October 7, 1958
NASA initiates Project Mercury, America's first human spaceflight program, marking the beginning of the U.S. space program and its response to the Soviet Space Race following Sputnik 1's launch.
January 1, 1961
The Apollo program began in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy declared America's intention to land humans on the Moon before the decade's end. This ambitious $28 billion initiative involved over 400,000 people and led to numerous technological breakthroughs.
