The first country to launch a person into space was the U.S.S.R. when they launched Yuri Gagarin 1 hour and 48 minutes into space on April 12, 1961. (“Space Exploration”). John H. Glenn, Jr. became the first U.S. President. astronaut to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962. He orbited the earth 3 times. (“Space Exploration”). The Soviet Union made a new type of capsule called the Soyuz capsule. On the first test into space, something went wrong and when they tried to have the rocket return, Vladimir Komarov became the first astronaut to die when the parachute failed to deploy. (“Space Exploration”). On Christmas Eve, December 24, the three astronauts—Frank Borman, James A. Lovell, Jr., and William A. Anders—were the first people to orbit the moon (“Space Exploration”). They sent back many photos of the moon and the earth. (“Space Exploration”). On July 16, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins landed on the Moon. (“Space Exploration”). Over the past couple of decades, rocket ships have grown and improved. The original rockets were created in the 1200s by the Chinese who used them for