Early Years of Space Exploration

Study Notes

October 4, 1957: Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into Earth's orbit
November 3, 1957: Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2, carrying Laika, the first living creature, into space
January 31, 1958: United States launches Explorer 1, the first successful American satellite, into orbit

Mercury Program (1959-1963): First human spaceflight program in the United States
- May 5, 1961: Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space on Mercury-Redstone 3
- February 20, 1962: John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth on Mercury-Atlas 6
** Gemini Program (1961-1966)**: Second human spaceflight program in the United States
- June 3, 1965: Ed White becomes the first American to walk in space on Gemini 4
Apollo Program (1961-1972): Third human spaceflight program in the United States
- July 20, 1969: Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin become the first humans to land on the Moon on Apollo 11
Voyager Program (1977): Twin space probes launched to study the outer Solar System and beyond
- Voyager 1 is the most distant human-made object in space, over 14 billion miles from Earth

International Space Station (ISS): Orbiting laboratory and observatory launched in 1998
SpaceX: Private aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company founded in 2002 by Elon Musk
NASA's Artemis Program: Plans to return humans to the Moon by 2024 and establish a sustainable presence on the lunar surface
Mars Exploration: Ongoing and future missions to explore Mars, including NASA's Perseverance rover and European Space Agency's ExoMars rover

Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, was launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, into Earth's orbit
Laika, the first living creature, was launched by the Soviet Union on November 3, 1957, aboard Sputnik 2 into space
The United States successfully launched Explorer 1, its first satellite, into orbit on January 31, 1958

The Mercury Program (1959-1963) was the first human spaceflight program in the United States
- Alan Shepard became the first American in space on May 5, 1961, aboard Mercury-Redstone 3
- John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962, aboard Mercury-Atlas 6
The Gemini Program (1961-1966) was the second human spaceflight program in the United States
- Ed White became the first American to walk in space on June 3, 1965, aboard Gemini 4
The Apollo Program (1961-1972) was the third human spaceflight program in the United States
- Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first humans to land on the Moon on July 20, 1969, aboard Apollo 11
The Voyager Program (1977) consisted of twin space probes launched to study the outer Solar System and beyond
- Voyager 1 is the most distant human-made object in space, over 14 billion miles from Earth

The International Space Station (ISS), an orbiting laboratory and observatory, was launched in 1998
SpaceX is a private aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company founded in 2002 by Elon Musk
NASA's Artemis Program aims to return humans to the Moon by 2024 and establish a sustainable presence on the lunar surface
Ongoing and future Mars Exploration missions include NASA's Perseverance rover and the European Space Agency's ExoMars rover