What are the earliest references to space exploration?

Information about the United States' space flight programs, including NASA missions and the astronauts who participate in the efforts to explore Earth's galaxy. read more

April 12 - Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. May 5 - Astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space. May 25 - President Kennedy challenged the country to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. 1962. February 20 - Astronaut John Glenn became the first American in orbit. read more

The early era of space exploration was driven by a "Space Race" between the Soviet Union and the United States. The launch of the first human-made object to orbit Earth, the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1, on 4 October 1957, and the first Moon landing by the American Apollo 11 mission on 20 July 1969 are often taken as landmarks for this initial period. read more