After the Soviet Union launched sputnik, an artificial satellite, in nineteen fifty seven, Americans felt humiliated. The soviets launched a rocket that could have easily carried a nuclear bomb. The United States did not even launch its first satellite, explorer one until nineteen fifty eight. The already gloomy public mood took a turn for the worse when the soviets placed the first man in orbit in nineteen sixty one. President Kennedy's answer to this was to commit the United States to land a man on the moon and bring him back before this decade is out. In august nineteen sixty two. John Glenn junior was the first American to orbit the earth in the mid nineteen sixties. US scientists used the Gemini program to look at the effects of extended space flight on man Gemini Latin for twins carried two astronauts, one more than the earlier mercury series and one less than the Apollo spacecraft. Gemini achieved several first and a day mission in august nineteen sixty five. The longest spaceflight at that time, and in November nineteen sixty six. The first automatically controlled reentry into the earth's atmosphere. Gemini also accomplished the first manned linkup of two spacecraft in flight, as well as the first US walks in space. The Apollo project achieve Kennedy's goal in July nineteen sixty nine, with hundreds of millions of television viewers watching around the world. Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the surface of the moon.