Space exploration

By davped
  • V2 Launch

    V2 Launch

    First launch of a rocket-powered missile by Nazi Germany for military purposes.
  • First Satellite in Orbit: Sputnik I

    First Satellite in Orbit: Sputnik I

    The USSR begins the space race by putting the first satellite into orbit
  • First living animal to orbit the Earth

    First living animal to orbit the Earth

    The USSR launches Laika (a dog) into space in the Sputnik II.
  • Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space

    Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space

    The USSR launches the first human into space, taking advantage in the space race.
  • Valentina Tereshkova, first woman in space

    Valentina Tereshkova, first woman in space

    The USSR took a step towards equality by sending the first woman into space. The US took 20 years longer to send a woman into space.
  • Neil Armstrong, first human on the Moon

    Neil Armstrong, first human on the Moon

    The US takes the lead in the space race for the first time, landing the first two humans on the lunar surface (Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin). Michael Collins remained on the Apollo 11 spacecraft.