-
Sputnik 1
Sputnik was the first artifical satellite that was put into the Earth's orbit. It began the space race. It was launched by the Soviet Union. Sputnik helped research the upper atmospheric layer's density. -
Explorer 1
Explorer 1 was the first satellite that the United States launched in the Earth's orbit. It launched after Sputnik 1 and Sputnik 2 by the Soviet Union. It was the first spacecraft to detect the Van Allen radiation belt. It continued to stay in orbit until 1970. -
Luna 1
Luna 1 was the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon. It was the first of the Soviet's Luna program that was launched successfully towards the moon. It discovered that the moon had no detectable magnetic field. -
Yuri Gagarin In Space
Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He became an international celebrity when he was the first man to human to travel to outer space. Vostok 1 was Gagarin's only spaceflight. -
Alan B. Shepard First American in Space
Alan Shepard was the first American sent to outer space. However, he was the second human to travel in outer space, followed by Yuri Gagarin. Alan B. Shepard would later be the fifth person to walk on the moon. -
Project Mercury
Project Mercury was the first man made space craft program made by the United States. It's goal was to send a human in orbit around the Earth. The project got it's name based off the Roman mythology God Mercury as a symbol of speed. -
Project Gemini
Project Gemini was the second man made space craft to be sent to outer space. It was designed to develop techniques for advanced space travel. This project sent two people in outer space unlike Project Mercury. -
Alexei Leonov "Walks" in Space
Alexei Leonov was the first man to actually be out in space. He was in outer space for 12 minutes and 9 seconds. However, he almost didn't make it back. His space suit was inflated as he was trying to go back into the spacecraft. He was able to let out oxygen and return back. -
Luna 9
Luna 9 was the first spacecraft that was able to achieve a soft landing on a planetary unit besides Earth. It provided Earth with photographic data. Luna 9 survived a landing weighing at 99kgs. It landed in the Oceanus Procellarum. -
Luna 10
Luna 10 was launched from a Earth's orbit platform. It ran by battery power. Luna 10 operated 460 lunar orbits and made 219 active data transmissions before it was disconnected on May 30, 1966. -
Apollo 1
Apollo 1 was the first manned Apollo flight. It was designed to land on the moon. However, a launch pad fire test killed all of three members on the space craft. The capsle wasn't able to open so the members died of suffication. This failure almost shut down NASA. -
Apollo 8
Apollo 8 was the second manned mission from the Apollo space program, and it was the first human spaceflight to leave Earth orbit. However, Apollo 8 didn't have a lunar module. The members inside were the first to see Earth as a whole planet. -
Man On Moon
Apollo 11 brought the first humans to land on the moon. By doing so, the United States beat the Russians. Neil Armstrong was the first to walk on the moon and became a national hero instantly. He said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." -
Apollo 13
Apollo 13 was the 7th manned mission from the Apollo space program and the 3rd that was intended to land on the moon. It's misson was lost when an oxygen tank exploded. The flight members barely returned safely using the Lunar Module as a way back to Earth. -
Apollo 17's Return
Apollo 17 was the final Apollo space mission. It remains as the most recent manned moon landing. Apollo 17's mission took about 12 days and it took the largest sample of the moon back to Earth. It's crew members were Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans, and Harrison Schmitt.
