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Period: to
Space Race
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Launching of Sputnik I
Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball, weighed only 183.9 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R space race. -
Sputnik 2
The USSR launched a dog named Laika, who was the first dog in space. Laika didn't make it back to Earth alive. -
Explorer 1
The first American satellite to reach orbit, is launched. It carried scientific equipment that lead to the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belt. -
NASA is Born
NASA was established by the National Aeronautics and Space Act. -
Luna 2
Luna 2 was the second of the Soviet Union's Luna programmed spacecraft launched to the Moon. It was the first spacecraft to reach the surface of the Moon. -
1st Man in Space
A Russian man named Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. He orbited all the way around the Earth and made it back safely. -
Mercury Freedom 7
Alan B Shepard Jr. was the first american in space. He had a suborbital flight in space. Lasted about 15 min. . -
1st American to orbit the earth
John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. -
Gordon Cooper
L. Gordon Cooper is in space for 34 hours and is the last man to be sent to space alone from the U.S.A. -
America's 1st Spacewalk
Ed White performs America's first spacewalk. Jim McDivitt remains in the Gemini capsule. -
Venera 3
The Venera 3, sent by the Soviet Union, crash-landed on Venus on March 1, 1966 becoming the first spacecraft to land on another planet's surface. -
Man Lands on the Moon
Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon when Apollo 11 landed. "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." - Armstrong. -
Apollo 13
An explosion happened within 56 hours of lauching. USA's Apollo 13 crew was losing oxygen and they had to make a quick repair using only the things they had on board. They never made it to the moon. -
Apollo 17's return from the moon
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.
