The 'Space Race' was a competition of space exploration between the Soviet Union and the United States, which lasted roughly from 1957 to 1975. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It involved the efforts to explore outer space with artificial satellites, to send humans into space, and to land people on the Moon. Outer space, often simply called space, comprises the relatively empty regions of the Universe outside the escape velocities of Celestial bodies. This article is about artificial satellites For natural satellites also known as moons see Natural satellite.
Space Race effectively began after the Soviet launch of Sputnik 1 on 4 October 1957. Sputnik 1 ( "Спутник-1", "Satellite-1" ПС-1 ( PS-1, i Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) The term originated as an analogy to the arms race. The term arms race, in its original usage describes a competition between two or more parties for real or apparent military supremacy The Space Race became an important part of the cultural, technological, and ideological rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the Space technology became a particularly important arena in this conflict, because of both its potential military applications and the morale-boosting social benefits.
Artificial satellites
Sputnik
On 4 October 1957, the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, thus beginning the Space Race. Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Sputnik 1 ( "Спутник-1", "Satellite-1" ПС-1 ( PS-1, i [1] Because of its military and economic implications, Sputnik caused fear and stirred political debate in the United States, spurring the Eisenhower administration to enact several initiatives, including the formation of NASA. Election 1952 See also United States presidential election 1952 Dwight D The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program At the same time, the Sputnik launch was seen in the Soviet Union as an important sign of scientific and engineering capabilities of the nation.
In the Soviet Union, a country recovering from a devastating war, the launch of Sputnik and the following program of space exploration were met with great interest from the public. [2]It was also important and encouraging for Soviet citizens to see the proof of technical prowess in the new era.
Before Sputnik, the average American assumed that the United States had superiority in all fields of technology. In response to Sputnik, the United States launched a huge effort to regain technological supremacy, including revamping the school curriculum. Within less than a year, the United States Congress passed the National Defense Education Act, the most far-reaching federally-sponsored education initiative in the nation's history. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses For the nitrosamine see N-Nitrosodiethylamine The National Defense Education Act of 1958 (NDEA (Public Law 85-864 is a United States The bill authorized expenditures of more than $1 billion for a wide range of reforms including new school construction, fellowships and loans to encourage promising students to seek higher education, new efforts in vocational education to meet critical manpower shortages in the defense industry, and a host of other programs. [3] This reaction is now known as the Sputnik crisis. The Sputnik crisis was a turning point of the Cold War that began on October 4, 1957 when the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik 1
As with the Soviet public, the American public followed the succession of launches, and building replicas of rockets became a popular hobby. A Model rocket is a small Rocket capable of being launched vertically by a hobbyist or amateur to generally low altitudes (usually to around 300-500 m (1000-1500 ft for
Nearly four months after the launch of Sputnik 1, the United States launched its first satellite, Explorer 1. Explorer 1 (officially titled at NASA as satellite 1958 Alpha) was the first Earth Satellite of the United States, launched on February 1 In the meantime, several embarrassing launch failures had occurred at Cape Canaveral. Cape Canaveral from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County Florida, United States, near the center of that
The first satellites were already used for scientific purposes. Sputnik helped to determine the density of the upper atmosphere, and Explorer 1 flight data led to the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belt by James Van Allen. The Van Allen radiation belt is a Torus of energetic Charged particles ( plasma) around Earth, held in place by Earth's Magnetic James Alfred Van Allen ( September 7 1914 &ndash August 9, 2006) was an American space scientist at the University of Iowa
Satellite communications
The first American communications satellite, Project SCORE, launched on 18 December 1958, relayed a Christmas message from President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the world. A communications satellite (sometimes abbreviated to comsat) is an artificial Satellite stationed in space for the purposes of Telecommunications. Project SCORE (Signal Communications Orbit Relay Equipment was the world’s first Communications satellite. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general Other notable examples of satellite communication during (or spawned by) the Space Race include:
- 1962: Telstar: the first "active" communications satellite (experimental transoceanic)
- 1972: Anik 1: first domestic communications satellite (Canada)
- 1974: Westar: first U. Telstar was the first active Communications satellite (launched in 1962 and the first Satellite designed to transmit telephone and high-speed data communications The Anik satellites are Geostationary Communications satellites launched by Telesat Canada for Television in Canada. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Westar was the name for the fleet of Geosynchronous Communications satellites operating in the C band which were launched by Western Union from S. domestic communications satellite
- 1976: Marisat: first mobile communications satellite
The United States launched the first geosynchronous satellite, Syncom-2, on 26 July 1963. A geosynchronous orbit is an Orbit around the Earth with an Orbital period matching the Earth's sidereal rotation period Syncom (for "synchronous communication satellite" started as a 1961 NASA program for active Geosynchronous Communication satellites all of which Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The success of this class of satellite meant that a simple satellite dish no longer needed to track the orbit of the satellite because that orbit remained geostationary. A geostationary orbit (GEO is a Geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth 's Equator (0° Latitude) with a period equal to the Earth's Henceforth ordinary citizens could use satellite-mediated communications transmissions for television broadcasts, after a one-time setup.
Living creatures in space
Animals in space
Fruit flies launched by the United States on captured German V-2 rockets in 1946 became the first reported animals sent into space for scientific study. Animals in space originally served to test the survivability of Spaceflight before Manned space missions were attempted See also Vergeltungswaffe The V-2 rocket ( Vergeltungswaffe 2 was the first Ballistic missile and first man-made object to achieve Animals in space originally served to test the survivability of Spaceflight before Manned space missions were attempted
The first animal sent into orbit, the dog Laika (in English, "Barker"), traveled in the Soviet Union's Sputnik 2 in 1957. In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star Laika (from the Лайка, a breed of dog, literally meaning "Barker" or "Howler" was a Soviet space dog (c Mission profile Sputnik 2 was launched into a 212 x 1660 km (132 x 1031 mile orbit with a period of 103 The dog was never meant to be returned back to Earth, and died of stress, overheating and dehydration several days after reaching space. In 1960 Soviet space dogs Belka and Strelka orbited the earth and successfully returned. During the 1950s and 1960s the USSR used a number of Dogs for Sub-orbital and orbital space flights to determine whether human spaceflight was feasible (Russian)
The American space program imported chimpanzees from Africa and sent at least two into space before launching their first human orbiter. Chimpanzee (often shortened to chimp) is the common name for the two extant Species of Apes in the Genus Pan. Ham (July 1957 – January 19, 1983) also known as Ham the Chimp and Ham the Astrochimp, was the first hominid launched The Soviet Union launched turtles in 1968 on Zond 5, which became the first animals to fly around the Moon. Turtles are Reptiles of the Order Testudines (all living turtles belong to the Crown group Chelonia) most of Zond 5, a member of the Soviet Union 's Zond program, was launched from a Tyazheliy Sputnik (68-076B in Earth parking orbit to make scientific studies during
Humans in space
The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space when he entered orbit in the Soviet Union's Vostok 1 on 12 April 1961, a day now celebrated as a holiday in Russia and in many other countries. An astronaut or cosmonaut (космона́вт) is a person trained In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star Vostok 1 (Восток-1 meaning Orient -1 or East-1 was the first Human spaceflight. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He orbited the Earth for 108 minutes.
