Space Race

By sophiatelles

  • Soviet Union launches Sputnik

    Soviet Union launches Sputnik
    The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball and it took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path.

  • Luna 2 probe reaches the moon

    Luna 2 probe reaches the moon
    Luna 2 was the second of the Soviet Union's Luna programme spacecraft launched to the moon. It was the first spacecraft to reach the surface of the moon, and the first man-made object to land on another celestial body.

  • First Human orbits Earth (Yuri Gagarin)

    First Human orbits Earth (Yuri Gagarin)
    Soviets Orbit Gagarin, first Human in Space. 1961: Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to enter space and the first to orbit the earth , helping boost the soviet space program and intensify the space race with United States.

  • First woman in space (Valentina Tereshkova)

    First woman in space (Valentina Tereshkova)
    On June 16, 1963, aboard Vostok 6, soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman to travel into space. After 48 orbits and 71 hours, she returned to earth, having spent more time in space than U.S astronauts combined to that date.