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First Satellite in Space
The Soviet Union launched the first satellite into space which they called Sputnik. It weighed about 184 pounds. Sputnik circled the globe beeping radio signals showing that the Soviets have rockets that could send warheads anywhere on Earth. -
First animal in space
The soviet union launched a female dog into space whose name is Laika. She lived for 7 days, but there was no way to bring her back, so they had to put her to sleep. -
First Human in Space
Yuri Gagarin, who rode on the Soviet Vostok 1, was the first human in space. Just in case the spaceflight caused Gagarin to act strange, the craft’s controls were locked. Even though there was a key in the spacecraft, once he was low enough, Gagarin ejected and used a parachute onto the moon. -
First Women in Space
Valentina Treshkova, from the Soviet Union, was the first woman in space. She was on the Vostok 6, and spent 3 days alone in space. Her spacecraft came within 3 miles of Vostok 5. This is the time two spacecraft pass this close together while in orbit. -
First Death in Space
During a test launch pad, a fire killed 3 astronauts on Apollo 1. Then on April 24, 1967, the Soviet Union craft Soyuz 2 crashes on re-entry killing the first cosmonaut into space. -
First Moon Landing
Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. Buzz Aldrin was the second. Millions of people were able to watch it on live television. -
First Space Rescue
On Apollo 13 in 1970, an oxygen tank exploded. But luckily with the help from Mission Control, the crew returned to Earth safely 4 days later. -
First American Space Station
Skylab was the first American space station, but was damaged during launch. The first of three crews arrived 11 days later for a 28-day stay. They made in-orbit repairs and set records for time spent in space. -
First International Doking in Space
American and soviet spacecraft docm together in space. They peacefully cooperated together during the Apollo-Soyuz mission. -
First Mars Landing
An unnamed scientific probe controlled by scientists on Earth, Viking 1, got the first picture from the surface of Mars. Viking 2 also arrived on Mars in September of 1976. -
First American Woman in Space
Sally Ride was a part of the crew for the seventh space shuttle flight, STS-7. She became the first American woman into Space. Following her, the first African American astronaut, Guion Bluford, went into Space on August 30th. -
First Civilian Death
When the space shuttle the Challenger exploded, it killed all seven members on the space craft. Sadly, it included exploded the first teacher in space, Christina McAiliffe. -
First Year in Space
Musa Manarov and Vladimir Titov completed the first year in space, staying 366 days on the Russian space station Mir. The record was broken on March 22, 1995 when Valeri Poyakov stayed orbiting Earth for 437 days and 18 hours. -
First Space Telescope
The crew of space shuttle mission STS-31 sent out the Hubble Space Telescope. But soon after, the primary mirror was damaged. In December 1993, the space shuttle STS-61 went and corrected the problems. The Hubble Telescope then provided the first images of distant galaxies and planets outside our solar system. -
First American to Spend Six Months in Space
Shannon Lucid set the record for both a man and women after her five shuttle flights and six months in space. She was on the Russian space station Mir, and her total time in space is 223 days. -
First Surface Travel on Another Planet
The robot Sojourner space probe explored to Mars. The six-wheeled, remote controlled solar-powered rover sent images of Mars’s surface and researches Martian soil. It also got many pictures and scientific findings. -
First Space Studies on the Elderly
John Glenn, at the age of 77, flew on the Space Shuttle Discovery and was the oldest person in space. He was an original member of NASA’s Mercury Program, and also the first American to orbit the Earth in 1921. 35 years later, he researched weightlessness and the effects of space on the elderly. -
First Non Astronaut to Space
A billionaire from California, Dennis Tito, became the first paying passenger to enter space. He had dreamed for 40 years to go into space, but he had to pay $20 million to fulfill his dream. He now supports the idea of ordinary people going into space. -
China Sends First Man into Space
China successfully sent its first astronaut into space. His name is Yang Liwei. This makes China the 3rd country to send a man into space. Yang Liwei stayed in space for 21 hours. -
First Spacecraft to Orbit Saturn
Cassini-Huygens became the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn. Later in the year, the spacecraft flew within 800 miles of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan.
