Important Firsts You should Know
* U.S.S.R. no longer exists. They launched all these space missions during 1947-1991. They ceased to exist in 1991, becoming modern day Russia and 14 other independent countries.
First What?First Artificial Satellite: Sputnik 1.
First man in space: Yuri Gagarin. First men on the Moon: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. The first Earth organisms in space: Fruit Flies First woman in space: Valentina Tereshkova |
Date LaunchedFriday, 4th October, 1957
Wednesday, April 12, 1961 Wenesday, July 16, 1969 Sunday, February 20, 1949 Sunday, June 16, 1963 |
Launched ByThe Soviets (U.S.S.R.)
The Soviets (U.S.S.R.) The Americans (U.S.A.) The Americans (U.S.A.) The Soviets (U.S.S.R) |
More Info:The Sputnik 1 spent 3 months in orbit, before burning up during re-entry.
Yuri Gagarin was sent in the Vostok 1 mission and spent roughly 90 minutes in orbit of the Earth. Neil and Buzz were sent in the Apollo 11 mission, and spent 21 hours and 36 minutes on the moon. To test the survivability of space, the Americans sent fruit flies into space on a V-2 rocket. Valentina Tereshkova was also the first civilian in space. She was sent to observe the female body's reaction to space. |