Twenty-three days later, on sub-orbital mission Freedom 7, Alan Shepard entered space for the United States, and John Glenn, in Friendship 7, became the first American to successfully orbit Earth, completing three orbits on 20 February 1962. Mercury-Redstone 3 was a US Mercury program human crewed space mission launched on May 5, 1961 using a Redstone rocket Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr (November 18 1923 &ndash July 21 1998 ( Rear Admiral, USN Ret John Herschel Glenn Jr (born July 18 1921 in Cambridge Ohio) is a former United States Senator who first rose to fame as the first American to Orbit The Mercury-Atlas 6 mission was the first attempt by the US and Mercury program to place an astronaut in orbit Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
The first dual-manned flights also originated in the Soviet Union, on 11 August - 15 August 1962. Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Soviet Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space on 16 June 1963 in Vostok 6. Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova (Валенти́на Влади́мировна Терешко́ва born 6 March 1937) is a retired Soviet Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Vostok 6 was the first Human spaceflight mission to carry a woman cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, into space Korolev had initially scheduled further Vostok missions of longer duration, but following the announcement of the Apollo program, Premier Khrushchev demanded more firsts. Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (April 17 1894 – September 11 1971 served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 following The first flight with more than two crew members was the Soviet Union's Voskhod 1, a modified version of the Vostok craft, took off on 12 October 1964 carrying Komarov, Feoktistov, and Yegorov. Voskhod 1 (Восход-1 was the first spaceflight to carry more than one person into space the first flight without Space suits the first to carry a scientist Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. This flight also marked the first occasion on which a crew did not wear spacesuits. A space suit is a complex system of Garments equipment and environmental systems designed to keep a person alive and comfortable in the harsh environment of outer space
Alexey Leonov, from Voskhod 2, launched by the Soviet Union on 18 March 1965, carried out the first spacewalk. Alexey Arkhipovich Leonov (Алексе́й Архи́пович Лео́нов (born May 30, 1934 in Listvyanka Kemerovo Oblast, USSR Voskhod 2 (Восход 2 "Dawn 2" was a Soviet manned space mission in March 1965 Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Extra-vehicular activity ( EVA) is work done by an Astronaut away from the Earth and outside of a Spacecraft. This mission nearly ended in disaster; Leonov almost failed to return to the capsule and, because of a poor retrorocket fire, the ship landed 1,600 kilometers (1,000 mi) off target. A retrorocket (short for retrograde rocket) is a Rocket engine used to provide Thrust opposing the motion of a Spacecraft, thereby causing it By this time Khrushchev had left office, and the new Soviet leadership would not commit to an all-out lunar landing effort.
Lunar missions
Though the achievements made by the United States and the Soviet Union brought great pride to their respective nations, the ideological climate ensured that the Space Race would continue at least until the first human walked on the Moon. A moon landing is the arrival of an intact manned or unmanned Spacecraft on the surface of a Planet 's Natural satellite. Before this achievement, unmanned spacecraft had to first explore the Moon by photography and demonstrate their ability to land safely on it.
Unmanned probes
Following the Soviet success in placing the first satellite into orbit, the Americans focused their efforts on sending a probe to the Moon. They called this first attempt the Pioneer program. The US Pioneer program of Unmanned space missions was designed for planetary exploration The Soviet Lunar program became operational with the launch of Luna 1 on 4 January 1959, and Luna 1 became the first probe to reach the vicinity of the Moon. Luna 1 (E-1 series also known as Mechta (Мечта lit: Dream) was the first Spacecraft to reach the vicinity Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The first craft to reach the surface of the Moon was Luna 2, launched on 12 September 1959. Luna 2 (E-1A series was the second of the Soviet Union's Luna program spacecraft launched in the direction of the Moon. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In addition to the Pioneer program, there were three specific American programs: the Ranger program, the Lunar Orbiter program, and the robotic Surveyor program, with the goal of locating potential Apollo landing sites on the Moon. The Ranger program was a series of Unmanned space missions by the United States in the 1960s whose objective was to obtain the first close-up images of the surface The Lunar Orbiter program was a series of five unmanned Lunar orbiter missions launched by the United States in 1966 through 1967 The Surveyor Program was a NASA program that from 1966 through 1968 sent seven Robotic spacecraft to the surface of the Moon.
Lunar landing
After the Soviet successes, especially Gagarin's flight, United States President John F. Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson looked for an American project that would capture the public’s imagination. John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of The Apollo Program met many of their objectives and promised to defeat arguments from politicians both on the left (who favored social programs) and the right (who favored a more military project).
Apollo’s advantages included:
- economic benefits to several key states in the next election;
- closing the "missile gap" claimed by Kennedy during the 1960 election through dual-use technology;
- technical and scientific spin-off benefits
In conversation with NASA’s director James E. Webb, Kennedy said:
Everything we do ought to really be tied in to getting on to the Moon ahead of the Russians. Missile Gap is a 2006 Science fiction Novella originally published in the anthology "One Million AD" by British author James Edwin Webb ( October 7, 1906 – March 27, 1992) was the second administrator of NASA, serving from February 14 . . otherwise we shouldn't be spending that kind of money, because I'm not interested in space. . . The only justification (for the cost) is because we hope to beat the Soviet Union to demonstrate that instead of being behind by a couple of years, by God, we passed them. [4]
Kennedy and Johnson managed to swing public opinion: by 1965, 58 percent of Americans favored Apollo, up from 33 percent in 1963. After Johnson became President in 1963, his continuing support allowed the program to succeed.
The Soviet Union showed a greater ambivalence about human visits to the Moon. Khrushchev wanted neither "defeat" by another power, nor the expense of such a project. In October 1963 he characterized the Soviet Union as "not at present planning flight by cosmonauts to the Moon", while adding that they had not dropped out of the race. A year passed before the Soviet Union committed itself to a Moon-landing attempt.
In December 1968, the United States became the front runner in the Space Race when James Lovell, Frank Borman, and Bill Anders orbited the moon. James or Jim Lovell may be James Lovell (delegate (1736-1814 Continental Congress delegate from Massachusetts James Lovell (veteran Frank Frederick Borman II (born March 14, 1928) is a retired NASA Astronaut, best remembered as the Commander of Apollo 8, the William Alison Anders (born October 17, 1933) is a former United States Air Force officer and NASA Astronaut. In doing so, they also became the first humans to celebrate Christmas in space and a few days later they safely splashed down.
