The Space Race

1. The Space Race

2. The Space Race • The Space Race was the ‘competition’ between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War to see who could get the farthest into space first. • Generally the start of the Space Race is with the Soviet Launch of Sputnik I on October 4, 1957

3. Sputnik I • The launch of Sputnik I is generally considered the start of the Space Race • This made the Soviet Union the first Space Power • This spurred the US into make NASA • This had important effects in the USSR because it was a chance for the country to show its scientific and engineering capabilities.

4. Explorer I • The United States didn’t send up its first satellite for another 4 months. • This first satellite was called the Explorer I • This satellite along with Sputnik were used to make many discoveries along with the completion between them including Van Allen Radiation belt.

5. Animals in Space United States Soviet Union • The United States were the first to send up animals into space. They were fruit flies • They then sent up at least 2 chimps imported from Africa. • The USSR first used dogs in their first missions with animals. • Later they used turtles which became the first animals to orbit around the moon.

6. The First Men in Space • The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space in the Soviet Union's Vostok on April 12, 1961, a day now celebrated as a holiday in Russia. • 23 days later Allen Shepard first entered space for the United States on Freedom 7 on a sub-orbital mission.

7. John Glen • John Glen was the first American to successfully orbit the Earth, completing 3 orbits in Friendship 7.

8. The First Woman in Space • The Soviet Union had the first women in space. Her name was ValentinaVladimirovnaTereshkova.

9. The First Spacewalk • This was again carried out by the Soviet Union. This was due to their leader at the time, Khrushchev, pushing the space program. • This spacewalk was carried out by AlexeyLeonov on Voskhod2, launched by the Soviet Union on March 18 1965

10. The Path to the Moon • In December 1968, James Lovell, Frank Borman, and Bill Anders orbited the moon. In doing so, they also became the first humans to celebrate Christmas in space. • JFK and Johnson both supported the Space Race and made many attempts to sway public favor in order for them to try to gain a lead on the Soviet Union.

11. The First Lunar Landing • Despite the early lead by the USSR the United States Landed the first man on the moon with Neil Armstrong being the first to step on the moon on July 21, 1969.

12. The End of the Space Race • While there is no clear end to the Space Race, the July 17, 1975 meeting of the Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft is traditionally marked as the end of the Space Race.