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The Space Race
The Soviets’ Superior Start
1957 - 1970
The Soviets’ Superior Start
• The Space Race began with the launching
of the world’s first artificial satellite,
Sputnik, by the Soviets in 1957.
• Sputnik orbited the earth for 21 days,
transmitting signals to the Soviets, before it
crashed to the earth.
Sputnik I
• This is a picture of
Sputnik I, taken before
it was launched.
• The sounds are the
signals Sputnik I
transmitted back to the
Soviet Union.
Sputnik II
• After the success of
the first satellite,
Sputnik II was
launched
• It carried a dog, Laika,
who’s vital signs were
monitored to gain
information for later
manned missions
Other Soviet Firsts
• Soviets firsts also included:
– April 1961 First man in space, Yuri Gagarin's one-orbit
flight (Vostok 1)
– August 1961 First full day in orbit, Gherman Titov
(Vostok 2)
– 1962 First two-spacecraft mission (Vostoks 3 and 4)
– June 1963 First long-duration mission, five days in orbit
(Vostok 5)
– June 1963 First woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova
(Vostok 6)
– March 1965 First Spacewalk, Aleksei Leonov (Voskhod 2 )
Soviet Firsts
• This is a picture of the
first six Soviet
Cosmonauts
• From left to right:
Pavel Popovich, Yuri
Gagarin, Valentina
Tereshkova, Valery
Bykovsky, Andrian
Nikolayev, and
Gherman Titov.
Race to the Moon
• As the Moon became closer to each side,
the Soviets stepped up making the first
manned Moon orbit in September 1968.
• Plans were made for a Moon landing in
early 1969.
Race to the Moon
• In the first launch
attempt in February
1969, an engine fire
caused the rocket to
shut down and crash a
minute after lift-off.
• The second test, in July
1969, was a greater
disaster. The rocket shut
down seconds after liftoff, fell onto the launch
pad, and exploded. This
accident destroyed the
launch site and any hope
that the Soviets could
reach the Moon ahead of
the United States.
Race to the Moon
• This is a picture of the
Soviet N-1 rocket
which they hoped
would take them to the
Moon.
Landing on the Moon
• Three weeks after the failure of the N-1
rocket, the U.S. crew of Apollo 11 landed
on the Moon.
The Space Race
The United States Space Program
Beginnings
• With the launch of Sputnik, Americans were
concerned about Soviet dominance in space.
• The United States had been planning to
launch its first scientific satellite in
December 1957. However, two launch
attempts using the Navy's Vanguard rocket
ended in disaster.
Vanguard Rocket
• Public response to the
Vanguard failures
prompted national
soul-searching in the
United States. The
media questioned why
the Soviets could
accomplish things that
the U.S. could not.
NASA is Organized
• In October 1958 Congress approved
funding for the National Aeronautical Space
Administration (NASA).
• We hoped an emphasis on space exploration
would help us win the space race.
American Firsts
• On May 5, 1961 Alan
Shepard became the
first American in
space.
• His 15 minute flight
was a great success.
(However, it was one
month after the
Soviets achieved the
same thing.)
Kennedy’s Goal
• Inspired by U.S. success in space, President
Kennedy addressed the nation on May 25,
1961 and set a goal that we would have a
man on the moon within the decade.
Kennedy’s Goal
• Kennedy’s goal was
very ambitious as the
U.S. had only just put
a man in space for a
mere 15 minutes!
Reaching the Goal
• Taking Kennedy’s charge seriously NASA
continued to reach for the Moon.
• Although achieving much, the United States
was often just behind the Soviets.
Reaching the Goal
• In February 1962,
John Glenn became
the first American to
orbit the Earth.
Reaching the Goal
• In June 1965,
Americans celebrated
the first successful
space walk by
members of the
Gemini crew.
Reaching the Goal
• Successes continued
bringing the U.S.
closer and closer to the
Moon.
• The Apollo program’s
goal was to land on
the Moon.
Reaching the Goal
• Pictured here is the
crew from Apollo 8,
who in December
1968 successfully
orbited the Moon.
(Three months after
the Soviets.)
Reaching the Goal
• In July 1969 the crew
of Apollo 11 set out to
achieve the goal set by
President Kennedy
eight years before – to
land on the Moon.
Reaching the Goal
• Neil Armstrong
became the first man
to walk on the Moon
on July 21st, 1969.
• By landing on the
Moon first the U.S.
had won the space
race.