Kennedy proposed joint programs, such as a Moon landing by American and Soviet astronauts and improved weather-monitoring satellites. Khrushchev, sensing an attempt to steal superior Russian space technology, rejected these ideas. Sergei Korolev, the Soviet Space Agency's chief designer who designed the R-7 rocket which sent Sputnik into orbit, had started promoting his Soyuz craft and the N1 launcher rocket that had the capacity for a manned Moon landing. Sergey Pavlovich Korolyov (often Transliterated as Sergei Korolev) (Серге́й Па́влович Королёв Сергій Павлович Корольов The Russian Federal Space Agency ( Russian: Федеральное космическое агентство России Federal'noe kosmicheskoe agentstvo Rossii The R-7 Semyorka (Р-7 "Семёрка" was the world's first true Intercontinental ballistic missile and was deployed by the Soviet Union during the N1 or N-1 was the secret Soviet Rocket intended to send Soviet Cosmonauts to the Moon. Khrushchev directed Korolev's design bureau to arrange further space firsts by modifying the existing Vostok technology, while a second team started building a completely new launcher and craft, the Proton booster and the Zond, for a manned cislunar flight in 1966. In 1964 the new Soviet leadership gave Korolev the backing for a Moon landing effort and brought all manned projects under his direction. With Korolev's death and the failure of the first Soyuz flight in 1967, the coordination of the Soviet Moon landing program quickly unraveled. Korolev's first choice for a lunar landing was Vladimir Komarov, but with Komarov's death on the Soyuz 1 in 1967, Yuri Gagarin and Aleksei Leonov became the most likely candidates. Vladimir Komarov redirects here for the botanist see Vladimir Leontyevich Komarov. Alexey Arkhipovich Leonov (Алексе́й Архи́пович Лео́нов (born May 30, 1934 in Listvyanka Kemerovo Oblast, USSR However, with Gagarin's death and the successive launch failures of the N1 booster in 1969, plans for a manned landing suffered first delay and then cancellation.
While unmanned Soviet probes had reached the Moon before any U. S. craft, American Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the lunar surface on 21 July 1969, after landing the previous day. Neil Alden Armstrong (born August 5 1930 is a former American Astronaut, Test pilot, University Professor, and United States Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Commander of the Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong received backup from command-module pilot Michael Collins and lunar-module pilot Buzz Aldrin in an event watched by over 500 million people around the world. Major General Michael Collins (born October 31, 1930) is a former American Astronaut and Test pilot. Buzz Aldrin (born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr, January 20, 1930 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey) is an American Aviator Social commentators widely recognize the lunar landing as one of the defining moments of the 20th century, and Armstrong's words on his first touching the Moon's surface became similarly memorable:
Neil Armstrong's comment upon stepping onto the moon Image:Neil Armstrong small step.wav "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind. " - Problems playing the files? See media help.
Unlike other international rivalries, the Space Race was not motivated by the desire for territorial expansion. After its successful landings on the Moon, the United States explicitly disclaimed the right to ownership of any part of the Moon.
Other successes
Missions to other planets
The Soviet Union first sent planetary probes to both Venus and Mars in 1960. The VENUS ( V ictoria E xperimental N etwork U nder the S ea project is a cabled sea floor observatory operated by the University The first spacecraft to successfully fly by Venus, the United States' Mariner 2, did so on 14 December 1962. Mariner 2 (Mariner-Venus 1962 a space probe to Venus, was the first successful Spacecraft in the NASA Mariner program. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It sent back surprising data on the high surface temperature and air density of Venus. Since it carried no cameras, its findings did not capture public attention as did images from space probes, which far exceeded the capacity of astronomers' Earth-based telescopes.
The Soviet Union's Venera 7, launched in 1971, became the first craft to land on Venus. The Venera 7 (Венера-7 was a Soviet Spacecraft part of the Venera series of probes to Venus. Venera 9 then transmitted the first pictures from the surface of another planet. Venera 9 (Венера-9 was a USSR Unmanned space mission to Venus. These represent only two in the long Venera series; several other previous Venera spacecraft performed flyby operations and attempted landing missions. The Venera (Венера series of probes was developed by the USSR between 1961 and 1984 to gather data from Venus. Seven other Venera landers followed.
The United States launched Mariner 10, which flew by Venus on its way to Mercury, in 1974. Mariner 10 was a robotic Space probe launched on November 3, 1973 to fly by the planets Mercury and Venus. It became the first and only spacecraft to fly by Mercury for the next 34 years.
Mariner 4, launched in 1965 by the United States, became the first probe to fly by Mars; it transmitted completely unexpected images. Mariner 4 (Mariner-Mars 1964 was the fourth in a series of spacecraft intended for planetary exploration in a flyby mode and performed the first successful The first spacecraft to land on Mars, Mars 3, launched in 1971 by the USSR, did not return pictures. The Mars program was a series of Mars unmanned Landers and Orbiters launched by the Soviet Union in the early 1970s. The U. S. Viking landers of 1976 transmitted the first such pictures. NASA 's Viking program consisted of a pair of space probes sent to Mars, Viking 1 and Viking 2.
Launches and docking
The American Gemini 7' Gemini 6 spaceflights completed the world's first space rendezvous mission between two manned spacecraft on 15 December 1965. Gemini 7 (officially Gemini VII) was a 1965 manned spaceflight in NASA 's Gemini program. Gemini 6A (officially Gemini VI-A) was a 1965 manned spaceflight in NASA 's Gemini program. A space rendezvous between two Spacecraft, often between a spacecraft and a Space station, is an Orbital maneuver where the two arrive at the same Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. The spacecrafts came within a meter and kept station with each other for several orbits. In Astrodynamics orbital station-keeping is a term used to describe a particular set of Orbital maneuvers used to keep a spacecraft in assigned Orbit [5]
The U. S. craft Gemini 8, performed the first orbital space docking on 16 March 1966. Gemini 8 (officially Gemini VIII) was a 1966 manned spaceflight in NASA 's Gemini program Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. The first automatic space docking linked the Soviet Union's Cosmos-186 and Cosmos-188 (two unmanned Soyuz spacecraft) on 30 October 1967. Design A Soyuz spacecraft consists of three parts (from front to back A Spheroid Orbital module, which provides accommodation for the crew during Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar.
The first launch from the sea took place with the United States' Scout B, on 26 April 1967. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The first space station, the Soviet Union's Salyut 1, commenced operations on 7 June 1971. A space station is an artificial structure designed for Humans to live in Outer space. Salyut 1 (DOS-1 ( Салют-1; English translation Salute 1) was the first space station of any kind and the first Soviet Space station Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar.
Military competition
Out of view, but no less real a competition, the drive to develop space for military uses paralleled scientific efforts. Well before the launch of Sputnik 1, both the United States and the Soviet Union started developing plans for reconnaissance satellites. A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite) is an Earth observation satellite or Communications satellite deployed for The Soviet Zenit spacecraft, which by the dual-use designed in by Korolev eventually became Vostok, began as a photoimaging satellite. Sergey Pavlovich Korolyov (often Transliterated as Sergei Korolev) (Серге́й Па́влович Королёв Сергій Павлович Корольов The Vostok ( Russian: Восток, translated as East) was a type of Spacecraft built by the Soviet Union 's space programme for It competed with the United States Air Force's Discoverer series. Discoverer XIII provided the first payload recovered from space in August 1960—one day ahead of the first Soviet recovered payload.
