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First Animal Launched Into Space
The Soviet Union Laika, a dog, into space for the very first time. She was the first living creature to ever go into space. Althought she survived the launch, she died a few hours later. -
First Successful American Satellite
America's Explorer I satellite was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral. The data that the satellite gathered proved the existence of a radiation belt girdling the Earth. -
NASA Signed Ito Law
President Lyndon B Johnson wrote the Natioanl Aeronautics and Space Act. -
NASA Begins Operations
NASA began operations for the United States space exploration program and formally opened for business. -
Tiros 1 Launched
The United States launches Tiros 1, the first successful weather satellite -
First Human In Space
The Soviet Union launched Yuri A Gargarin on a 108-minute flight. -
First American In Space
The US launched Alan Shepard on a 15-minute suborbital flight. This was the first spacecraft that contained an American. -
First Space Walk
Russian Astronaut Alexi Leonov exits his capsul for a 12-minute spacewalk. -
U.S. Space Tragedy
When preparing for an Apollo launch a fire broke out in a routine ground test and killed three astronauts. -
First Manned Moon Landing
Apollo 11, also known as the Eagle, landed on the moon. Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin Jr were aboard the spacecraft. -
First Manned Moon Landing
Apollo 11 lands on the moon, where Neil Armstrong and Edward Aldrin Jr. walk on the moon's surface. Armstrong says, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." -
First Space Station
The Soviet union launched Salyut 1, the first space station. -
First Rover on the Moon
Apollo 15 carried the first rover to the moon. The rover could carry two astronauts and supplies. -
First U.S. Space Station
The first U.S. space station, Skylab, is launched and will be occupied by three crews for a few years. -
First US Mars Landing
Viking 1 soft-lands on Mars. -
Pioneer 11 Reaches Saturn
Pioneer 11 reaches Saturn and takes up close photographs -
First American Woman In Space
Sally K. Ride becomes the first American woman to enter space. She goes on the space shuttle named Challenger to launch into space. -
First Untethered Spacewalk
Bruce McCandless was abored the Challenger for NASA's first untethered spacewalk. -
The Space Shuttle Challenger Explodes
The Challenger explosion resulted in seven dead astronauts. It was seen on live television and exploded 73 seconds after it lifted off. -
Hubble Space Telescope Deplpoyed
The 12-ton Hubble Space Telescope was deployed April 25, 1990.
