1. Fruit Flies Became the First Animals Sent Into Space in 1947

On February 20, 1947, the US military launched fruit flies into space on a V-2 missile. Fruit flies were chosen because they are estimated to have around 75% of the disease-causing genes of humans.  The fruit flies were recovered and shown to have no genetic effects from going to space.

2. Sputnik is the Russian word for traveler.

Sputnik 1 was the first successful launch of a satellite. It was launched by Russia on October 4, 1957. It was 58cm in diameter and weighed 33.6kg. The satellite took 98 minutes to orbit the Earth. This was the starting event for the space race.

3. The US Army built the first American satellite in 1958.

The first successful satellite launch by the US was Explorer 1. It was launched on January 31, 1958. This rocket was developed by the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency because NASA had not yet been created. NASA was founded later that year. Explorer 1 confirmed the existence of Earth’s radiation belts.

4. Yuri Gagarin started traditions for astronauts

Gagarin was the first person to ever launch into space. On the way to the launch pad, Gagarin stopped the bus to pee. He did so on the back right tire of the bus. Since then, all astronauts urinate on the back right tire at a stop on the way to the launch pad. Some other traditions Gagarin created are the crew get haircuts two days before the launch, the night before the launch, they watch the White Sun of the Desert, and the day of the crew signs their hotel room door.

5. Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman ever in space.

Tereshkova was on the Vostok 6 mission that launched on June 16, 1968. She completed 48 orbits in 71 hours. She had been selected for the program because she was an amateur parachutist.  

6. The First Earthrise Photo was Taken on Apollo 8

The first photo of Earth illuminated over the moon’s horizon was taken on December 24, 1968. This was the first colored photo taken of Earth from space. The photo is still used for environmental awareness today.

7. Alan Shepard Played Golf on the Moon

During the live broadcast of the moon landing, Shepard hit 2 golf shots. The club he used was a modified sample collection device with a head attached to the end.  

8. Apollo 12 Was Struck by Lightning

Apollo 12 was struck by lightning twice during its launch. The first strike happened 36.5 seconds after its liftoff. The boosters had gone through an overhanging cloud layer. This strike turned on the warning for the three fuel cells and both main direct current electric power buses and alternating current power buses. 52 seconds after the liftoff, they were hit by a second lightning strike. They were able to clear the issues with the console and continued to their orbit and eventually their moon landing.

9. The United States routinely photographed the Soviet Union from space

The Corona program was a CIA and Air Force program that used satellites to photograph Soviet Russia. The purpose of this mission was to see how the Soviet Union compared to the US in technological developments. The program lasted from August 1960 to May 1972.

10. The First Joint U.S.-Soviet Space Mission Occurred in 1975

In July 1975, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was the first international partnership in space. The crew was composed of 3 NASA astronauts and 2 Soviet cosmonauts. The project was testing the docking systems on a US rocket and Soviet rocket for possible space rescue. This was a 9-day mission with 2 days of joint activities.