Page 125 - 100 Events That Made History

Sputnik (meaning Soviet satellite
“traveling companion”) During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union
was twice the size eyeballed each other over the launchpads as they competed to
of a basketball. be the FIRST IN SPACE. In 1957, the Soviets sent unmanned

satellite Sputnik into orbit around Earth. They scored again in
1961 when their cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first human
space traveler. Spurred on by Soviet triumphs, US President
John F. Kennedy vowed that America would put a man
on the moon before the end of the 1960s.

Suited and booted
for work in zero Did you know?
atmosphere, US The journey to the moon
astronauts explored the took us four days and six
moon’s dusty surface. hours, but we only stayed on
How it changed
the surface for 22 hours.
Space exploration has led
to huge advances in our
understanding of the
Universe and a revolution
the world
in communications.

American Moonmen
On July 20, 1969, with the
world watching on TV, American
astronauts Neil Armstrong,
Edwin (“Buzz”) Aldrin, and
Michael Collins touched down
on the moon’s surface in their
SPACECRAFT APOLLO 11.
The United States had achieved
President Kennedy’s challenge.
In all, 12 men walked on
the moon over five more
missions before 1972,
but humans haven’t
been back since.

Space race

Rival spacecraft blast off in the

race to be first on the MOON

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