-
Launch Of Sputnik I
The launch of Sputnik I was suprising to the U.S
because they have not sent up a satellite yet.They
were working on Explorer I. -
Launch Of The First U.S Satellite
First U.S Satellite to be put into space. It carried
scientific equipment that lead to the discovery of the
Van Allen radiation belt. -
3 Stage Launch
The Vanguard 1 satellite is launched. It continues to
function for 3 years.Vanguard 1 was a small earth-orbiting satellite designed to test the launch capabilities of a three-stage launch vehicle and the effects of the environment on a satellite and its systems in Earth orbit. It also was used to obtain geodetic measurements through orbit analysis. -
Sputnik 3 is launched.
Sputnik 3 was an automatic scientific laboratory spacecraft. It was conically-shaped and was 3.57 m long. The scientific instrumentation (twelve instruments) provided data on pressure and composition of the upper atmosphere, concentration of charged particles, photons in cosmic rays, heavy nuclei in cosmic rays, magnetic and electrostatic fields, and meteoric particles. The outer radiation belts of the Earth were detected during the flight. The spacecraft remained in orbit until April 6, 1960. -
1st Soft Landing on the Moon
Surveyor 1 soft-lands on the Moon. -
Apollo 1 Fail
Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders
begin the first manned journey from the Earth to the
Moon. On Christmas Eve they take turns reading
Genesis in a broadcast heard around the world. -
First Manned Mission To the Moon
Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. The first steps by humans on another planetary body were taken by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969. The astronauts also returned to Earth the first samples from another planetary body. Apollo 11 achieved its primary mission - to perform a manned lunar landing and return the mission safely to Earth - and paved the way for the Apollo lunar landing missions to follow. -
50th Annivesary
Space Age celebrated the 50th anniversary of the historic
launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, by the former
Soviet Union.