CK12 Earth Science

Table 23.1: (continued)

Date Accomplished Country Name of Mission

March 1, 1966 First impact into an-

other planet (Venus)

USSR Venera 3

April 3, 1966 First artificial satel-

lite around another

world (the Moon)

USSR Luna 10

June 2, 1966 USA’sfirstsoftland-

ing on the Moon,

USA’s first photos

from the Moon

USA Surveyor 1

December 21, 1968 First humans to or-

bit another world

(the Moon) (James

Lovell, Frank Bor-

man, Bill Anders)

USA Apollo 8

July 21, 1969 First humans on the

Moon (Neil Arm-

strong, Buzz Aldrin)

USA Apollo 11

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_space_exploration and David
Bethel, License: GNU-FDL and CC-BY-SA)

The Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union reached a peak in 1969
when the U.S. put the first humans on the Moon. However, the competition between the
two countries’ space programs continued for many more years.

Reaching the Moon

OnMay25,1961,shortlyafterthefirstAmericanwentintospace,PresidentJohnF.Kennedy
presented the following challenge to the U.S. Congress:

”I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade

is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him back safely to the Earth.

No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more

important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or

expensive to accomplish.”

Eight years later, NASA’s Apollo 11 mission achieved Kennedy’s ambitious goal. On July
20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to set foot on
the moon, as shown inFigure23.23.