The Space Race

Soviet Union VS. USA

• The Space Race -Viewed as contest between communism and

capitalism-National pride and fears for national defense played large roles in motivating space race

Sputnik

Soviet Union or U.S.A?

Sputnik• On 4 October 1957, the USSR successfully

launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth

• Sputnik caused fear and stirred political debate in the United States and the formation of NASA

• The National Defense Education Act was passed by Eisenhower in order to strengthen the defenses of the country

• Sputnik helped to determine the density of the upper atmosphere

Sputnik

Satellite 1958 Alpha – Explorer I • The US answer to

the Soviet Sputnik

• Launched on January 31, 1958

• Explorer I flight data led to the discovery by James Van Allen of the Van Allen radiation belt

First Animal in Space?

Soviet Union or U.S.A?

• Laika was the first animal that traveled into space in the USSR's Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957. Laika the dog died of stress and overheating soon after reaching space

• In 1960 Russian space dogs Belka and Strelka orbited the earth and successfully returned

• Soviet-launched turtles in 1968 on Zond 5 became the first animals to fly around the Moon

• The American space program imported chimpanzees from Africa, and sent at least two into space before launching their first human orbiter

Animals in Space

First Human in Space?

Soviet Union or U.S.A?

• On April 12, 1961, the Soviets succeeded in launching the first human into space, Yuri Gagarin, and returning him safely to Earth

First Human in Space

Yuri and his

spacecraft, Vostok 1

Alan Shepard becomes the first American astronaut to enter space, aboard the Freedom 7 spacecraft, on

May 5, 1961

Alan and his spacecraft, Freedom 7

First American in Space

First Man to Orbit Earth

Soviet Union or U.S.A?

First Soviet Union to Orbit Earth

• On 12 April 1961, aboard the Vostok 3KA-3 (Vostok 1), Gagarin became both the first human to travel into space, and the first to orbit the earth.

First American to Orbit Earth

• John Glenn became the first American to successfully orbit Earth, completing three orbits on February 20, 1962

First Women in Space

Soviet Union or U.S.A?

First Women in Space

• Soviet women, Valentin Tereshkova became the first woman in space on June 16, 1963 in Vostok 6

• Sally Ride– On June 18, 1983, Sally Ride became the first

American woman to fly in space when the space shuttle Challenger launched on mission STS-7.

First American Women in Space

First Human Space Walk?

Soviet Union or U.S.A?

First Human Space Walk

• In March 18, 1965, Soviet man, Aleksei Leonov carried out the first spacewalk. This mission nearly ended in disaster, because Leonov almost failed to return to the capsule and due to a poor retrorocket fire the ship landed 1600 km off target.

• During the Gemini 4 mission on June 3, 1965, Ed White became the first American to conduct a spacewalk. Started at 3:45 p.m. White opened the hatch and used the hand-held maneuvering oxygen-jet gun to push himself out of the capsule.

First America Space Walk

President Kennedy’s Challenge

NSF North Mississippi GK-8

President Kennedy’s Challenge• May 21, 1961: President

Kennedy challenged the United States to land astronauts on the moon and to return them safely to Earth

• Challenge provided a “finish line” for the space race

President John F. Kennedy

Landing on the Moon

Soviet Union or U.S.A?

The Apollo Missions • Apollo 11-17 involved landing men on the moon; Apollo 13 was aborted due to a malfunction

• July 20, 1969, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong of Apollo 11 were first men on the moon

• Each mission consisted of three astronauts: one stayed on Command Module in lunar orbit, two descended in Lunar Module to moon’s surface

• Total of 12 men have walked on the moon – All American!

Buzz Aldrin, in Apollo 11 and on the moon (above and right)

The Apollo 11 launch

Neil Armstrong

American’s Landed on the Moon First!

NSF North Mississippi GK-8

When did the space race end?• Some historians believe the Space Race ended when

Apollo 11 returned safely from the Moon• Others believe that the Race ended when the United

States’ Apollo 18 spacecraft docked with a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in 1975

A drawing of the Apollo –

Soyuz rendezvous

(Apollo 18 is on the left)

Apollo – Soyuz Test ProjectApollo CSM-111 • 3 person manned

spacecraft from USA

• Launched on 7/15/1975

• Landed on 7/24/75

Soyuz 19 • 2 maned space

craft from USSR.• Launched on

7/15/75 • Landed on

7/21/75

• Docked Together on 7/17/75

• When docked they two nations carried out the following• joint scientific

experiments, exchanged flags and gifts, signed certificates, visited each other's ships, ate together, and conversed in each other's languages.

• Undocked at 7/19/75