Year - Month	United States	Soviet Union
1952 - 06	Blunt reentry vehicle concept advocated.	--
1953 - 03	Research on 1 million lb thrust engine begun.	--
1956 - 02	USAF RFP - Manned Ballistic Rocket Research System	--
1956 - 06	--	First studies by Korolev OKB of manned spacecraft. Vostok
1957 - 01	--	Project Zenit (reconn satellite using R-7) begun
1957 - 12	Saturn I first proposed.	--
1958 - 01	Eleven proposals for initial manned spacecraft	Work begun on Vostok spacecraft and third stage
1958 - 05	--	Korolev OKB cancels suborbital manned flights. Vostok
1958 - 07	Saturn I initial contract.	Korolev letter to Politburo. Vostok
1958 - 10	Project Mercury organized.	--
1958 - 11	--	Vostok program approved. Vostok
1958 - 12	Eleven proposals for Mercury received	--
1959 - 01	McDonnell awarded contract for Mercury project	--
1959 - 03	--	OKB-1 preliminary work on circumlunar spacecraft
1959 - 04	Seven astronauts selected for Mercury project.	--
1959 - 06	Saturn I launch complex construction starts.	--
1959 - 09	Mercury-BJ 1- test of Mercury. Success. Mercury	--
1960 - 03	--	20 Cosmonaut candidates report for Vostok training
1960 - 04	First production Mercury capsule delivered.	--
1960 - 05	--	Korabl-Sputnik 1 (Sputnik 4) - test of Vostok. Success. Vostok
1960 - 06	Full Saturn I engine cluster full duration test.	--
1960 - 07	Apollo Program Announced Mercury-MA 1- test of Mercury. Failure. Mercury	Decision to begin development of N launch vehicle Korabl-Sputnik- test of Vostok. Failure. Vostok
1960 - 08	--	Korabl-Sputnik 2 (Sputnik 5)- test of Vostok. Success. Vostok
1960 - 10	Apollo Initial Study Contracts	--
1960 - 11	Mercury-MR 1- test of Mercury. Failure. Mercury	--
1960 - 12	Mercury-MR 1A- test of Mercury. Success. Mercury	Korabl-Sputnik 3 (Sputnik 6)- test of Vostok. Success. Vostok Korabl-Sputnik- test of Vostok. Failure. Vostok
1961 - 01	NASA Space Task Group made official. Mercury-MR 2- test of Mercury. Success. Mercury	--
1961 - 02	Beginning of Gemini Mercury-MA 2- test of Mercury. Success. Mercury	--
1961 - 03	Mercury-MR Boilerplate- test of Mercury. Success. Mercury	Korabl-Sputnik 4 (Sputnik 9)- test of Vostok. Success. Vostok Korabl-Sputnik 5 (Sputnik 10)- test of Vostok. Success. Vostok
1961 - 04	Mercury-MA 3- test of Mercury. Failure. Mercury	Vostok 1 - first man in space, one orbit. Success. Vostok. Gagarin
1961 - 05	Mercury MR-3 - first US manned suborbital flight. Success. Mercury. Shepard Kennedy Proclaims Moon Landing Objective	--
1961 - 06	Saturn I launch complex completed.	Moon program go-ahead in response to U.S. start
1961 - 07	F-1 engine begins static testing. NASA-Industry Apollo Technical Conference Mercury MR-4 - second US suborbital flight. Success. Mercury. Grissom	--
1961 - 08	McDonnell proposal for Gemini First development contract Apollo Prime Contractor Bidder's Conference First F-1 firing. Merritt Island selected for Saturn V launch site. Chamberlain proposes lunar landing by Gemini	Vostok 2 - first day-long flight in space. Success. Vostok. Titov
