Space Race timeline

Lauching of sputnik 1

Oct 4, 1957

Launched the first human-made object to orbit the Earth.

USSR launches Sputnik 2

Nov 3, 1957

USSR launches Sputnik 2 which held a small dog named Laika into space and orbit. They knew there was no possible way of bringing him back and the dog did die in space.

The Vanguard 1 satellite is launched

Mar 17, 1958

It continued to function for 3 years after.

Luna 1 is launched by the USSR

Jan 2, 1959

It was the first man made object to orbit.

The US launches Discoverer XIV

Aug 18, 1960

It was the first launched camera equipped spy satellite in space,

Yuri Gagarin

Apr 12, 1961

Yuri Gagarin orbits the Earth once and becomes the first man in space.

Alan B. Shepard

May 5, 1961

Alan B. Shepard becomes the first American in space. This for americans was a long awaited achievment.

Walter Schirra

May 9, 1962

Walter Schirra orbits the Earth six times. This double John Glenns orbits around the moon just a couple months earlier.

First close range picture of the moon

Jul 31, 1964

U.S. Ranger 7 showed the first close up photo of the moon.

Edward White

Jun 3, 1965

First U.S. Space walk from Gemini 4.
lasting 22 minutes.

Venus 3 is launched.

Nov 16, 1965

It was the first man made object to impact Venus on March 1, 1966.

Soviet Soyuz 1

Nov 16, 1965

First space craft with somebody to die.

Apollo 11

Jul 20, 1969

They did achieve the first human on the moon.

Anik A1

Nov 9, 1972

Geostationary communications satellite. Canada was the accomplished country.

Appollo 17's return from the moon

Dec 19, 1972

Apollo 17 was the last Apollo mission to land men on the Moon. It carried the only trained geologist to walk on the lunar surface, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt.