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The Race to the Moon
1961
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May 5, 1961
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Mission: Mercury-Redstone 3
Crew: Alan Shepard
Duration: 15 min, 28 s
Spacecraft: Freedom 7
Launch vehicle: Redstone
Milestone: Suborbital flight that successfully put the first American into space.
May 25, 1961
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President Kennedy announced the goal of landing a man on the moon:
"First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish."
July 21, 1961
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Mission: Mercury-Redstone 4
Crew: Gus Grissom
Duration: 15 min, 37 s
Spacecraft: Liberty Bell 7
Launch vehicle: Redstone
Milestone: Successful suborbital flight that tested the new spacecraft configuration. However, the spacecraft sank shortly after splashdown due to premature actuation of the explosive bolts that release the side egress hatch.
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