1961 - 09	Purchase of land for Saturn V launch facilities. Selection of Saturn first stage assembly plant North American selected to build S-II stage. Mercury 4 - Mercury orbital test. Success. Mercury Selection of Houston for control center.	--
1961 - 10	Bids received for Apollo prime contractor Saturn I first flight.. Success. (R&D)	--
1961 - 11	Mercury Scout-1. Failure. Radio Test Spacecraft Second decision on launch vehicles Contract issued for build of 20 Saturn I's. North American awarded prime contract Mercury 5 - Mercury orbital test. Success. Mercury	--
1961 - 12	McDonnell given letter contract for Gemini Selection of Saturn C-5 as Launch Vehicle	--
1962 - 01	--	Development of RD-270 engine begun Vostok ZH studies
1962 - 02	Mercury 6 - first manned orbital flight. Success. Mercury. Glenn	--
1962 - 04	--	First Soviet announcement of manned lunar goals
1962 - 05	Mercury 7 - overshot landing zone. Success. Mercury. Carpenter	--
1962 - 07	Selection of LOR as Mission Mode	--
1962 - 08	--	Vostok 3 - joint flight with Vostok 4. Success. Vostok. Nikolayev Vostok 4 - joint flight with Vostok 3. Success. Vostok. Popovich
1962 - 09	--	N launch vehicle upgraded to 75 tonne payload
1962 - 10	Mercury 8 - textbook flight. Success. Mercury. Schirra	--
1962 - 11	Grumman selected to build LM	--
1963 - 02	--	Soyuz 'leaves drafting boards'
1963 - 03	--	Korolev approves draft plan for 'Soyuz Complex'
1963 - 05	Mercury 9 - first US one-day flight. Success. Mercury. Cooper	--
1963 - 06	--	Vostok 5 - joint flight with Vostok 6. Success. Vostok. Bykovsky Vostok 6 - first woman in space. Success. Vostok. Tereshkova
1963 - 09	--	Construction of N-1 launch complex begins
1963 - 10	--	Gagarin identified as head of lunar cosmonauts
1964 - 01	Saturn 5 - Saturn I flight test. Success. Jupiter nose cone	--
1964 - 04	Gemini 1- first Gemini test flight. Success. Gemini FIRE 1- Apollo reentry shape test. Success. FIRE	--
1964 - 05	Saturn 6- Saturn I flight test. Success. Apollo CSM	--
1964 - 08	--	Full lunar program go-ahead
1964 - 09	Saturn 7- Saturn I flight test. Success. Apollo CSM	--
1964 - 10	--	UR-700 project cancelled Cosmos 47 - test flight for Voskhod 1. Success. Voskhod Voskhod 1 - first three-man flight. Success. Voskhod. Feoktistov, Komarov, Yegorov Khrushchev removed from power. Lunar
1965 - 01	Gemini 2 - second test of Gemini. Success. Gemini	--
1965 - 02	Pegasus 1 - Saturn I flight test. Success. Apollo CSM	Cosmos 57 - test flight for Voskhod 2. Success. Voskhod
1965 - 03	Gemini 3 - first manned Gemini flight. Success. Gemini. Grissom, Young	Babakin takes over Lavochkin OKB Voskhod 2 - first space walk. Success. Voskhod. Belyayev, Leonov
1965 - 04	First ground test firing of S-II stage	--
1965 - 05	FIRE 2 - Apollo reentry shape test. Success. FIRE Pegasus 2 - Saturn I flight test. Success. Apollo CSM	--
1965 - 06	Gemini 4 - first US space walk. Success. Gemini. McDivitt, White	--
1965 - 07	Pegasus 3 - Saturn I flight test. Success. Apollo CSM	Proton 1 - test of circumlunar booster. Success. Proton
1965 - 08	First ground test firing of S-IVB stage First ground test firing of S-IC stage Gemini 5 - long duration flight. Success. Gemini. Cooper, Conrad	--
