July 14-15, 1965: The Mariner 4 becomes the first spacecraft not only to successfully travel to Mars but also the first to take a photograph of another planet from space. I think coming up with the first draft. Usually when you’re writing your first book, you’re doing it without the support of an agent or an editor – you have to submit it and then hope they like what you’ve written. That means you’re constantly questioning whether it’s good enough, or whether the choices you’ve made in the story are the right ones. I was very shy about sharing my work with friends or family, so for a long time it was just me and my laptop. I wasn’t very clued up about the mechanics of creative writing and so giving the book the right elements was hard. I was absolutely thrilled to get edits from Lucy! After a huge tragedy hits their family, they embark on a beautiful and important journey as Frank realizes that his universe is whole with Max in it and that he loves his absolutely precious younger brother.

July 15-24, 1975: As a policy of detente leads to a cooling of tensions between the two superpowers, a joint mission between the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. is launched. Bibliography The addition of references to coding and powerful observations about life, the universe and everything, make this a memorable and satisfying read. October 1959: The USSR launches Luna 3 and succeeds in their mission of sending an object into orbit around the Moon and photographing the far side of the Moon. Whilst I agree with what I said above, some of the portrayal of autism did make me feel quite uncomfortable. It's difficult to know exactly how to explain this as I do not have autism, so I don't feel entirely qualified to judge its representation. However, the author does not have autism either and whilst I don't want to prescribe what authors can write about I am always wary of singing the praises of representation that is not done by own voices authors. The US Navy's Vanguard 1 was the first solar-powered satellite. Launched on 17 March 1958, it remains the oldest human-made probe in orbit. Although communication with the satellite is now lost, it will stay in space for many years to come. Yuri Gargarin started a traditionFrank longs for the brother he was promised by his parents before Max was born--someone who was supposed to be his biggest fan, so he could be the best brother in the world. Instead, Frank has trouble navigating Max's behavior and their relationship. But when tragedy strikes, Frank finds a way to try and repair their fractured family and in doing so learns to love Max for who he is. With no official measure of success, the winner of the space race is a point of controversy. Most historians agree that the space race ended on 20 July 1969 when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon for the first time. As the climax of space history and exploration, the lunar landing led to a triumph for the US. Whenever a new author debuts on the children's literature scene, I always approach their work with a measure of excitement and caution. It is yet another publishing cog whose teeth are just set to roll along the mainstream line or has a publisher taken a leap of faith and presented us with a unique and engaging voice? I can assure you that Balen's debut stands firmly in the latter.

August 19, 1960: The USSR launches Sputnik 5 carrying two dogs, Belka and Strelka, who became the first animals to return to earth following a day in space. May 25 1961: President Kennedy makes a speech to congress in which he announces that the United States will put a man on the moon before the end of the decade. May 1961: The US achieve the first pilot-controlled journey and first American in space with Alan Shepard aboard the Mercury-Redstone 3 (or Freedom 7) spacecraft. On this flight, Shepard did not orbit Earth. He flew 116 miles high. The flight lasted about 15 minutes. January 1958: The US enter the space race by launching Explorer 1, the first US satellite to reach orbit. It carried experimental equipment that led to the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belt.A month after Gagarin's historic flight, on May 5, 1961, the United States was able to catch up with their Soviet Rivals, when Navy Test pilot Alan Shepard became the second man into space, according to The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Because of the placement of the portholes in the capsule, Shepard was, unfortunately, unable to view any stars, according to his flight report. In 1959, the Soviet space program took another step forward with the launch of Luna 2, the first space probe to hit the moon. In April 1961, the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to orbit Earth, traveling in the capsule-like spacecraft Vostok 1. For the U.S. effort to send a man into space, dubbed Project Mercury, NASA engineers designed a smaller, cone-shaped capsule far lighter than Vostok; they tested the craft with chimpanzeesand held a final test flight in March 1961 before the Soviets were able to pull ahead with Gagarin’s launch. On May 5, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space (though not in orbit). The world's first portable computer and mouse were created for space exploration and adapted for the commercial markets. Even the wireless headsets we use today originate from NASA creating hands-free equipment for astronauts and pilots. One of the classic examples is NASA's creation of the ball-point pen for writing in space. However, the Soviet Union found a cost-effective method of using a pencil. President Kennedy space race speech June 1963: Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first civilian and first woman in space. She spends almost three days in space, orbiting the Earth 48 times aboard her spacecraft, Vostok 6.