JANUARY 31
“To confine our attention to terrestrial matters
would be to limit the human spirit.”
1958
1961
1971
January 31, was an important day for “first flights.” On January 31, 1958, Explorer I was launched – the first artificial satellite launched by the United States. Like the Wright’s “first flight,” it was a great accomplishment.
On January 31, 1961, exactly three years after Explorer I, Ham, a chimpanzee, was rocketed into space. Flight surgeons had many concerns about how the body would react to weightlessness. Ham proved that men and animals would be able to survive in weightlessness and paved the way for future travels in space.
