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Pre-20th century
The Space Age is a time period encompassing the activities related to the Space Race, space exploration, space technology, and the cultural developments influenced by these events. -
Beginning
The Space Age was characterized by rapid development of new technology in a close race mostly between the United States and the Soviet Union. -
Sputnik 1
The launch of Sputnik 1 ushered in a new era of political, scientific and technological achievements that became known as the Space Age.
Was the first artificial Earth satellite. The Soviet Union launched it into an elliptical low Earth orbit -
Animal in orbit - Sputnik 2
The second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit, and the first to carry a living animal, a Soviet space dog named Laika. Laika survived for several orbits but died a few hours after the launch. -
NASA
Is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research -
Moon 1
Lunar flyby, and first spacecraft to achieve a heliocentric orbit -
Moon 2
Impacted on the Lunar surface; thereby becoming the first human object to reach another celestial body -
Vostok 1
Was the first crewed spaceflight in history and the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin aboard, was the first human to cross into outer space. -
Voskhod 2 - Spacewalk
Alexei Leonov became the first person to leave the spacecraft in a specialized spacesuit to conduct a 12-minute "spacewalk". -
Apollo 8
First humans to enter the gravitational influence of another celestial body (the Moon) and orbit it -
Apollo 11
Was the spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Humans land and walk on another celestial body (Moon). Armstrong became the first person to step onto the lunar surface -
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
During its 10th launch, the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing the seven crewmembers and changing NASA's space program forever. -
Commercial interests
During the 1990s funding for space related programs fell sharply as the remaining structures of the now dissolved Soviet Union disintegrated and NASA no longer had any direct competition.
"Car Tesla"
