to take humans to the Moon and back. The crew did not land on the Moon's surface, but the mission was important to the later Apollo 10 and 11 landing. They tested the flight trajectory and operations. -
Apollo 9
Crew of Commander James McDivitt, Command Module pilot David Scott, and LM pilot Russell Schweickart. The Apollo 9 mission was the 1st crewed flight of all Apollo lunar hardware and the 1st crewed flight of the lunar module. It carried out a full test of the lunar landing mission in Earth orbit. -
Apollo 10
Apollo 10 crew was Thomas Stafford, John Young, and Eugene Cernan. The Apollo 10 mission was a staging of the Apollo 11 mission without actually landing on the Moon. -
Apollo 11
Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Aldrin were the Apollo 11 crew and became the 1st people to land on the Moon, walking on the lunar surface.