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Launching of Sputnik
The USSR launches Sputnik, a satelite. It was the first man made anything to go in space. It shocked the world and started the Space Race. -
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Space Race
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Laika: First animal in space
Laika was a stray dog who trained woth other dogs to be the first in space. She was sent in the Sputnik 2 in space. She became the first animal in space and the first animal to die also. -
Explorer 1: The First Earth Satelite
This was Americas reaction and answer to Sputnik. This began the Space Race. The Explorer 1 mission reamained in orbit for about 12, to 1970. This satelite detected the Van Allen Belts of radiation that surround the Earth. -
NASA is fromed
The National Aeronautices and Space Administration is formed, specializing in the space research and discovery. Also, this Administration controls, monitors, and runs all programs related to space and discovery in the US, particularly in Houston and Florida -
The US sends its first animals
Able and Baker, monkeys, were to the two first animals sent into space by America, Also, they were the first animals that made it back safely from a space flight. They were at a peak altitude of 360 miles up into space and came down into the ocean. Able would die soon and Baker lived on until 1984 -
The Russians get pictures of the Far Side of the Moon.
Luna 3, a Soviet space probe, that captured pictures of the, never before observed, far sid eof the moon. One side of the moon is permanently never facing the Earth and this feat was a major accomplishment in the space race. -
Yuri Gagarian is the first man in space
Yuri Gagarian is the first Russian and human in space. He orbitted the Earth for about 108 minutes. He was pilot and cosmonaut, and during the flight he got upgraded from a Senior Lieutenant to a Major. -
Alan Shepard becomes the first American in Space
Alan Shepard becomes the second man, and the first American, in space. He takes flight in the Freedom 7 and orbits for a total of 15 mintues. Also, he later became the 5th person to walk on the moon. -
First women in space
Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. She was a Russian and was selected out of 400 applicants. She was also the first civillian. -
Aleksei Leonov becomes the first man walk in space.
Aleksei Leonov, a retired Air Force General, became the first man to walk in space. He walked for 12 minutes. he became an artist later. -
First artificial satellite of the moon
The Luna 10 spacecraft was launched towards the Moon from Earth to reach the moon and orbit. It was the first artificial satellite of the Moon. The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on April 3, 1966 and completed its first orbit 3 hours later -
Apollo 1 Accident
Apollo 1 was a planned mission to go up to space. Howver, during a practice test, the module burned up and killed the 3 astronaunts in the capsule. This would cause conservierty across the country and delayed NASA's goal of going to the moon for a year or two. -
Apollo 8 Orbits
Apollo 8 became the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon. It was a three man crew of Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders. On Christmas Eve the crew read the first 10 verses of Genisis while broadcasting the view on television. -
Apollo 11 reaches moon, mkes histroy.
Apollo 11 reaches the moon, making it the first time a human has landed and making the US the first to do it. Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong were the ones in the flight and Neil Armstrong said the famous quote about the leap for mankind. -
Apollo 17's Return From the Moon
This was the last and final Apollo mission and the conclusion to the Space Race. It was the 11th and final manned misson for the Apollo program. It was the last time anyone went on the moon.
