| Date |
Time (UTC) |
Event |
| 1953 Apr 1 |
|
USSR Council of Ministers approves development of the R-7 rocket as a missile to carry nuclear warheads |
| 1954 May 26 |
|
Chief Designer Sergei Korolyov proposes that the Soviet Union launches an artificial satellite of the Earth using the R-7 rocket |
| 1955 Jan 12 |
|
Construction starts on the site which will become the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Khazakstan - approx 47 degrees north latitude, 63 degrees east longitude |
| 1956 Jan 30 |
|
USSR Council of Ministers Approves programme to launch an artificial Earth satellite during the International Geophysical Year IGY that begins mid-1957 |
| 1956 Sep 25 |
|
Sergei Korolyov finalises the mission and design parameters of his artificial satellite, 'Object-D' - a geophysical observatory |
| 1957 Jan 5 |
|
In order to beat the USA into orbit, Korolyov suggests launching two small satellites during 1957, ahead of the one he originally proposed |
| 1957 Feb 15 |
|
Soviet government agrees to Korolyov accelerated satellite programme |
| 1957 May 15 |
15:00 |
R-7 rocket (#1) launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aimed at a ballistic trajectory towards the Pacific Ocean - one of the strap-on boosters detaches 98 seconds into the mission and the rocket is destroyed |
| 1957 Jul 12 |
11:53 |
After three previous attempts, R-7 rocket (#2) launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aimed at a ballistic trajectory towards the Pacific Ocean - the rocket disintegrates 33 seconds into the mission |
| 1957 Aug 21 |
11:25 |
R-7 rocket (#3) launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome into a ballistic trajectory towards the Pacific Ocean - the mission is a success, although the dummy nuclear warhead being carried breaks up as it re-enters the atmosphere off the Kamchatka peninsula |
| 1957 Sep 7 |
09:39 |
R-7 rocket (#4) launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome into a ballistic trajectory towards the Pacific Ocean - the mission is a success |
| 1957 Oct 1 |
|
R-7 rocket complete with PS-1 satellite rolled out to the launch pad |
| 1957 Oct 4 |
19:28 |
World first artificial satellite Sputnik' launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by Sputnik (R-7) rocket into 215 x 939 kilometre orbit at 65.1 degrees inclination |
| 1957 Oct 12 |
|
Following the success of Sputnik, Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev instructs Korolyov team to produce a more-impressive mission to mark the 40th anniversary of the Soviet Revolution - work begins on a satellite which will carry a dog, using the backup hardware for PS-1 as a starting point |
| 1957 Oct 25 |
|
Radio transmissions from Sputnik (PS-1) cease when its electrical batteries are exhausted |
| 1957 Nov 3 |
02:30 |
Sputnik 2 (PS-2) launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by Sputnik (R-7) rocket into 211 x 1659 kilometre orbit at 65.3 degrees inclination with the dog 'Laika' aboard - by design, the dog cabin and instrument unit remain attached to the launching rocket - some thermal insulation comes loose and subjects Laika to severely high temperatures |
| 1957 Nov 4 |
|
Laika dies through the effects of her cabin aboard Sputnik 2 overheating |
| 1957 Nov 10 |
|
Radio transmissions from Sputnik 2 cease when its electrical batteries are exhausted |
