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Period: to
Space Race
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Sputnik I launch
Sputnik was the first artificial satellite to be put into Earth's orbit. It was launched into Earth orbit by the Soviet Union and was the first in a series of satellites collectively known as the Sputnik program. The unanticipated announcement of Sputnik 1's success precipitated the Sputnik crisis in the United States and ignited the Space Race within the Cold War. -
Sputnik II Laika
The Soviet Union launched another object into space, but this time with a dog named Laika. It was the second spacecraft launched into Earth's orbit. Enginering and biological data were transmitted to earth during the orbit. Also discovered Van Allen's radiation belt, but the severity of the radiation wasn't realized. Despite the accomplishments, the dog didn't make it back. -
NASA was made
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was formed by the United States during the space race for more aeronautics and aerospace research. It controls all missions and launches to space. -
Discoverer 14 launch
The Discoverer 14 was the first satellite into space by coming of a moving spacecraft in orbit and then reattaching in mid-air. This satelittle was successfully launched by the United States. -
Nedelin Catastrophe
In October 24, 1960, the Nedelin Catastrophe occured when Chief Marshal Mitrofan Nedelin gave orders to use improper shutdown and control procedures on an experimental R-16 rocket. The hasty on-pad repairs caused the missile's second stage engine to fire straight onto the full propellant tanks of the still-attached first stage. The resulting explosion, killed anywhere from 92 to 150 top Soviet military and technical personnel. Marshal Nedelin was vaporized. -
Yuri Gagarin becomes first human in space.
Conducted by the Soviet Union, Vostok 1 was launched on April 12, 1961 with Yuri Gagarin aboard. He was the first human ever to go in outer-space. The flight was a single orbit around Earth and took about 100 minutes. The mission was kept very secretive and most of the information about it ccame out years later. This was a big blow to the American space program, and afterwars Yuri became famous worldwide. -
Alan Shepard
On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first person to exercise manual control over his spacecraft's attitude and retro-rocket firing. -
John Glenn orbits Earth
John Glenn was the first American to orbit Earth. He orbited the Earth 3 times which lasted 4 hours 55 minutes and 12 seconds. During the mission there were some worries over the heat shield and that it would cause an unsafe landing. Glenn modified his reentry procedure and made a safe landing into water. John was celebrated as a hero and was given a parade and many other awards. -
Luna 10 orbits the Moon
Part of the Soviet Union's Luna program, Luna 10 was the first satellite to orbit the moon. It was launched towards the moon on March 31, 1966 and entered lunar orbit on April 3, 1966. It included a gamma-ray spectrometer, magnetometer, meteorite detector, infared devices, and other instruments. The satellite also conducted gravitational studies. -
Soyuz 1
On April 24, 1967, the USSR suffered the death of its first cosmonaut, Colonel Vladimir Komarov, the single pilot of Soyuz 1. This was planned to be a three-day mission to include the first Soviet docking with an unpiloted Soyuz 2, but his mission was plagued with problems. -
Zond 4
Zond 4 was launched on 2 March 1968, and successfully made a circumlunar flight. After its successful flight around the Moon, Zond 4 encountered problems with its Earth reentry on 9 March, and was ordered destroyed by an explosive charge 15,000 metres over the Gulf of Guinea. -
First Man On Moon
On 16 July 1969, at exactly 9:32 a.m. the Saturn V rocket lifted off with Apollo 11 on board. After achieving orbit, Armstrong and Aldrin transferred into the Lunar Module, named Eagle, and began their descent. After overcoming several computer malfunctions, Armstrong took over manual-flight-control at about 180 metres and guided the Lunar Module to a landing on the Moon at 4:17 p.m. 20 July 1969. At 10:56 p.m. Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the Moon. -
Salyut 1
USSR launched the first space station, the Salyut 1 laboratory designed by Kerim Kerimov, on 19 April 1971. -
DOS-2
The USSR attempted to launch a second Salyut-class station designated Durable Orbital Station-2 (DOS-2) on 29 July 1972, but a rocket failure caused it to fail to achieve orbit. -
Return of Apollo 17
Eugene Cernan is the last man to have walked on the Moon. The command module America splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near American Samoa on December 19, 1972. The recovery operation was performed by US Navy helicopter squadron HC-1