Both the United States and the Soviet Union developed major military space programs, often following a pattern whereby the United States only completed a mockup before its program ended, while the Soviet Union built, or even orbited, theirs:
- Supersonic Intercontinental Cruise Missile: Navaho (test program stopped) vs. The North American SM-64 Navaho was a Supersonic intercontinental Cruise missile project built by North American Aviation. Buran cruise missile (plan)
- Small Winged Spacecraft: X-20 Dyna-Soar (mockup) vs. The Buran Cruise missile, designation RSS-40, was a Soviet intercontinental cruise missile capable of carrying a 3500 kg nuclear warhead WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout MiG-105 (flight-tested)
- Satellite Inspection Capsule: Blue Gemini (mockup) vs. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Blue Gemini was a United States Air Force project first proposed in August 1962 for a series of seven flights of Gemini spacecraft to enable the Air Force to gain Soyuz interceptor (plan)
- Military Space Station: MOL (plan) vs. Design A Soyuz spacecraft consists of three parts (from front to back A Spheroid Orbital module, which provides accommodation for the crew during The Manned Orbital Laboratory ( MOL) was part of the United States Air Force 's Manned spaceflight program a successor to the cancelled X-20 Dyna-Soar Almaz (flown somewhat modified as Salyut 2, 3, and 5)
- Military Capsule with hatch in heat shield: Gemini B (tested crewless in space) vs. The Almaz (Алмаз - "Diamond" program was a series of military Space stations (or "Orbital Piloted Station" - OPS launched by the Soviet Union The Salyut program (Салют lit Salute or Fireworks) was the first Space station program undertaken by the Soviet Union, which consisted The Manned Orbital Laboratory ( MOL) was part of the United States Air Force 's Manned spaceflight program a successor to the cancelled X-20 Dyna-Soar VA TKS, also known as Merkur space capsule (flown crewless as part of TKS)
- Ferry to Military Space Station: Gemini Ferry (plan) vs. Merkur, was the misnomer of a Soviet manned Spacecraft whose conical design had features absent from other Soviet designs but found on the three early American projects Design The TKS spacecraft is composed of TKS SAS TKS SAS for "Sistema avariynogo spaseniya" or "Emergency escape system" TKS (flown crewless in space, and docked with a Salyut)
"End" of the Space Race
While the Sputnik 1 launch can clearly be called the start of the Space Race, its end is more debatable. Most hotly contested during the 1960s, the Space Race continued apace through the Apollo moon landing of 1969. Although they followed Apollo 11 with five more manned lunar landings, American space scientists turned to new arenas. Skylab was to gather data, and the Space Shuttle was intended to return spaceships intact from space journeys. Skylab was the first Space station the United States launched into orbit and the second space station ever visited by a human crew NASA 's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System ( STS) is the Spacecraft currently used by the United States Russians claimed that by first sending a man into space they had won this unofficial "race," however Americans claimed that by first landing a man on the moon they had won. In any event, as the Cold War subsided, and as other nations began to develop their own space programs, the notion of a continuing "race" between the two superpowers became less real.
Both nations had developed manned military space programs. The United States Air Force had proposed using its Titan missile to launch the Dyna-Soar hypersonic glider to use in intercepting enemy satellites. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The plan for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (using hardware based on the Gemini program to carry out surveillance missions) superseded Dyna-Soar, but this also suffered cancellation. The Manned Orbital Laboratory ( MOL) was part of the United States Air Force 's Manned spaceflight program a successor to the cancelled X-20 Dyna-Soar The Soviet Union commissioned the Almaz program for a similar manned military space station, which merged with the Salyut program. The Almaz (Алмаз - "Diamond" program was a series of military Space stations (or "Orbital Piloted Station" - OPS launched by the Soviet Union
The Space Race slowed after the Apollo landing, which many observers describe as its apex or even as its end. Others, including space historian Carole Scott and Romanian Dr. Florin Pop's Cold War Project, feel its end came most clearly with the joint Apollo-Soyuz mission of 1975. The Soviet craft Soyuz 19 met and docked in space with America's Apollo, allowing astronauts from the "rival" nations to pass into each other's ships and participate in combined experimentation. Although each country's endeavors in space persisted, they went largely in different directions, and the notion of a continuing two-nation "race" became outdated after Apollo-Soyuz.
However, the Soviet leadership was alarmed at the prospect of U. S. Air Force involvement with the Space Shuttle program and began the competing Buran and Energia projects. NASA 's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System ( STS) is the Spacecraft currently used by the United States The Buran spacecraft ( Буран "Snowstorm" or "Blizzard") GRAU index 11F35 K1, was the only fully completed and operational The Energia (or Energiya, Энергия in Russian, meaning Energy) Rocket was a Soviet rocket that was designed In the early 1980s the commencement of the U. S. Strategic Defense Initiative further escalated competition that only resolved with the collapse of the Eastern Bloc in 1989. The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI was a proposal by US President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983 to use ground and space-based systems to protect
Timeline (1957-1975)
Organization, funding, and economic impact
The huge expenditures and bureaucracy needed to organize successful space exploration led to the creation of national space agencies. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) The Soviet space program consisted of initiatives within the Soviet Union by competing design groups The R-7 Semyorka (Р-7 "Семёрка" was the world's first true Intercontinental ballistic missile and was deployed by the Soviet Union during the Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Sputnik 1 ( "Спутник-1", "Satellite-1" ПС-1 ( PS-1, i Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) In Physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of one object around a point or another body for example the gravitational orbit of a planet around a star Laika (from the Лайка, a breed of dog, literally meaning "Barker" or "Howler" was a Soviet space dog (c The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Mission profile Sputnik 2 was launched into a 212 x 1660 km (132 x 1031 mile orbit with a period of 103 Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Van Allen radiation belt is a Torus of energetic Charged particles ( plasma) around Earth, held in place by Earth's Magnetic The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Explorer 1 (officially titled at NASA as satellite 1958 Alpha) was the first Earth Satellite of the United States, launched on February 1 Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps and conducts a Vanguard 1 was the fourth artificial Satellite launched and is the oldest still orbiting Earth though there is no longer any communication with it Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A communications satellite (sometimes abbreviated to comsat) is an artificial Satellite stationed in space for the purposes of Telecommunications. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Project SCORE (Signal Communications Orbit Relay Equipment was the world’s first Communications satellite. Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In Physics, escape velocity is the speed where the Kinetic energy of an object is equal to the magnitude of its Gravitational potential energy The solar wind is a Stream of charged particles&mdasha plasma &mdashthat are ejected from the upper atmosphere of the Sun. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Luna 1 (E-1 series also known as Mechta (Мечта lit: Dream) was the first Spacecraft to reach the vicinity Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A heliocentric orbit is an Orbit around the Sun. In our Solar System, all Planets Comets and Asteroids are in such orbits The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Luna 1 (E-1 series also known as Mechta (Мечта lit: Dream) was the first Spacecraft to reach the vicinity Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A weather satellite is a type of Satellite that is primarily used to monitor the Weather and Climate of the Earth. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program The United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps and conducts a Mission objectives The satellite was designed to measure cloud-cover distribution over the daylight portion of its orbit Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A polar orbit is an Orbit in which a Satellite passes above or nearly above both poles of the body (usually a planet such as the Earth, but possibly The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA is an agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of new Technology Corona was a US military Reconnaissance satellite system operated by the CIA Directorate of Science & Technology with substantial assistance from the Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Explorer 6 (1959-004A or S-2) was a United States Satellite launched on August 7, 1959. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Luna 2 (E-1A series was the second of the Soviet Union's Luna program spacecraft launched in the direction of the Moon. Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Far Side of the Moon, in original French, La face cachée de la lune, is a 2003 film by Robert Lepage. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Soviet spaceprobe Luna 3 (E-3 series was the third spacecraft sent successfully to the Moon and was an early triumph in the human exploration of outer space Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A weather satellite is a type of Satellite that is primarily used to monitor the Weather and Climate of the Earth. