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Sputnik 1 [USSR]
The USSR launched the first "artificial satellite" into space -
Sputnik 2 [USSR]
The USSR launched their second satelite into orbit, this one carried a dog -
Explorer 1 [USA]
The USA launched their first satellite into orbit. Carried scientific equipment, discovering the Van Allen Belt -
NASA [USA]
The USA forms NASA. NACA was absorbed into this new organization -
Luna 1 [USSR]
The USSR launched the first artificial satellite that went outside of Earth's orbit. It was originally intended to crash onto the moon, but missed, orbiting the sun instead. -
Spy Satellites [USA]
The Discover 1 was the first spy satelite launched. -
Monkeys [USA]
The USA put the first monkeys into space. -
Luna 2 [USSR]
The USSR launched another satellite meant to hit the moon, this one succeeded. -
Luna 3 [USSR]
The Luna 3 photographed 70% of the far side of the moon -
First Man in Space [USSR]
Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit the Earth -
First American [USA]
Alan Shepard became the first American to enter space -
Look to the Moon [USA]
President JFK announces his plan to put an American man on the Moon by the end of the decade. -
Gemini [USA]
The Gemini Program begins -
Telstar 1 [USA]
The Telstar transmitted the first transatlantic television feed -
First Woman in Space [USSR]
Valentia Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space -
First Spacewalk [USSR]
Alexei Leonov completes the first spacewalk -
Gemini 3 [USA]
The Gemini 3 was the first manned flight in the Gemini Program, it orbited Earth 3 times -
First American Spacewalk [USA]
Edward White becomes the first American to complete a spacewalk -
Luna 9 [USSR]
The Luna 9 became the first spacecraft to complete a soft-landing on the moon. -
Venus [USSR]
The Soviet Venus 3 was the first spacecraft to reach Venus -
Luna 10 [USSR]
The Luna 10 is the first artificial satelite to orbit the moon. -
Surveyor 1 [USA]
The Surveyor completed the first American soft-landing on the moon. -
Apollo 1 [ USA]
The crew of the Apollo 1 died in a cabin fire during a test. -
Soyuz 1 [USSR]
The Soyuz 1 crashed and killed its pilot Komarov -
First Men on the Moon [USA]
Apollo 11 puts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong onto the moon. Michael Collins remains in the aircraft orbiting the moon -
Luna 16 [USSR]
The Luna 16 automatically retrieved samples from the moon. -
Salyut 1 [USSR]
The Salyut was the first space station launched -
Apollo 15 Rover [USA]
The first Moon rover was riven by the crew of Apollo 15. -
Orbiting Mars [USA]
Mariner 9 became the first spacecraft to enter Mar's orbit. -
Skylab [USA]
The USA launched their own space station, the Skylab. It was partially damaged during launch. -
Apollo–Soyuz Test Project [USA & USSR]
The first joint flight between the two superpowers. The mission involved docking between a Soyuz and Apollo Module