课时知能训练Ⅰ
阅读理解NASA'sfirsthumanspaceflightprogramwasProjectMercuryin1958
ItwasaboutayearaftertheformerSovietUnionstartedtheSpaceAgewiththesuccessfullaunchofthesatellite,Sputnik1
Testingthelimitsofthehumanbodyinspacewasanimportantaimofthesetwospaceprograms
Sovietcosmonaut,YuriGagarin,becamethefirstpersoninspacewhenheorbitedtheearthinaVostokspaceshiponApril12,1961
Aboutamonthlater,AlanShepard,Jr
becamethefirstAmericaninspace,onMay5,1961,whenhewaslaunchedonMercuryRedstone3
His15minuteflightwaswatchedbysome45milliontelevisionviewers
Between1961and1963,sixmannedspaceshipsflewaspartofProjectMercury
Asastronautsspentmoretimeinspace,theybecamemoreusedtolivingintheirspaceshipsandevenadventuringoutsidethem
Sovietcosmonaut,AlekseiLeonov,becamethefirstpersontoleaveanorbitingspaceshipinMarch1965