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program TIROS I (or TIROS-1) was the first successful Weather satellite, and the first of a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites It was launched Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite) is an Earth observation satellite or Communications satellite deployed for The United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps and conducts a The Galactic Radiation and Background (GRAB series of intelligence satellites were operated by the U Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Corona was a US military Reconnaissance satellite system operated by the CIA Directorate of Science & Technology with substantial assistance from the Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program The Echo satellites were NASA 's first passive Communications satellite experiment Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite) is an Earth observation satellite or Communications satellite deployed for Corona was a US military Reconnaissance satellite system operated by the CIA Directorate of Science & Technology with substantial assistance from the Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Spin-stabilisation is the method of stabilizing a Satellite by means of spin The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 February 12 1961, 003436 UTC, the first planetary probe was launched to Venus by the Soviet Union. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A human spaceflight is a Spaceflight with a human crew, and possibly passengers The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Vostok 1 (Восток-1 meaning Orient -1 or East-1 was the first Human spaceflight. Events 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program The Orbiting Solar Observatory (abbreviated OSO) was the name of a series of nine NASA Satellites built by Ball Aerospace to study the Sun Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The VENUS ( V ictoria E xperimental N etwork U nder the S ea project is a cabled sea floor observatory operated by the University The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Mariner 2 (Mariner-Venus 1962 a space probe to Venus, was the first successful Spacecraft in the NASA Mariner program. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova (Валенти́на Влади́мировна Терешко́ва born 6 March 1937) is a retired Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Vostok 6 was the first Human spaceflight mission to carry a woman cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, into space Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Crew Number in parentheses indicates number of spaceflights by each individual prior to and including this mission Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A geosynchronous satellite is a Satellite whose orbital track on the Earth repeats regularly over points on the Earth over time The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Syncom (for "synchronous communication satellite" started as a 1961 NASA program for active Geosynchronous Communication satellites all of which Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS is the standard generic term for satellite navigation systems that provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning with global coverage The TRANSIT system also known as NAVSAT (for Navy Navigation Satellite System) was the first Satellite navigation system to be used operationally Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. A geostationary orbit (GEO is a Geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth 's Equator (0° Latitude) with a period equal to the Earth's The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Syncom (for "synchronous communication satellite" started as a 1961 NASA program for active Geosynchronous Communication satellites all of which Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Voskhod 1 (Восход-1 was the first spaceflight to carry more than one person into space the first flight without Space suits the first to carry a scientist Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Extra-vehicular activity ( EVA) is work done by an Astronaut away from the Earth and outside of a Spacecraft. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Voskhod 2 (Восход 2 "Dawn 2" was a Soviet manned space mission in March 1965 Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Mariner 4 (Mariner-Mars 1964 was the fourth in a series of spacecraft intended for planetary exploration in a flyby mode and performed the first successful Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. A space rendezvous between two Spacecraft, often between a spacecraft and a Space station, is an Orbital maneuver where the two arrive at the same The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Gemini 6A (officially Gemini VI-A) was a 1965 manned spaceflight in NASA 's Gemini program. Gemini 7 (officially Gemini VII) was a 1965 manned spaceflight in NASA 's Gemini program. Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. A soft landing in the Business cycle is the process of an economy shifting from growth to slow-growth to potentially flat as it approaches but avoids a Recession The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Sources Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Venera 3 ( Russian:Венера-3 was a Venera program Space probe that was built and launched by the Soviet Union to explore the surface of Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. A space rendezvous between two Spacecraft, often between a spacecraft and a Space station, is an Orbital maneuver where the two arrive at the same The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Gemini 8 (officially Gemini VIII) was a 1966 manned spaceflight in NASA 's Gemini program The Agena target vehicle (ATV was a Spacecraft used by NASA to develop and practice orbital Space rendezvous and docking techniques in preparation for Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. A soft landing in the Business cycle is the process of an economy shifting from growth to slow-growth to potentially flat as it approaches but avoids a Recession The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Surveyor 1 was the first lunar lander in the American Surveyor program that explored the Moon. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Soyuz 1 ( Russian Союз 1 Union 1) was part of the Soviet Union 's space program and was launched into orbit on April 23, 1967 Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Cosmos 186 and Cosmos 188 incorporated a Soyuz programme descent module for landing scientific instruments and test objects Cosmos 186 and Cosmos 188 incorporated a Soyuz programme descent module for landing scientific instruments and test objects Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Soyuz 4 launched January 14, 1969. On board was the cosmonaut Vladimir Shatalov on his first flight The Soyuz 5 was a Soyuz spacecraft launched by the Soviet Union on January 15 1969 that docked with Soyuz 4 in orbit Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A space rendezvous between two Spacecraft, often between a spacecraft and a Space station, is an Orbital maneuver where the two arrive at the same The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Surveyor 3 was the third lander of the Surveyor program that explored the Moon. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A sample return mission is a Spacecraft mission with the goal of returning tangible samples from an extraterrestrial location to Earth for analysis The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Mission profile The Luna 16 automatic station was launched toward the Moon from a preliminary Earth orbit and after one mid-course correction on 13 September it entered Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV or lunar rover was a type of surface exploration rover used on the Moon during the Apollo program. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Lunokhod 1 ( Луноход, moon walker in Russian) was the first of two unmanned lunar rovers landed on the Moon by the Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A space observatory is any instrument in Outer space which is used for observation of distant planets galaxies and other outer space objects The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Uhuru was the first Satellite launched specifically for the purpose of X-ray astronomy. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Venera 7 (Венера-7 was a Soviet Spacecraft part of the Venera series of probes to Venus. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. A space station is an artificial structure designed for Humans to live in Outer space. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Salyut 1 (DOS-1 ( Салют-1; English translation Salute 1) was the first space station of any kind and the first Soviet Space station Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. A space observatory is any instrument in Outer space which is used for observation of distant planets galaxies and other outer space objects The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Orion 1 Space Observatory and Orion 2 Space Observatory were space observatories installed in spacecraft launched by the space program of the Soviet Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Mariner 9 (Mariner Mars '71 / Mariner-I was a NASA space probe orbiter that helped in the exploration of Mars and was part of the Mariner program. Events 1095 - Pope Urban II declares the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Mars program was a series of Mars unmanned Landers and Orbiters launched by the Soviet Union in the early 1970s. Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Mars program was a series of Mars unmanned Landers and Orbiters launched by the Soviet Union in the early 1970s. Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Pioneer 10 ( Pioneer-F) was the first Spacecraft to travel through the Asteroid belt, which it entered on July 15, 1972 Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Pioneer 10 ( Pioneer-F) was the first Spacecraft to travel through the Asteroid belt, which it entered on July 15, 1972 Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Pioneer 10 ( Pioneer-F) was the first Spacecraft to travel through the Asteroid belt, which it entered on July 15, 1972 Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. The VENUS ( V ictoria E xperimental N etwork U nder the S ea project is a cabled sea floor observatory operated by the University The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Mariner 10 was a robotic Space probe launched on November 3, 1973 to fly by the planets Mercury and Venus. Events 1461 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton - Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Mariner 10 was a robotic Space probe launched on November 3, 1973 to fly by the planets Mercury and Venus. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Bureaucracy is the structure and set of regulations in place to control activity usually in large organizations and government The United States and the Soviet Union developed programs focused solely on the scientific and industrial requirements for these efforts.
