Harrison Park

The Space Race

OUGD505

01/05

The Space Race (1957-1972)

The Space Race was a 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (US), for supremacy in space flight capability. The technological superiority required for such supremacy was seen as necessary for national security, and symbolic of ideological superiority. It had its origins in the missile-based arms race that occurred just after the end of the World War II, when both the Soviet Union and the United States captured advanced German rocket technology and personnel. The Space Race spawned pioneering efforts to launch artificial satellites, unmanned probes of the Moon, Venus and Mars, and manned missions in low Earth orbit and to the Moon. It effectively began on October 4, 1957 with the Soviet launch of the first artificial satellite Sputnik 1, and reached its climax on July 20, 1969 when the US effectively won with the landing of the first humans on the Moon using Apollo 11. It concluded in a period of partial easing of strained relations with the April 1972 agreement on a co-operative Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.

Harrison Park

The Space Race

OUGD505

02/05

U.S.S.R
First satellite- Oct 4, 1957 The Soviet Union launches the first artificial satellite. Sputnik circles the globe beeping radio signals, demonstrating that the Soviets have rockets that could send warheads anywhere on Earth. This event triggers the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. First animal- Nov 3, 1957 The Soviet Union launches a female dog into space on Sputnik II. Her name is Laika, which means barker in Russian. She lives for seven days, proving that animals (and presumably humans) can survive in space. First man- Apr 12, 1961 Riding on the Soviet Vostok 1, Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man in space. In case space flight caused Gagarin to behave strangely, the crafts controls were locked. There was a key on board in a sealed envelope in case of emergency. Vostok 1 shook wildly during entry, but Gagarin did not use the key. Once he was low enough, he ejected and used a parachute. First female- Jun 16, 1963 The Soviets launch Valentina Tereshkova on Vostok 6. She spends three days alone in space. Her spacecraft comes within three miles of Valeri Bykovsky in Vostok 5. This is first time two spacecraft pass this close together while in orbit.

Harrison Park

The Space Race

OUGD505

03/05

U.S
Mercury Program- 1959-1963 Project Mercury was the first human space flight program of the United States led by its newly created space agency NASA with the goal of putting a human in orbit around the Earth. Alan Shepard became the first American in space in a suborbital flight and John Glenn became the first American to reach orbit. The Soviet Union beat them to both tasks. Gemini Program- 1962-1966 Project Gemini was the second human space flight program of NASA, the objective was to develop space travel techniques in support of Apollo, which had the goal of landing men on the Moon. Gemini achieved missions long enough for a trip to the Moon and back, perfected extra-vehicular activity (working outside a spacecraft), and orbital manoeuvres. Apollo Program- 1961-1972 Project Apollo was the third human space flight program carried out by NASA with the objective of landing a man on the Moon and returning him to Earth safely. Apollo succeeded in achieving its goal of manned lunar landing, despite the major setback of a 1967 Apollo 1 cabin fire that killed the entire crew during a pre-launch test.

Harrison Park

The Space Race

OUGD505

04/05

Moon landing 20 July 1969

The space race ultimately concluded when Apollo 11 became the first manned space flight to land on the moons surface with a two man crew; Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, whilst Michael Collins orbited in the command module. 500 million people witnessed Armstrong becoming the first man to step foot on the moon, his first words being Thats one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Aldrin later joined him and altogther they spent just under two and one-quarter hours outside their craft on the moons surface. Apollo 11 safely left lunar orbit and returned to Earth, landing in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969. When the spacecraft splashed down, 2,982 days had passed since Kennedy committed the United States to landing a man on the Moon and bringing him back safely to the Earth before the end of the decade; the mission was completed with just 161 days to spare.

Harrison Park

The Space Race

OUGD505

05/05