Did You Know: Space – What was the Space Race?
The Space Race was a contest between the United States and Russia to conquer space.
The race meant that humans began eagerly exploring space. It ended when the first astronaut walked on the moon.
November 3, 1957 Laika the Space Dog
Russian dog, Laika, was a stray that was found wandering the streets of Moscow. She traveled to space in the Sputnik 2 spacecraft and became the first living creature to orbit the Earth.
April 9, 1959 Mercury 7
In response to the Russians, the United States announced its first group of astronauts. Nicknamed “The Mercury 7,” they were the best test pilots in the US.
October 4, 1957 Sputnik 1 satellite
Sputnik 1 was the first satellite to be sent into space. Made by the Russians, Sputnik 1 orbited the Earth for three months.
July 20, 1969 First on the moon
The Americans were the first and only nation to send people to the moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to walk on the moon.
April 12, 1961 Yuri Gagarin
The Russians were the first to send a person into space.
The cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first person to see what the Earth looked like from space. His spacecraft, called Vostok 1, made one orbit of the Earth in 108 minutes.
September 12, 1962 President Kennedy
American president John F.
Kennedy set the goal of getting an American astronaut to the moon and back by the year 1970.
June 16, 1963 Valentina Tereshkova
Russian Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. She enjoyed skydiving and worked in a factory before training to be a cosmonaut.
March 18, 1965 First space walk
Cosmonaut Alexey Leonov became the first person to take a space walk outside a spacecraft. It was another success for the Russians.