On 29 July 1958, President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The National Aeronautics and Space Act ( is the United States federal statute that created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program When it began operations on 1 October 1958, NASA consisted mainly of the four laboratories and some 8,000 employees of the government's 46-year-old research agency for aeronautics, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. While its predecessor, NACA, operated on a US$5 million budget, the NASA budget rapidly accelerated to US$5 billion per year, including huge sums for subcontractors from the private sector. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Each year the United States Congress passes a Federal Budget detailing where federal tax money will be spent in the coming fiscal year The Apollo 11 Moon landing, the high point of NASA's success, cost an estimated 20 to 25 billion dollars.
The amount spent by USA on the space race from 1957 - 1975 is estimated to be about $100 billion in 2004 inflation adjusted dollars. [1]
Lack of reliable statistics makes it difficult to compare U. S. and Soviet Union space spending, especially during the Khrushchev years. However in 1989, the Chief of Staff of the Soviet Armed Services, General M. Moiseyev, reported that the Soviet Union had allocated 6. 9 billion rubles (about US$4 billion) to its space program that year. The ruble or rouble (рубль see below for other Soviet languages) was the currency of the Soviet Union. [6] Other Soviet officials estimated that their total manned space expenses totalled about that amount over the entire duration of the programs, with some lower unofficial estimates of about four and half billion rubles. In addition to ambiguity of the figures, such comparisons must also take into account the likely effect of Soviet propaganda, which pursued the goal of making the Soviet Union look strong and of confusing the Western analysis.
Organizational issues, particularly internal rivalries, also plagued the Soviet effort. The Soviet Union had nothing like NASA (the Russian Aviation and Space Agency originated only in the 1990s). The Russian Federal Space Agency ( Russian: Федеральное космическое агентство России Federal'noe kosmicheskoe agentstvo Rossii Too many political issues in science and too many personal views handicapped Soviet progress. Every Soviet chief designer had to stand for his own ideas, looking for the patronage of a communist official. In 1964, between the various chief designers, the Soviet Union was developing 30 different programs of launcher and spacecraft design. Following the death of Korolev, the Soviet space program became reactive, attempting to maintain parity with the United States. In 1974 the Soviet Union reorganized its space program, creating the Energia project to duplicate the U. The Energia (or Energiya, Энергия in Russian, meaning Energy) Rocket was a Soviet rocket that was designed S. Space Shuttle with Shuttle Buran.
The Soviets also operated in the face of an economic disadvantage. Although the Soviet economy was the second largest in the world; the U. S. economy was the largest. Some observers have argued that the high economic cost of the space race, along with the extremely expensive arms race, eventually deepened the economic crisis of the Soviet system during the late 1970s and 1980s and was one of the factors that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union 's collapse into independent nations began early in 1985
Legacy
Deaths
When the United States' Apollo 15 left the moon, the astronauts left behind a memorial to astronauts from both nations who had perished during the efforts to reach the Moon. In the United States, the first astronauts to die during direct participation in space travel or preparation served in Apollo 1: Command Pilot "Gus" Grissom, Senior Pilot Ed White, and Pilot Roger Chaffee. Virgil Ivan Grissom, more widely known as Gus Grissom, ( 3 April 1926 – 27 January 1967) was one of the original NASA Edward Higgins White II (LtCol, USAF ( November 14, 1930 &ndash January 27, 1967) was a United States Air Force officer and Roger Bruce Chaffee ( February 15, 1935 – January 27, 1967) was a U These three died in a fire during a ground test on 27 January 1967. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar.
Flights of the Soviet Union's Soyuz 1 and Soyuz 11 resulted in cosmonaut deaths. Soyuz 1 ( Russian Союз 1 Union 1) was part of the Soviet Union 's space program and was launched into orbit on April 23, 1967 Soyuz 11 was the first successful visit to the world's first Space station, Salyut 1. Soyuz 1, launched into orbit on 23 April 1967, carried a single cosmonaut, Colonel Vladimir Komarov, who died when the spacecraft crashed after return to Earth because of parachute failure. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Vladimir Komarov redirects here for the botanist see Vladimir Leontyevich Komarov. In 1971, Soyuz 11 cosmonauts Georgi Dobrovolski, Viktor Patsayev, and Vladislav Volkov asphyxiated during reentry. Georgiy Timofeyevich Dobrovolskiy ( Russian: Георгий Тимофеевич Добровольский June 1, 1928, Odessa, Ukrainian Viktor Ivanovich Patsayev (Виктор Иванович Пацаев June 19, 1933, Aktyubinsk – June 30 1971) was a Soviet Vladislav Nikolayevich Volkov (Владислав Николаевич Волков b Since 1971, the Soviet/Russian space program has suffered no further losses.
Other astronauts died in related missions, including four Americans (Ted Freeman, Elliot See, Charlie Bassett, C. C. Williams) who died in crashes of T-38 aircraft. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Soviet Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, met a similar death when he crashed in a MiG-15 'Fagot' fighter in 1968. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
Many believe that the worst disaster in rocketry was the R-16 failure in 1960, when improper shutdown and control procedures during hasty on-pad repairs caused the missile's second stage to fire straight onto the full propellant tanks in the still-attached first stage. The Nedelin catastrophe or Nedelin disaster was a launch pad accident that occurred on 24 October 1960, at Baikonur Cosmodrome during the development The toxic fuel and fire killed around 100 top Soviet military and technical personnel.