1965 - 10	First Flight CSM Shipped from Factory GATV 6. Failure. Gemini Agena Target Vehicle	Cosmonauts write letter to Brezhnev
1965 - 11	--	Proton 2 - test of circumlunar booster. Success. Proton
1965 - 12	Gemini 7 - long endurance flight. Success. Gemini. Borman, Lovell Gemini 6 - first rendezvous in space with Gem.7. Success. Gemini. Schirra, Stafford	Chelomei circumlunar project given to Korolev
1966 - 01	--	Korolev dies in in Moscow
1966 - 02	Apollo 201 (CM 009) - test of lunar orbiter craft. Success. Apollo CSM	Cosmos 110 - high altitude dog flight. Success. Voskhod 3KV
1966 - 03	Gemini 8. Success. Gemini. Armstrong, Scott Gemini 8 Agena Target. Success. Gemini Agena Target Vehicle	--
1966 - 04	--	Cosmonaut training for lunar flights announced
1966 - 05	GATV 9. Failure. Gemini Agena Target Vehicle First Saturn V vehicle rolled out to pad	--
1966 - 06	Gemini 9 ATDA. Success. Agena Target Docking Adapter Gemini 9. Success. Gemini. Stafford, Cernan	Voskhod 3 - Planned flight date (cancelled). Voskhod. Shonin,Volynov
1966 - 07	Apollo 2. Success. Apollo CSM Gemini 10 Agena Target. Success. Gemini Agena Target Vehicle Gemini 10. Success. Gemini. Young, Collins	Proton 3 - test of circumlunar booster. Success. Proton Komarov announces that USSR will beat US to moon
1966 - 08	Apollo 202 (CM 011) - test of lunar orbiter craft. Success. Apollo CSM	--
1966 - 09	Gemini 11 Agena Target. Success. Gemini Agena Target Vehicle Gemini 11. Success. Gemini. Conrad, Gordon	--
1966 - 11	Gemini 12 Agena Target. Success. Gemini Agena Target Vehicle Gemini 12. Success. Gemini. Lovell, Aldrin	Lunar coordination problems Government go-ahead for N-1 use in lunar program Chelomei presents direct flight to moon concept Cosmos 133 - test of Soyuz earth orbit craft. Success. Soyuz 7K-OK
1966 - 12	--	Soyuz l - test of Soyuz earth orbit craft. Failure. Soyuz 7K-OK
1967 - 01	--	Lunar circumlunar flight cosmonauts assigned. Lunar First L-1 Zond spacecraft mated to Proton. Soyuz 7K-L1
1967 - 02	Apollo 204 - Apollo Fire - Apollo redesigned. Failure. Apollo CSM. Grissom, White, Chaffee	Government approves landing on moon by end 1968 Cosmos 140 - test of Soyuz earth orbit craft. Success. Soyuz 7K-OK
1967 - 03	--	Cosmos 146 - test of circumlunar craft. Success. Soyuz 7K-L1 CIA reports on Soviet space developments
1967 - 04	--	Cosmos 154 - test of circumlunar craft. Success. Soyuz 7K-L1 Soyuz 1 - Crashed, killed Komarov - Soyuz Redesign. Failure. Soyuz 7K-OK. Komarov Soyuz 2A - Planned flight date. Soyuz 7K-OK. Bykovsky,Khrunov,Yeliseyev
1967 - 08	--	Tass announces water landing exercises
1967 - 09	--	Zond (4a) - test of circumlunar craft. Failure. Soyuz 7K-L1
1967 - 10	--	Cosmos 186 - successful test of automated docking. Success. Soyuz 7K-OK Cosmos 188 - docked with Cosmos 186. Success. Soyuz 7K-OK
1967 - 11	Apollo 4 - second test of lunar booster. Success. Apollo CSM	Zond (4b) - test of circumlunar craft. Failure. Soyuz 7K-L1
1968 - 01	Apollo 5 - first test of LM lunar lander. Success. Apollo LM	20 cosmonauts begin training for lunar landing
1968 - 03	--	Originally planned N-1 first launch Zond 4 - test of circumlunar craft. Success. Soyuz 7K-L1 Final moon landing plan approved by Soviet state Cosmonaut Gagarin dies in plane crash
