2. Sputnik On October 4, 1957, the former Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite into orbit around Earth. It was called “Sputnik”, the Russian word for “satellite.” The Soviets’ success caught Americans, who were expecting to be first in space, by surprise.

3. Another First! Then the Russians achieved the Big One. Major Yuri Gagarin became the first to go into space. He orbited the Earth. The Soviets seemed unstoppable.

4. President Kennedy On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy presented a bold challenge before a joint session of Congress: Send a man to the Moon by the end of the decade.

5. President Kennedy "I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth,"

6. Project Mercury 1958-1963 Goals: To orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth; To investigate man's ability to function in space; To recover both man and spacecraft safely.

7. The Gemini Program 2 unmanned flight tests of equipment. 10 manned flights. Goals: Longer time in space. Practice docking with other space vehicles. Practice entering the atmosphere and landing.

8. The Apollo Program 1963-1972 1 Goal: Land humans on the Moon and bring them back safely to Earth.

9. July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong took a small step for himself and a giant step for humanity, leaving a dusty trail of footprints on the moon.

10. Apollos 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 landed on the Moon. A total of 12 Apollo astronauts would reach the lunar surface over the next three years, collecting rocks, driving buggies and even practicing a little golf.

12. In memory of those who have given their lives in the quest to explore space.

13. Apollo 1 27 January 1967 Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, Commander Edward H.White II, Command Module Pilot Roger B. Chaffee, Lunar Module Pilot

14. Soyuz 1 24 April 1967 Vladimir M. Komarov, Commander

15. Soyuz 11 / Salyut 1 29 June 1971 Georgi T. Dobrovolsky, Commander Vladislav N. Volkov, Flight Engineer Viktor I. Patsayev, Research Engineer

16. Challenger, 51-L 28 January 1986 Francis R. Scobee, Commander Michael J. Smith, Pilot Judith A. Resnik, Mission Specialist Ellison S. Onizuka, Mission Specialist Ronald E. McNair, Mission Specialist Gregory B. Jarvis, Payload Specialist Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Payload Specialist

17. Columbia, STS-107 1 February 2003 Rick D. Husband, Commander William C. McCool, Pilot Michael P. Anderson, Payload Commander Kalpana Chawla, Mission Specialist David M. Brown, Mission Specialist Laurel B. Clark, Mission Specialist Ilan Ramon, (Israel) Payload Specialist