Another candidate for the title of worst rocketry disaster was the N-1 explosion on June 3 1969. N1 or N-1 was the secret Soviet Rocket intended to send Soviet Cosmonauts to the Moon. A loose bolt was sucked up a fuel pump, and after an engine shutdown the rocket hit the launchpad, thus destroying itself and the launch facility. In the disaster, many people at or near the site were killed.
Advances in technology and education
Technology, especially in aerospace engineering and electronic communication, advanced greatly during this period. Aerospace engineering is the branch of Engineering behind the design construction and science of Aircraft and Spacecraft. Electronics refers to the flow of charge (moving Electrons through Nonmetal conductors (mainly Semiconductors, whereas electrical The effects of the Space Race however went far beyond rocketry, physics, and astronomy. "Space age technology" extended to fields as diverse as home economics and forest defoliation studies, and the push to win the race changed the very ways in which students learned science.
American concerns that they had fallen so quickly behind the Soviets in the race to space led quickly to a push by legislators and educators for greater emphasis on mathematics and on the physical sciences in American schools. The United States' National Defense Education Act of 1958 increased funding for these goals from childhood education through the post-graduate level. To this day over 1,200 American high schools retain their own planetarium installations, a situation unparalleled in any other country worldwide and a direct consequence of the Space Race. A planetarium is a Theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about Astronomy and the night sky or for training in Celestial navigation
The scientists fostered by these efforts helped develop for space exploration technologies which have seen adapted uses ranging from the kitchen to athletic fields. Dried watermelon and ready-to-eat foods, in particular food sterilisation and package sealing techniques, stay-dry clothing, and even no-fog ski goggles have their roots in space science.
Today over a thousand artificial satellites orbit earth, relaying communications data around the planet and facilitating remote sensing of data on weather, vegetation, and human movements to nations who employ them. Remote sensing is the small or large-scale acquisition of information of an object or phenomenon by the use of either recording or real-time sensing device(s that is not in physical In addition, much of the micro-technology which fuels everyday activities from time-keeping to enjoying music derives from research initially driven by the Space Race.
And with all these advances since the first Sputnik was launched, the former Soviet Union's R-7 rocket, that marked the beginning the space race, is still in use today, notably servicing the ISS.
Recent events
Although its pace has slowed, space exploration continues to advance long after the demise of the Space Race. The United States launched the first reusable spacecraft (space shuttle) on the 20th anniversary of Gagarin's flight, 12 April 1981. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 On 15 November 1988, the Soviet Union launched Buran, their first and only reusable spacecraft. Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) These and other nations continue to launch probes, satellites of many types, and huge space telescopes.
The possibility of a second international space race appeared at the end of the 20th century, with the European Space Agency taking the lead in commercial rocket launches with Ariane 4, and competing in unmanned space exploration with NASA. The European Space Agency ( ESA) established in 1975 is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 17 member Ariane 4 was an Expendable launch system, designed by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales and manufactured and marketed by its subsidiary Arianespace ESA's efforts have culminated into ambitious plans such as the Aurora Programme that intends to send a human mission to Mars no later than 2030 and has set various flagship missions to reach this goal. The Aurora programme is a Human spaceflight programme of the European Space Agency established in 2001 with the primary objectives of creating and then With U. S. President George W. Bush's similar announcement in 2004, outlining a timeframe for the construction and mission plan of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (a subsequent return to the Moon and later to Mars by 2030), the two major space agencies have similar plans. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The Crew Exploration Vehicle (or CEV) was the conceptual component of the Vision for Space Exploration that later became known as the Orion spacecraft The ESA has teamed up with Russia. They are likely to co-fund and develop the Crew Exploration Vehicle counterpart, Kliper, which is scheduled to launch in 2011, years earlier than its American opponent, which is in an early draft status. Kliper ( Клипер, English: Clipper) is a Russian-proposed next generation manned Spacecraft that was almost selected as the successor As of 2006 the ESA has yet to fund a study of Kliper.
Other nations are also capable of increasing competition in space exploration, most notably Japan, China, and India. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Although China's funding is not in the same league with ESA or NASA, the successful manned space flights of Shenzhou 5 and Shenzhou 6 and plans for a space station by the Chinese space program of the People's Republic of China have shown what the country can accomplish. Shenzhou 5 ( — was the first Human spaceflight mission of the People's Republic of China (PRC launched on October 15, 2003 Shenzhou 6 ( Shénzhōu lìuhào) was the second Human spaceflight of the People's Republic of China, launched on 12 October 2005 A space station is an artificial structure designed for Humans to live in Outer space. The space program of China was initiated soon after the founding of the PRC. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The United States military is evidently keeping a close watch on China's space aspirations, with the Pentagon releasing a report in 2006 detailing concerns about China's growing space power. The Pentagon is the Headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. [7]In early 2007 China launched a ballistic missile to destroy a satellite, frustrating international observers as this had violated a consensus not to attempt such maneuvers in space that have military undertones. This was some token that the space race had not really ever ended and actually had only expanded. In addition to China, India also has active space programs, with India's national space agency, ISRO, planning to launch an unmanned lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, by early 2008. Chandrayaan I (चंद्रयान-1 lit Lunar Craft is an unmanned Lunar exploration mission by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO. India also has plans for manned space flights and an unmanned mission to Mars in 2012[8]. The Japanese Space Agency, JAXA, has launched a moon probe, SELENE in 2007. The, or JAXA, is Japan's national Aerospace agency JAXA was formed on October 1 2003 as an Independent Administrative Institution through the In Greek mythology, Selene (Σελήνη " Moon " English sɛˈliːniː was an archaic Lunar deity and the daughter of the Titans SELENE is touted as the most sophisticated lunar exploration mission in the post-Apollo Era.
Satellite launching order, by nation
Few countries have successfully launched a satellite independently. The countries which have accomplished this include (sequentially, as of February, 2007), former Soviet Union, U.S.A., France, Japan, China,U.K., India and Israel. The post-Soviet states, also commonly known as former Soviet republics, are the 15 independent nations that split off from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics The United States of America —commonly referred to as the This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Kazakhstan has rocket and satellite development technology and hosts the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch facility which is used by other countries particularly Russia. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Brazil made three attempts at satellite launching in 97, 99, 03 years but none of these were successful.