1968 - 04	Apollo 6. Success. Apollo LM	Cosmos 212 - successful test of automated docking. Success. Soyuz 7K-OK Cosmos 213 - docked with Cosmos 213. Success. Soyuz 7K-OK Zond (5a) - test of circumlunar craft. Failure. Soyuz 7K-L1
1968 - 06	--	November manned circumlunar flight set. Lunar
1968 - 07	--	DIA/CIA warn of impending Zond circumlunar flight Zond 7K-L1#8- test of circumlunar craft. Failure. Soyuz 7K-L1
1968 - 08	--	Cosmos 238 - unmanned test of redesigned Soyuz. Success. Soyuz 7K-OK
1968 - 09	--	Zond 5 - test of circumlunar craft. Success. Soyuz 7K-L1
1968 - 10	Apollo 7 - manned test of redesigned Apollo. Success. Apollo CSM. Schirra, Eisele, Cunningham	Soyuz 2 - docking target for Soyuz 3. Success. Soyuz 7K-OK Soyuz 3 - manned test of redesigned Soyuz. Success. Soyuz 7K-OK. Beregovoi
1968 - 11	--	Zond 6 - test of circumlunar craft. Success. Soyuz 7K-L1 Proton 4 - first test of earth orbit version. Success. Proton
1968 - 12	Apollo 8 - FIRST MANNED LUNAR FLIGHT. Success. Apollo CSM. Borman, Lovell, Anders	18 cosmonauts in lunar training
1969 - 01	--	Soyuz 4 - first docking and crew transfer. Success. Soyuz 7K-OK. Shatalov Soyuz 5 - docked with Soyuz 5. Success. Soyuz 7K-OK. Khrunov, Volynov, Yeliseyev
1969 - 02	--	N-1 - first attempt to launch lunar booster. Failure. Soyuz 7K-L1
1969 - 03	Apollo 9 CSM/LM earth orbit test. Success. Apollo CSM. McDivitt, Scott, Schweickart	--
1969 - 05	Apollo 10 CSM/LM lunar orbit test. Success. Apollo CSM. Stafford, Young, Cernan	--
1969 - 06	--	Original planned date for first LK test. LK-T2K
1969 - 07	Apollo 11 FIRST LANDING ON MOON. Success. Apollo CSM. Armstrong, Collins, Aldrin	N-1 - second attempt to launch lunar booster. Failure. Soyuz 7K-L1
1969 - 08	--	Zond 7 Circumlunar flight. Success. Soyuz 7K-L1
1969 - 11	Apollo 12 Second Moon landing. Success. Apollo CSM. Conrad, Gordon, Bean	--
1970 - 04	Apollo 13 Emergency return. Success. Apollo CSM. Lovell, Swigert, Haise	--
1970 - 10	--	Zond 8 Circumlunar flight. Success. Soyuz 7K-L1 Zond - further circumlunar flights cancelled. Soyuz 7K-L1
1970 - 11	--	Cosmos 379 - first test of LK lunar lander. Success. LK-T2K
1970 - 12	--	Cosmos 382 - first test of LOK lunar orbiter. Success. Soyuz 7K-LOK UR 700/LK-1 definitively cancelled
1971 - 01	Apollo 14 Third lunar landing. Success. Apollo CSM. Shepard, Roosa, Mitchell	RD-270 engine cancelled
1971 - 02	--	Cosmos 398 - second test of LK lunar lander. Success. LK-T2K
1971 - 06	--	N-1 - third attempt to launch lunar booster. Failure. Soyuz 7K-L1
1971 - 07	Apollo 15 Fourth lunar landing. Success. Apollo CSM. Scott, Worden, Irwin	--
1971 - 08	--	Cosmos 434 - third test of LK lunar lander. Success. LK-T2K
1972 - 04	Apollo 16 - Fifth lunar landing. Success. Apollo CSM. Young, Mattingly, Duke	--
1972 - 11	--	N-1 - Fourth attempt to launch lunar booster. Failure. Soyuz 7K-LOK
1972 - 12	Apollo 17 - Fifth and last lunar landing. Success. Apollo CSM. Cernan, Evans, Schmitt	--
1974 - 01	--	Glushko takes control of lunar program from Mishin
1974 - 02	--	Manned lunar program, N-1 booster cancelled