Space Race

USSR Launches sputnik 1

Oct 4, 1957

The first official satellite to be in Earth's orbit.

Laika the Dog

Nov 3, 1957

A soviet space dog that beccame the first animal to orbit our Earth.

Radiation Discovery

Jan 31, 1958

Explorer 1 was the first American satellite to reach orbit , it carried equipment that lead to the discovery of radiation.

Vanguard 1 Satellite

Mar 17, 1958

The Vanguard 1 satellite is launched and It functioned for 3 years.

NASA

Oct 1, 1958

NASA is formed replacing the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics

Luna 1

Jan 2, 1959

Luna 1 is launched and became the first man made thing to orbit the sun.

Luna 2

Sep 12, 1959

Luna 2 is launched and It hits the Moon on September 1and it was the first man-made object to do that.

Yuri Gagarin

Apr 12, 1961

Yuri Gagarin orbits the Earth once and becomes the first man in space

Alan B. Shepard

May 5, 1961

Alan B. Shepard becomes the first American in space.

Mariner 2

Dec 14, 1962

Mariner 2 flies past Venus and enters a solar orbit.

L. Gordon Cooper

May 15, 1963

L. Gordon Cooper spends 34 hours in space. He is the last American to fly in space alone.

Venus 3

Mar 1, 1966

Venus 3 is launched. It becomes the first man made object to land on Venus

Luna 10

Apr 3, 1966

Luna 10 becomes the first satellite to orbit the Moon

Neil and Buzz

Jul 20, 1969

Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin become the first men to walk on the Moon while crewmate Michael Collins orbits around the Moon alone.

Apollo 17

Dec 19, 1972

Apollo 17's return from the moon