Space Race - Julienne Morton

First satellite in space by USSR

Oct 4, 1957

The Sputnik 1 was a shock to many experts and citizens in the United States in hopes to accomplish this first. After 3 months in orbit, the satellite burned up while reentering Earths atmosphere.

First animal in space by USSR

Nov 3, 1957

This dog Laika was the first animal to make an orbit around earth while aboard the Sputnik 2. Laika died in space due to not having the correct technology to properly return her safely.

First satellite in space by the USA

Jan 31, 1958

The explorer 1 was the first U.S. satellite in space while carrying space instruments, this orbited Earth every 114 minutes.

The creation of NASA

Jul 29, 1958

Agreement between a Republican President and a Democrat-controlled Congress led to create a civilian agency to oversee America's non-military space activities, signed by President Eisenhower.

First animal in space by USA

Jan 31, 1961

Ham the chimp, the first ape launched into space, flew a flight on the Mercury-Redstone 2 mission, and apart of the U.S. space program's Mercury project.

First man in space by USSR

Apr 12, 1961

Yuri Gagarin from the soviet union was the first human in space, his vehicle circled earth at a speed of 27,400 kilometers per hour lasting 108 minutes, Gagarin did not land inside of capsule.

First man in space by USA

May 5, 1961

Alan shepard piloted the Freedom 7 Mercury capsule for a 15 minute flight without glitches in communication.

jfk's speech and commitment to getting to the moon

May 25, 1961

Kennedy proposed the U.S. should commit to the goal before the decade is out and land a man on the moon and return him safely, many were opposed.

First man to orbit Earth by USA

Feb 19, 1962

John Glenn apart of the Mercury 7 NASA class was the first to orbit earth in 1962.

First man to do an EVA by USSR

Mar 18, 1965

Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov performed the Eva, who spent 12 minutes and 9 seconds outside the voskhod 2 spacecraft.

First man to do an EVA by USA

Jun 3, 1965

Ed White, during the Gemini 4 mission became the first to conduct a space walk of America.

Gemini VI-A with Gemini VII

Dec 15, 1965

Three orbits after its launch, Gemini VI-A approached to within 6 inches of Gemini VII, the first rendezvous in space history. The Gemini VI-A flight lasted 26 hours and 16 orbits.

Original Gemini 9 Crew

Feb 28, 1966

The original crew for the Gemini 9, command pilot Elliot See and pilot Charles Bassett were killed in a crash during a flight on the T - 38 jet trainer to the McDonnell Aircraft plane to pay inspections.

Gemini VIII with Agena first docking

Mar 16, 1966

With famous astronauts Neil Armstrong & David Scott, this mission accomplished the first docking of two spacecraft when Gemini VIII docked with an unmanned Agena target vehicle launched earlier the same day.

Gemini x first propulsion maneuver

Jul 18, 1966

Gemini X, the date 18-21 July 1966, first use of docked Agena to propel Gemini spacecraft. Gemini XI, the date 12-15 September 1966, docking and maneuvering with Agena, altitude record. Gemini XII, the date 11-15 November 1966, first fully successful EVA, lasting for 2 hours 6 minutes.

Apollo 1 crew

Jan 27, 1967

Astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee died due to a fire during a launch test trapping the three inside.

Apollo 10

May 18, 1968

The Apollo 10 successfully demonstrated all major objectives of its upcoming mission of the Apollo 11, the rehearsal of the first moon landing without doing so yet. Such was conducted by such astronauts Eugene Cernan, John Young and Thomas Stafford.

Apollo 7

Oct 22, 1968

Apollo 7 was the first test of the command and service module with a crew. This crew, Schirra, Jr., Donn F. Eisele, and R. Walter Cunningham, orbited the earth 163 times spending 10 days and 20 hours in space. This mission was the first to test the Block II spacecraft in orbit.

Apollo 8

Dec 21, 1968

Apollo 8 with the astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell Jr. and William Anders, was the first crewed spacecraft to leave low earth orbit, while being the first human spacecraft to reach the Moon.

Apollo 9

Mar 3, 1969

This mission was the first of flights to be crewed of the lunar module and Apollo lunar hardware. This crew included Commander James McDivitt, Command Module (CM) pilot David Scott, and LM pilot Russell Schweickart.

Apollo 11

Jul 20, 1969

Humans walked on the moon for the first time, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to land on the Moon and walk on the lunar surface.