Sunset space pacific ocean thumb

Space Race

By semkutuk

  • Launching of Sputnik I

    Launching of Sputnik I
    Sputnik 1, the first man-made object to orbit the Earth, is launched by the U.S.S.R., and remains in orbit until January 4, 1958.

  • First Animal In Space

    First Animal In Space
    Sputnik 2, carrying the dog Laika for 7 days in orbit, is launched by the U.S.S.R., and remains in orbit until April 13, 1958.

  • Luna 1 by USSR

    Luna 1 by USSR
    The U.S.S.R. launches Luna 1, which misses the Moon but becomes the first artificial object to leave Earth orbit.

  • First Man In Space

    First Man In Space
    Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man in space with a 108-minute flight on Vostok 1 in which he completed one orbit.

  • First American In Space

    First American In Space
    Mercury Freedom 7 launches on a Redstone rocket for a 15-minute suborbital flight, making Alan Shepard the first American in space.

  • First Spacewalk

    First Spacewalk
    Alexei Leonov spends 12 minutes outside of his Voskhod spacecraft performing the first spacewalk.

  • America's First Spacewalk

    America's First Spacewalk
    Ed White, during the Gemini 4 mission, becomes the first American to walk in space.

  • Soviet Luna 10

    Soviet Luna 10
    The Soviet Luna 10 space probe enters lunar orbit, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit the Moon.

  • Soyuz 1 Fails

    Soyuz 1 Fails
    Soyuz 1 launches but myriad problems surface. The solar panels do not unfold, there are stability problems and the parachute fails to open causing the death of Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov.

  • Apollo 7

    Apollo 7
    Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, launches on a Saturn 1 for an 11-day mission in Earth orbit. The mission also featured the first live TV broadcast of humans in space.

  • USSR In-Orbit Crew Transfer

    USSR In-Orbit Crew Transfer
    Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 rendezvous and dock and perform the first in-orbit crew transfer.

  • Apollo 13

    Apollo 13
    An explosion ruptures the command module of Apollo 13, days after launch and within reach of the Moon. Abandoning the mission to save their lives, the astronauts climb into the Lunar Module and slingshot around the Moon to speed their return back to Earth.

  • USSR Launches Luna 16

    USSR Launches Luna 16
    The Soviet Union launches Luna 16, the first successful automated lunar sample retrieval mission.

  • Soyuz 11

    Soyuz 11
    Soyuz 11 launches successfully, docking with Salyut 1. The three cosmonauts are killed during re-entry from a pressure leak in the cabin.

  • Apollo 17 Returns from the Moon

    Apollo 17 Returns from the Moon
    Apollo 17, the last mission to the Moon, returns to Earth with the greatest amount of rock and soil samples. Eugene Cernan, commander of Apollo 17, still holds the distinction of being the last man to walk on the Moon, as no humans have visited the Moon since December 14, 1972.