Space Race

First Satellite in space by USSR

Oct 4, 1957

The USSR launched the spacecraft Sputnik, showing their alpha dominance over the U.S., It scared the world because they could've launched anything out into space, especially nukes.

First animal in space by USSR

Nov 2, 1957

The first animal to be launched into space was Laika, who was part husky part terrier. she was three years old and died in orbit. Justice for Laika✊

First Satellite in space by USA

Jan 31, 1958

The Explorer I was launched in a looping flight path and orbited earth every 114 minutes. Its batteries died after four months but stayed in orbit for 12 years.

Creation of NASA

Jul 29, 1958

President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act into law, creating NASA. NASA opened for business in October of the same year.

First animal in space by USA (Ham the chimp)

Jan 31, 1961

Ham the Astrochimp was the first great ape to be launched into space. He flew a suborbital flight on the Mercury-Redstone II mission, part of Project Mercury.

First man in space by USSR

Apr 12, 1961

Aboard the Vostok I, Yuri Gagarin made a single orbit around earth and became the first man to reach space. he was in space for 108 minutes before landing in West Russia.

First man in space by USA

May 5, 1961

Alan Shepherd became the first American and second man to travel to space. He survived a 15 minute suborbital flight aboard NASA's Mercury spacecraft Freedom 7.

JFK's speech and commitment to getting to the moon

Jul 25, 1961

JFK committed the US to try to get to the moon before the decade was over. the decision was not popular and over half of the US were opposed.

First man to orbit Earth by USA

Feb 20, 1962

John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth during the three-orbit Mercury-Atlas 6 mission, aboard the spacecraft he named Friendship 7.

First man to do an EVA by USSR

Mar 18, 1965

Alexei Leonov spent 12 minutes outside the Voskhod 2 spacecraft.

Gemini 3

Mar 23, 1965

First Crewed flight/first time two astronauts flew together into space.

First man to do an EVA by USA

Jun 3, 1965

During the Gemini 4 mission, Ed White became the first American to complete a spacewalk.

Gemini 5

Aug 21, 1965

First week-long flight, first fuel cells.

Gemini 7

Dec 4, 1965

First rendezvous with a crewed vehicle: Gemini 6, and proved that humans could live in weightlessness for 14 days.

Original Gemini 9 crew

Feb 28, 1966

Command pilot Elliot See and pilot Charles Bassett were killed in a crash while flying a T-38 jet trainer while on their way to inspect their spacecraft.

Apollo 1 crew

Jan 27, 1967

Three astronauts died during a flash fire inside of the Apollo 1 crew capsule during a launch test rehearsal

Launch of apollo 7

Oct 11, 1968

The only crewed apollo mission to use the Saturn IB Rocket and the first test of the command and service module with a crew.

Launch of apollo 8

Dec 21, 1968

First crewed spacecraft to successfully orbit the moon, it also broke existing manned speed records, as well as topped the existing distance record that humans had traveled away from Earth.

Launch of apollo 9

Mar 3, 1969

first crewed flight of a lunar module. it carried out a full test of the lunar landing mission in earth orbit.

Launch of apollo 10

May 18, 1969

this mission was a complete staging of the apollo 11 mission without actually landing on the moon

Launch of apollo 11

Jul 16, 1969

First crewed lunar landing and return to earth. Fulfilled the goal set by John F. Kennedy to send astronauts to the surface of the moon safely and back within the decade. inspired children around the world to become astronauts and scientists and engineers.