Today, 4 October, 59 years ago Soviet satellite Sputnik was launched and marked the first time humanity went to space. It was a landmark moment that changed the course of human progress as the brightest minds in the world turned their attentention to the skies and began working towards the ultimate dream of taking mankind to distant worlds.
Even now, 59 years later, the legacy of Sputnik can be felt as astronauts and cosmonauts populate the International Space Station 365 days a year. But what was our journey into space like? Here are 19 moments and milestones encountered and overcome since Sputnik first launched from a USSR spaceport all those years ago.
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