Soviet space program

Soviet Union · Earth orbit · Technology / Earth orbit

First artificial satellite; began the space age.

Soviet Union · Earth orbit · Space biology

Carried Laika, the first living creature to orbit Earth.

Soviet Union · Earth orbit · Upper-atmosphere / space physics

First large Soviet scientific satellite; carried 12 instruments for upper-atmosphere, magnetic-field, radiation and cosmic-dust studies. Tape-recorder failure limited radiation-belt data.

Soviet Union · Moon · Lunar flyby

First spacecraft to pass near the Moon.

Soviet Union · Moon · Lunar impact

First human-made object to reach the Moon.

Soviet Union · Moon · Lunar flyby

Returned the first images of the lunar far side.

Soviet Union · Earth orbit · Space biology

Returned Belka and Strelka safely after orbital flight.

Soviet Union · Venus · Planetary flyby

First Soviet Venus mission; contact was lost en route.

Soviet Union · Earth orbit · Human spaceflight

Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space and in orbit.

Soviet Union · Earth orbit · Human spaceflight

First spacewalk (Alexei Leonov).

Soviet Union · Moon · Lunar orbiter

First artificial satellite of the Moon.

Soviet Union · Moon · Lunar lander

First soft landing and first images from the lunar surface.

Soviet Union · Venus · Planetary probe

First in-situ atmospheric data from Venus.

Soviet Union · Moon · Lunar circumlunar / space biology

First living organisms to travel around the Moon and return to Earth.

Soviet Union · Moon · Lunar sample return

First robotic return of lunar soil to Earth.

Soviet Union · Moon · Lunar rover

First successful robotic rover on another world.

Soviet Union · Venus · Planetary lander

First successful transmission from the surface of another planet.

Soviet Union · Moon · Lunar orbiter

Conducted lunar mapping and gravitational studies.

Soviet Union · Mars · Planetary lander

First soft landing on Mars; contact was brief.

Soviet Union · Earth orbit · Space station

World’s first space station; established orbital-station operations.

United States / Soviet Union · Earth orbit · Human spaceflight / cooperation

First international crewed-spaceflight mission and first U.S.–Soviet docking.

India / Soviet Union · Earth orbit · X-ray astronomy / Aeronomy

India's first satellite; power failure limited scientific experiments to a few days.

Soviet Union · Venus · Orbiter / lander

First images from Venus’s surface.

Soviet Union · Venus · Planetary probe

Returned Venus atmospheric science during descent.

India / Soviet Union · Earth orbit · Earth observation

India's first low-orbit Earth observation satellite.

Soviet Union · Venus · Planetary lander

Returned colour images and in-situ surface analyses from Venus.

Soviet Union · Venus · Planetary orbiters

Radar mapping of Venus’s northern hemisphere.

Soviet Union / international · Venus / Halley · Planetary probe / balloon

Venus lander-balloon and Halley flyby mission.

Soviet Union / international · Venus / Halley · Planetary probe / balloon

Companion Venus and Halley mission.

Soviet Union · Mir · Space station science module

Added astrophysics instruments to Mir.

Soviet Union / Russia · Earth orbit · Space station

First continuously inhabited modular space station; operated until 2001.

Soviet Union · Mars / Phobos · Planetary orbiter

Contact lost en route to Mars.

Soviet Union · Mars / Phobos · Planetary orbiter

Reached Mars orbit; contact lost before Phobos landing operations.