space race
what were some of the major events?
The US explorer 1 is launched into space and leads to the discovery of the Van Allen Radiation belt
The US creates NASA to replace the National Advisory Commitee of Aeronauts (NACA)
The Russians send the first man-made object to orbit the sun, Luna 1
The Russians Luna 3 orbits the moon and takes pictures of 70% of its surface
The US launch the Discoverer XIV, the first spy satellite.
The Russian Yuri Gagarin is the first man to orbit the earth
Alan B. Sheppard is the first American in space, arriving only 24 days after Yuri
President Kennedy was assassinated
Ed White is the American to so the space walk
Mariner sent back the first images of Mars
Russians Venus 3 is launched and is the first man-made object on Mars
Russians Luna 9 was the first spacecraft to soft land on the moon
Russians Luna 10 was the first satellite to orbit the moon
The US Surveyor 1 soft lands on the moon 2 months after the Luna 9
Gemini 12 was the last flight of the Gemini program started in 1961. It launched with James Lovell and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin.
Russian Venera 4 sends data about the atmosphere of Venus
Russian Zond 5 is launched with a biological payload, including two turtles, around the moon and back to earth
the US Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders begin the first manned journey from the Earth to the moon. On Christmas Eve, they took turns reading from the book and Genesis in a broadcast heard around the world.