Class topics: Space Moments

-------------------------------

Timeline of Space Activity

• October 4, 1957:  Sputnik I Satellite is launched by USSR.  First artificial satellite

• •November 3, 1957:  Sputnik II Satellite is launched by USSR and includes the first animal in space, a dog.

• •January 31, 1958:  United States launches its first satellite:  Explorer 1  
   

• October 1, 1958:  National Aeronautics and Space Administration replaces the previously existing National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics

• •January 2, 1959:  Luna I Satellite is launched by USSR.  First artificial satellite to orbit the sun
   

• April 1, 1960:  Tiros 1 is launched by US.  First weather satellite

• •April 14, 1961:  Yuri Gagarin (USSR) becomes first man in space aboard Vostok 1

• •May 5, 1961:  Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space as part of Mercury Project

• February 20, 1962:  John Glenn becomes the first American in orbit as part of Mercury Project

• •March 18, 1965:  Alexei Leonov (USSR) makes first space walk

• •June 3, 1965:  Edward White is the first American to make a space walk

• February 3, 1966:  Luna 9 (USSR) becomes first spacecraft to land on the moon

• •June 2, 1966:  Surveyor 1 is first US spacecraft to land on the moon

• •April 23, 1967:  Vladimir Komarov becomes first fatality when Soyuz 1 (USSR) crashes

• July 20, 1969:  Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins make the first manned landing on the moon and moonwalk as part of Apollo 11

• •April 11, 1970:  Apollo 13 (US) is launched in a failed attempt to land on the moon
   

• May 30, 1971:  Mariner 9 (US) is launched.  On November 13, 1971 it becomes the first spacecraft to orbit another planet (Mars) on its way to map all of the Martian surface

• •May, 1973:  Skylab (US) is launched.  First US manned space station

• •April 12, 1981:  Space Shuttle Columbia makes maiden voyage (First Space Shuttle in Orbit)

• April 4, 1983:  Space Shuttle Challenger makes maiden voyage

• •June 1, 1983:  Sally Ride becomes first American woman to travel into space  (STS-7)

• •August 30, 1984:  Space Shuttle Discovery makes maiden voyage

• October 3, 1985:  Space Shuttle Atlantis makes maiden voyage

• •January 28, 1986:  Space Shuttle Challenger explodes just after liftoff.  All passengers died

• •April 24, 1990:  Space Shuttle Discovery places Hubble telescope into orbit
   

• June 5, 1991:  Spacelab SLS 1 is placed into orbit by Columbia.  Used to investigate effects of weightlessness on humans in space

• •May 2, 1992:  Space Shuttle Endeavor makes maiden voyage

• July 4, 1997:  Mars Pathfinder (US) arrives on Mars

• •February 23, 1999:  Sunsat-1 (South Africa) is launched into space.  First South African space vehicle

• •February 1, 2003:  Space Shuttle Columbia is lost over the Texas skies.  All passengers died.

More Complete List from National Space Science Data Center

-------------------------------------------------------------------