Chapter 15, Annex I EARLY MANNED SPACE EXPLORATION TIMELINE
MERCURY PROGRAM
October 1, 1958 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) created
November 26, 1958 Mercury program announced
December 4, 1959 Launch of Sam (a monkey) on Little Joe 2
April 9, 1959 NASA names the seven Mercury astronauts
January 21, 1960 Launch of Miss Sam (a monkey) on Little Joe IB
January 31, 1961 Launch of Ham (a chimpanzee) on Mercury Redstone 2
May 5, 1961 Launch of Alan Shepard in Freedom 7 (suborbital)
July 21, 1961 Launch of Gus Grissom in Liberty 7 (suborbital)
November 29, 1961 Launch of Enos (a chimpanzee) on Mercury Atlas 5 (orbital)
January 3, 1962 Gemini program formally conceived
February 20, 1962 Launch of John Glenn in Friendship 7, first American human orbital flight
May 24, 1962 Launch of Scott Carpenter in Aurora 7
October 3, 1962 Launch of Walter Schirra in Sigma 7
May 15, 1963 Launch of Gordon Cooper in Faith 7, the final Mercury mission
GEMINI PROGRAM
March 23, 1965. Gemini III. First manned Gemini flight completed three orbits
June 03–07, 1965. Gemini IV. First American Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA)
August 21–29, 1965. Gemini V. First use of fuel cells for electrical power
December 04, 1965. Gemini VII. First rendezvous in space, with Gemini VI-A
December 15, 1965. Gemini VI-A. First rendezvous in space, with Gemini VII
March 16, 1966. Gemini VIII. First docking with another (unmanned) spacecraft
June 03–06, 1966. Gemini IX-A. Three rendezvous and two hours of EVA
July 18–21, 1966. Gemini X. Rendezvoused with target vehicle and EVA
September 12, 1966. Gemini XI. Gemini record altitude of 1 189.3 km
November 11, 1966. Gemini XII. Final Gemini flight: rendezvous, docking, EVA
APOLLO PROGRAM
October, 1968 Apollo 7. Earth orbit
December,1968 Apollo 8. Ten lunar orbits
March, 1969 Apollo 9. First manned flight of lunar module
May, 1969 Apollo 10. Dress rehearsal for Moon landing
July 20, 1969 Apollo 11. First lunar landing mission (on the Sea of Tranquility)
November, 1969 Apollo 12. Second lunar landing (on the Ocean of Storms)
April, 1970 Apollo 13. Mission aborted after an on-board explosion
January, 1971 Apollo 14. Third lunar landing (at Fra Mauro)
July, 1971 Apollo 15. Fourth lunar landing (in the Hadley Apennine region)
April, 1972 Apollo 16. Fifth lunar landing (on the Descartes highlands)
December, 1972 Apollo 17. Last lunar landing (on theTaurus Littrow highlands)
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