Early Years of Space Exploration

Space Exploration

Early Years of Space Exploration

• 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

Notable Space Missions

• 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

Current and Future Space Exploration

• 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

Early Years of Space Exploration

• 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

Notable Space Missions

• 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

Current and Future Space Exploration

• 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