First V-2 launchings in World
War II.

V-2 combined with a WAC
Corporal rocket set new altitude and speed records of 244 miles and 5100 miles per hour. These records remained unbroken for a number of years.

Sputnik I launched by USSR.
First man-made satellite.

Sputnik II  launched.  Carried test dog Laika, first living thing put into orbit around earth.

U. S. Atlas fired successfully for first time.

Explorer I launched. First U. S. man-made satellite. Discovered Van Allen radiation belt around earth.

Project Score satellite launched
by U. S. Atlas. First time hu­man voice beamed from outer space (recorded message by President Eisenhower).

Lunik I space probe launched by
USSR. Went into orbit around sun to become first man-made planet.

1959     Discoverer I launched by U. S.
First polar-orbit satellite.

Pioneer IV lunar probe
launched and went into orbit around sun. First U. S.-made planet.

Monkeys Able and Baker, in
nose cone of a Jupiter IRBM, carried 300 miles into space on a 1700-mile flight. First safe re­covery of animals from long­distance flight through space.

Explorer VI launched by U. S.
Took first television pictures of earth from space. September 12, 1959   Lunik II lunar probe launched by USSR. Hit moon 35 hours later, after traveling 236,875 miles.

Lunik III, a translunar earth
satellite, launched by USSR. Circled around moon, taking first pictures of far side. Went into orbit around earth and be­yond orbital path of moon.

Pioneer V launched by U. S.
and went into orbit around sun between orbital paths of earth and Venus. Transmitted mes­sages from 22,462,740 miles in space, a new long-distance com­munication record.

Tiros I (weather satellite)
launched by U. S. First satellite to provide detailed photographs of earth's weather.

Transit I-B   (navigation satel-
lite) launched by U. S. First time rocket engine restarted in space.

U. S. Atlas set new record for
long-range ballistic-missile flight—9,000 miles.

Transit II-A and Greb launched
by U. S. First successful twin launching, Greb riding piggy­back on Transit II-A.

Echo I communications satellite
launched by U. S. Photograph and two-way radio messages were bounced off satellite, estab­lishing feasibility of using satel­lites for transmission of com­munications around the world.

USSR launched Spacecraft II,
carrying two dogs and other animals, into orbit. First safe return of living creatures from orbital trip into space.