Space Race

start of space race

in 1957 when the Soviets launched the 1st artificial satellite called Sputnik

space race

US and Soviets wanted to win and prove they’re smarter and stronger

Khruschev

Soviet Premeir who wanted to show that the communist technology was superior

Kennedy

president who wanted to beat the Soviets to the moon

firsts

marked success (examples include the satellite, robotic spacecraft, man in space, woman in space, spacewalk) but were all achieved by the Soviets

1958

US launched its 1st satellite, Explorer I, and formed NASA

1959

Soviets launched Luna 2, the 1st space probe to hit the moon

1961

Yuri Gagarin became the 1st person in space and to orbit Earth, Alan Shepard became the 1st American in space

1962

John Glenn became the 1st American to orbit Earth

1963

Soviet Valentina Tereshkova became the 1st woman in space

1968

US launched Apollo 18, the 1st manned space mission to orbit Earth

1969

US landed on the moon, making them the winner of the space race