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Sputnik 1- The beginning
On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, into space. This was a small sphere 58 centimeters in diameter and 83 kg in weight and had 4 fine antennae. It was in operation for 3 months and during that period it traveled 1,400 times the Earth's orbit. -
Sputnik 2 with Laika
A month later, the USSR launched Sputnik 2, and they took the first living animal to space, Laika the dog. Laika the dog was the first living being to orbit the Earth. Laika died hours after launch due to overheating, which was probably caused by a failure of the sustainer of the R-7 power plant, which is part of the thermal system of the ship, when separate from the payload. -
Explorer 1
Explorer 1 was the first American satellite put into earth's orbit. The satellite remained in orbit until 1970 and was the first to record the Van Allen radiation belt. It was the first of the 90 Explorer series of spacecraft. -
Vanguard 1
On May 17, 1958, NASA launched Vanguard 1 into orbit, the first solar-powered satellite and a major victory for the United States . it is notably important because the Sputnik satellites fell out of orbit and burned up on their way back to Earth in 1958, while Vanguard 1 is still in space. Today it is still the oldest artificial satellite in space and it is estimated that it will continue in orbit for around 240 more years. -
NASA was founded
On October 1, 1958, the President of the United States, Dwight Eisenhower, founded the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA, to develop a space program oriented towards scientific research. -
SCORE
NASA put the first telecommunications satellite into orbit: SCORE on December 18, 1958. The satellite was launched on the Atlas B type missile that we can see in the photograph. -
Ham the chimpanzee
On January 31, 1961, NASA sent Ham the chimpanzee who would become the first hominid to travel into space. His flight lasted 16 minutes and 39 seconds after which he was rescued in the Atlantic Ocean with only a bruised nose. -
The first man in space
On April 12, 1961, aboard the Vostok 1, Yuri Alekséyevich Gagarin became the first human being to travel to outer space. He flew for one hour and 48 minutes around the Earth. -
The first American in space
As soon as the Russians sent a man into space, the United States sent Alan Shepard. It flew on Freedom 7, a small mercury ship. -
The first Russian woman in space
On June 16, 1963, aboard the Vostok 6, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel to space on a mission that would last for 3 days and during which she completed 48 laps around the Earth. -
The first spacewalk (USSR)
On March 18, 1965, Alexei Arkhipovich Leonov, who was traveling aboard Voskhod 2, was the first human being to perform a spacewalk by remaining outside the ship for 12 minutes. -
Apolo 8
On December 21, 1968, the first manned spaceflight around the Moon took place by USA. It is also the first human spaceflight to enter the gravitational influence of another celestial body. His crew was the first in history to see the far side of the Moon, as well as the first to observe the Earth from our satellite. -
Apollo 11- Moon landing
On July 20, 1969 Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first two men to land on the Moon aboard the Lunar Eagle module of the Apollo 11 mission. It was a really big step for USA. -
The end of the space race
On July 15, 1975, the Soyuz and Apollo 18 spacecraft docked in Earth orbit. It was the first joint mission of the space agencies of both countries. Historians agree that this event ended the Cold War.
