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Soviet Launces Sputnik l
The Soviet initaites the 20 year Space race. Sputnik was visible with binoculars, transmitted radio signals back down to earth, and passed over America multiple times a day. Americans did not like this as they thought the Soviet Union was spying on them. The aircraft deteriorated and burned up in orbit. -
NASA is created
NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, was created after the Sputnik Orbit. The US did not like that the Soviets were pushing ahead in technology and almost immediately responded. NASA is responsible for the very famous Apollo 11 mission. -
Americans successfully launch and return Ham, a chimpanzee
The chimp Ham was sent to space at the age of 3 and a half. After being trained for 18 months, he was chosen to be sent into space. His flight lasted 16 minutes and during this time he traveled at 5800mph, experienced weightlessness, and preformed the tasks he was told to do. His capsule landed in the water, and after serveral hours was recovered. Ham lived out the rest of his live mostly in solitude. -
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man in space
Gagarin was the first human to go into space and orbit. He accomplished this in 89 minutes at the age of 27. This was a great feat for the Soviets, and a huge blow to the US. The Soviet Union continued to be ahead of America in the space race. -
Mariner 4 becomes the first satellite to reach Mars
Mariner 4 was the first ever satelite to reach Mars and take close up pictures. The photos revealed craters, rust colored sand, and proof that at one point there might have been something flowing through the ancient waterways. -
Americans land on the moon
In 1961 JFK announced they set themselves a goal, to put a man on the moon and return him back safely. 8 years later Apollo 11 took off on July 16 at Kennedy Space Center. The men on board stepped onto the powdery surface of the moon and recorded data. Neil Armstrong's famously said "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." -
Soviets launch the first space station
The Soviet Union launched the first space station in 1971 in response to America's Apollo 11 mission. Salyut was made so humans could be present in space. There were many revsions to Salyut over nect decade. In a way, Salyut marked spaceflight progress. -
The first joint mission between the U.S. and U.S.S.R.
To develop space rescue and capabiliuty, Apollo 18 and Soyuz 19 met and docked together in space. The commanders Thomas P. Stafford and Aleksei Leonov shook hands,conducted tests, dined, and celebrated in space. Apollo-Suyuz was the last Apollo mission and ended on peace and international cooperation.