-
First Satellite by USSR (and first orbit)
The USSR were the first people to launch a satellite into space, it was called Sputnik. -
First animal in space by USSR
The USSR launched a dog named Laika into space on Sputnik 2. -
First Satellite by USA
Explorer 1 was the first satellite to be launched by the USA, and was only 80 inches long. -
Creation of NASA
NASA was created in an effort to beat the USSR in the Space Race. -
First animal in space by USA
The USA launched a chimpanzee named Ham into space to see how a human might be affected. -
USSR launches first man into space
The USSR launched the first man into space, named Yuri Gagarin, beating the USA. -
USA launches man into space
The USA launched Alan Shepherd into space shortly after the USSR did the same. -
JFK Speech
President Kennedy made a speech stating that the United States would make it to the moon by the end of the decade. -
First orbit of Earth by USA
John Glenn was the first American man to orbit the earth, and he did so 3 times in the Friendship 7 capsule. -
First EVA by USSR
The USSR made the first ever EVA with Alexei Leonov on the Voskhod 2 spacecraft. -
First EVA by USA
Ed white did the first EVA for the United States on the Gemini 4 mission while flown by Jim McDivitt. He walked for 36 minutes. -
First rendezvous by USA (Gemini 6 and 7)
Astronauts Schirra, Stafford, Borman, and Lovell conducted the first rendezvous between two spacecraft for the United States. They stayed within a few feet of each other for 5 hours and 19 minutes. -
First time to link 2 spacecraft (Gemini 8)
Gemini 8 crewed by Neil Armstrong and David Scott was the first to link two spacecraft together in orbit. -
Longest space walk by USA (Gemini 9)
Rookie astronaut Buzz Aldrin conducted the longest spacewalk, lasting for 5 hours and 30 minutes while being flown by Jim Lovell. -
Apollo 1 tragedy
A fire caught inside the Apollo 1 capsule, killing all 3 astronauts almost instantly. This put a slow on the missions for a while. -
Apollo 7
Qualified services to prepare for lunar orbit mission to follow. It was crewed by Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele, and Walter Cunningham. -
Apollo 8
First spacecraft to successfully orbit the moon. It was crewed by Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders. -
Apollo 9
Apollo 9 was the first crewed flight of the lunar module, and was flew by JIm McDivitt, David Scott, and Russell Schweickart. -
Apollo 10
Testing components for moon landing, it orbited the moon 31 times and was flown by Tom Stafford, John Young and Gene Cernan. -
Apollo 11
Apollo 11 was the first spacecraft to land on the moon, and was crewed by Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins.