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Sputnik 1 Launches
The Soviets launched a small beachball sized satellite called Sputnik. This event was important because it started the Great Space Race between the U.S. and the Soviets. -
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The Space Race
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Laika the Rocket Dog
The Soviets launch Sputnik 2 about a month later. This time with a passenger, Laika the Rocket Dog. This event was important because it put the Soviets even farther ahead than the Americans. -
NASA Is Born
The Soviets had started the Great Spce Race. Therefore the Americans founded their own agency called NASA. This event was important because it brought Amricans together. -
The First Human Into Space.
The Soviets pull ahead of NASA even farther by sending the first human into space. Yuri Garagin was aboard the Vostok 1 when he launched into orbit. This event was important because Yuri Garagin was the first human to be sent into space and orbit the planet. -
The First American In Space.
NASA was falling behind quickly. They had to do something to catch up. So, they sent the first American into space. Alan Sheperd was aboard the Freedom 7 whenever he was launched into orbit. This event was important because Alan Shepard was the first American in space. -
Apollo Starts
Shortly after NASA sent Alan Shepard into space, they were still behind the Soviets. So they started the Apollo Program. This event was important because NASA had a plan to win the space race. -
Apollo 1 Burns
A pad fire was the death of Apollo 1. It killed several people and it would never get to its launch date on Febuary 1 1967. This event was important because it helped scientists know how to prevent things like that from happening again. -
The Far Side Of The Moon
The Soviets were the first to see the far side of the moon. This event was important because we saw the far side of the moon. -
One Small Step For Man One Giant Leap For Mankind
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins in Apollo 11 landed on the moon. This event was important becauseit sling-shotted NASA into the lead of the Great Space Race and the Americans were the first to step on the moon. -
The End of the Great Space Race
The U.S. and the Soviets decided to join together and combine their knowledge to be able to do things that have never been done before. Thos event was important because it ended the fear the U.S. had of the Soviets.
