Image of an astronaut and the Lunar Rover. Courtesy of Aris Multimedia Entertainment, Inc. 1994.

It was not long after the first space satellites were launched that we succeeded in getting a human being into space. These first astronauts and cosmonauts (the Russian word for astronaut) were test pilots who were very familiar with flying in fast and dangerous planes! The first human being to travel into space was Yuri Gagarin (USSR, 1961), followed a month later by the US astronaut Alan Shepard.

Once we found out that humans could travel in space, a "space race" quickly developed between the United States and the Soviet Union. The United States main interest was to land on the moon. The Soviet Union was more interested in setting endurance records and doing scientific research.

Russia, the United States, and 14 other countries are now working together on the International Space Station project.

For a brief history of the United States and Soviet Union human spaceflight programs, click here.

Discover more about human spaceflight through the links below!

Image of an astronaut and the Lunar Rover. Courtesy of Aris Multimedia Entertainment, Inc. 1994.

It was not long after the first space satellites were launched that we succeeded in getting a human being into space. These first astronauts and cosmonauts (the Russian word for astronaut) were test pilots who were very familiar with flying in fast and dangerous planes! The first human being to travel into space was Yuri Gagarin (USSR, 1961), followed a month later by the US astronaut Alan Shepard.

Once we found out that humans could travel in space, a "space race" quickly developed between the United States and the Soviet Union. The United States main interest was to land on the moon. The Soviet Union was more interested in setting endurance records and doing scientific research.

Russia, the United States, and 14 other countries are now working together on the International Space Station project.

For a brief history of the United States and Soviet Union human spaceflight programs, click here.

Discover more about human spaceflight through the links below!

Image of an astronaut and the Lunar Rover. Courtesy of Aris Multimedia Entertainment, Inc. 1994.

It was not long after the first space satellites were launched that we succeeded in getting a human being into space. These first astronauts and cosmonauts (the Russian word for astronaut) were test pilots who were very familiar with flying in fast and dangerous planes! The first human being to travel into space was Yuri Gagarin (USSR, 1961), followed a month later by the US astronaut Alan Shepard.

Once we found out that humans could travel in space, a "space race" quickly developed between the United States and the Soviet Union. The United States main interest was to land on the moon. The Soviet Union was more interested in setting endurance records and doing scientific research.

Russia, the United States, and 14 other countries are now working together on the International Space Station project.

For a brief history of the United States and Soviet Union human spaceflight programs, click here.

Discover more about human spaceflight through the links below!