| Rnk | Date | Nation | Satellite | Name | kg | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1957 (10. 4) | Soviet Union | Sputnik 1 | R-7 | 84 kg | |
| 2 | 1958 (1. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Sputnik 1 ( "Спутник-1", "Satellite-1" ПС-1 ( PS-1, i 31) | U.S.A. | Explorer 1 | Jupiter C | 13. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Explorer 1 (officially titled at NASA as satellite 1958 Alpha) was the first Earth Satellite of the United States, launched on February 1 The Jupiter-C was a type of Sounding rocket used for three Sub-orbital spaceflights conducted in 1956 and 1957 7 kg | |
| 3 | 1965 (11. 26) | France | Aesterix 1 | Deer man | ||
| 4 | 1970 (2. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. 11) | Japan | おおすみ/Osumi | L-4S 5 | 23. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Ōsumi (or Ohsumi is the name of the first Japanese Satellite, named after the Ōsumi Province in the southern islands of Japan. 8 kg | |
| 5 | 1970 (4. 24) | China | 東方紅 | 長征1型 | ||
| 6 | 1971 (10. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National 28) | U.K. | Prospero | Black arrow | in Australia | |
| 7 | 1979 (12. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located 24) | ESA | CAT | Alian 1type(L01) | ||
| 8 | 1980 (7. The European Space Agency ( ESA) established in 1975 is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 17 member 18) | India | Rohini1 | SLV | ||
| 9 | 1988 (9. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country 19) | Israel | Ofeq 1 | Shabit | launching westward |
Number of satellites launched, by nation
By the end of 2006, the total number of satellites launched worldwide was 5,736. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Ofeq, also spelled Offek or Ofek (אופק lit Horizon is the designation of a series of Israeli Reconnaissance satellites All Ofeq The CIS and the U. S. launched roughly 88% of these. Below is a list of the top ten satellite-launching nations as of December 2006. Joint possession is not included.
| Rnk | Nation | Number (2005) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIS | 3228 (3212) |
| 2 | U.S.A. | 1815 (1781) |
| 3 | Japan | 119 (111) |
| 4 | China | 99 (92) |
| INTELSAT | 70 (69) | |
| ESRO/ESA | 64 (63) | |
| 5 | France | 54 (52)In addition, France and Germany hold two planes jointly |
| 6 | India | 38 |
| 7 | Germany | 38 (37)In addition, France and Germany hold two planes jointly |
| 8 | U.K. | 35 |
| 9 | Canada | 27 (26) |
| 10 | Italy | 20 (19) |
Commercial space race
Another kind of space race may differ in nature from the original Soviet-American competition, as it could occur between commercial space enterprises. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Intelsat Ltd is the world’s largest commercial Satellite communications services provider The European Space Agency ( ESA) established in 1975 is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 17 member This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Early efforts in what is commonly referred to as space tourism, to run the first commercial trips into orbit, culminated on April 28, 2001 when American Dennis Tito became the first fee-paying space tourist when he visited the International Space Station on board Russia's Soyuz TM-32. Space tourism is the recent Phenomenon of tourists paying for flights into space pioneered by Russia Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Dennis Anthony Tito (born August 8, 1940 in Queens, New York) is a United States multimillionaire who gained celebrity status by becoming Soyuz TM-32 was a manned Russian space launch on 28 April, 2001. The Ansari X Prize, a competition for private suborbital spaceships, has also evoked the prospect of a new space race by private companies. The Ansari X PRIZE was a Space competition in which the X PRIZE Foundation offered a US$ 10000000 Prize for the first non-government Private spaceflight is flight above Earth Altitude conducted by and paid for by an entity other than a government In late 2004, British aviator-financier Richard Branson announced the launch of Virgin Galactic, a company which will use SpaceShipOne technology, with hopes of launching sub-orbital flights by 2008. Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950 is an English Business magnate, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 companies Virgin Galactic is a company within Sir Richard Branson 's Virgin Group which plans to provide Sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public SpaceShipOne is a Spaceplane that completed the first privately funded Human spaceflight on June 21, 2004.
See also
- Asia's Space Race
- Space vehicle guidance using the gyroscopic compass
- Celestial mechanics, calculating the trajectories for space travel
- List of spacecraft manufacturers
- US space surveillance network tracks objects in space
- Kliper Russian-European cooperation for a new 'space shuttle' type launch craft
- Crew Exploration Vehicle American counterpart to Kliper
- Spaceflight records
- Atmospheric reentry
- List of Space Exploration Milestones, 1957-1969
- Timeline of space exploration
Notes
- ^ Sputnik and The Dawn of the Space Age. The Asian space race is a race among several Asian countries to achieve scientific and technological advancements in space. A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of Angular momentum. A compass, magnetic compass or mariner's compass is a navigational instrument for determining direction relative to the earth's Magnetic poles It consists Celestial mechanics is the branch of Astrophysics that deals with the motions of Celestial objects The field applies principles of Physics, historically Trajectory is the path a moving object follows through space The object might be a Projectile or a Satellite, for example There are five major companies that build large commercial Geosynchronous satellite platforms Alcatel Alenia Space, now Thales Alenia Space (Europe Space Surveillance is a critical part of United States Strategic Command 's (USSTRATCOM mission and involves detecting tracking cataloging and identifying man-made Kliper ( Клипер, English: Clipper) is a Russian-proposed next generation manned Spacecraft that was almost selected as the successor The Crew Exploration Vehicle (or CEV) was the conceptual component of the Vision for Space Exploration that later became known as the Orion spacecraft This is a list of spaceflight records. Most of these records relate to Human spaceflights but some unmanned and canine records are included This is a list of first achievements in spaceflight from the first artificial satellite through the Moon landing. This is a timeline of Space exploration including notable achievements and first accomplishments in humanity's physical exploration of space. NASA.
- ^ Both Sides of the “Moon”, an October 12, 1957 leader from The Economist
- ^ Dow, Peter. An editorial, leader (UK or leading article (UK is an article in a Newspaper or Magazine that expresses the opinion of the Editor The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London "Sputnik Revisited: Historical Perspectives on Science Reform". symposium hosted by the Center for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education.
- ^ From a tape recording in the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library.
- ^ THE WORLD'S FIRST SPACE RENDEZVOUS (HTML). Apollo to the Moon; To Reach the Moon - Early Human Spaceflight. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved on 2007-09-17. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec
- ^ Oberg, James, in Final Frontier, as reprinted in The New Book of Popular Science Annual, 1992
- ^ "Report: China’s Military Space Power Growing" by Leonard David, Space. James Edward Oberg (born 1944 (often known as Jim Oberg) is an American Space Journalist and Historian, regarded as an expert on com, June 5, 2006, Accessed June 8, 2006.
- ^ http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5922_1853057,0015002100000000.htm
References
- An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963, Robert Dallek (2003). ISBN 0-316-17238-3
- Arrows to the Moon: Avro's Engineers and the Space Race , Chris Gainor (2001). ISBN 1-896522-83-1
- Fallen Astronauts: Heroes Who Died Reaching for the Moon, Colin Burgess, Kate Doolan, Bert Vis (2003). ISBN 0-8032-6212-4
- Light This Candle : The Life & Times of Alan Shepard--America's First Spaceman, Neal Thompson (2004). ISBN 0-609-61001-5
- The New Columbia Encyclopedia, Col. Univ. Press (1975).
- The Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe (pbk ed. The Right Stuff is a 1979 book by Tom Wolfe about the pilots engaged in U Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr (born March 2, 1931 in Richmond, