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First Satellite to Orbit Earth
The U.S.S.R. sent the first satellite into space called the Sputnik. The Sputnik wieghed approximatly 184 pounds. This event was a bold move by the Russians and started the space race. -
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Space Race
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First Animal In Space
The Soviet Union sends a female dog named Laika into space on the Sputnik 2. She lives for seven days before she is put down because there is no possible way for her to return to earth alive. But, the expirement was a success, animals can live in space and if animals can live in space then so can humans. -
First Human into Space
Yuri Gargarin became the first man to travel into space aboard the Soveit Vostok 1. After sometime in space the Vostok 1 reentered earth and Yuri jumped out and parachuted to safty. -
First American into Space
The USA sends Alan Shepard aboard the freedom 7 up into space. The flight lasted 15-minutes 28-second before reentering earths atomosphere. Three weeks later on March 25, 1961, president John F Kennedy vows to send man to the moon and back before the end of the decade. -
First American to Orbit Earth
In a 4 hour and 56 minute flight, John Glenn circled the earth 3 times. Later in his life he also became the oldest space traveller at age 77 on the STS-95. -
Fist Woman into Space
Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman into space, was launched into space by the soviets. She spent three days alone in space orbiting earth -
First Space Walk
Soviet, Alexei Leonov takes the first spce walk. The legendary walk had taken 10 minutes. He was tied to a teather from the the Voshkod 2. -
First Deaths in Space
Astronauts Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee died in a fire during a test on the launch pad. 4 months later the soviet aircraft Soyuz 2 crashes on reentry killing 1 aboard. -
First Moon Landing
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first men on the moon. Armstrong was the first to step foot on the moon and when he did he made a famous remark, "One small step for man, one giant leap for man kind". -
First Space Rescue
Aboard the Appolo 13 a oxygen tank explodes. The 3 man crew was assisted by mission controll and returned to earth safely 3 days later. -
First Space Station
The Solviets launch Salyut 1 into orbit. This station lasted a record long 23 days. Once reentering the earth crew, Georgi Bobroeolski, Vladislav Volkov, and Victor Patsayev die on reentry. -
First American Space Station
Having trouble launching, Skylab, an American station becomes the first American space station. It stays in space for a new record of 28 days! -
First International Docking in Space
During the Apollo-Soyuz mission American and Solviet dock together to show peace to both countries. -
First Mars Landing
An unmanned space probe is sent into space named the Viking 1. It was controlled by a group of scienctist and its mission was to go to mars to take pictures. -
First American Woman in Space
Sally Ride is part of the crew for the seventh space shuttle flight, STS-7. The first African-American astronaut, Guion Bluford, follows on the next flight on August 30. -
First Woman to do Space Walk
Sally Ride is part of the crew for the seventh space shuttle flight, STS-7. The first African-American astronaut, Guion Bluford, follows on the next flight on August 30. -
First Year in Space
Musa Manarov and Vladimir Titov complete 366 days on the Russian space station, Mir. This record is broken on March 22, 1995, when cosmonaut Valery Poyakov returns to Earth after spending 437 days and 18 hours (1.19 years) in orbit. -
First Study on Elderly in Space
At age 77, John Glenn flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery and became the oldest person to go into space. As an original member of NASA’s Mercury program, he entered the public-eye in 1921 when he became the first American to orbit the Earth. During his second flight, 35 years later, he contributed to research on weightlessness and the effects of space flight on the elderly. -
First Non-Astronaut to Enter Space
Dennis Tito, a billionaire from California became the first paying passenger to enter outer space. Mr. Tito, age 60, has dreamt of going into space for over 40 years — and he paid $20 million to finally fulfill his dream. He now promotes the idea of ordinary people entering space. -
First Spacecraft to Orbit Saturn
Cassini-Huygens became the first spacecraft to go into orbit around Saturn. Later in the year the spacecraft flew within 800 miles of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. Titan is also the only moon in our solar system with an atmosphere.
