Space Race Tiimeline

Launching of Sputnik

Oct 4, 1957

Soviet Union succesfully launched Sputnik I. The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball.

Sputnik 2

Nov 3, 1957

USSR launched Sputnik 2, with a small dog named Laika, into orbit. They couldn't get her back and Laika died.

Explorer 1

Jan 31, 1958

First American satellite to reach orbit. It carried scientific equipment that lead to the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belt.

Explorer 2

Mar 5, 1958

Explorer 2 was launched but failed to reach orbit.

Vanguard 1

Mar 17, 1958

Fourth artificial satellite to be sent into space. First to be solar powered. Lost connection with it in 1964 and still in orbit.

Luna 1

Jan 4, 1959

USSR succesfully launched Luna 1. First man-made object to escape Earth's gravitational pull.

Probe to Moon.

Sep 14, 1959

Was the first succesful man made space craft to land on the moon. It was unmanned.

Human in orbit.

Apr 12, 1961

Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was the first human to go into outer space and orbit. He traveled on the Vostok spacecraft.

First active communications satellite.

Jul 10, 1962

Communication Satellites provide a microwave radio delay technology complementary to that of submarine communication cables.

First woman in space.

Jun 16, 1963

Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova was the first woman to orbit outer space. She was the pilot of Vostok 6.

Manned Lunar orbit.

Dec 24, 1968

The second manned mission, but the first to escape Earth's gravatational pull.

Human to moon.

Jul 20, 1969

Neil Armstrong was the first human to set foot on the moon. He was the command pilot, becoming one of the first human civilians to fly in space.

Space Station

Apr 23, 1971

Designed to remain in space for a long period of time. Has the ability for other space crafts to dock it.

Apollo 17's return from the moon

Dec 19, 1972

Marked the end of the space race.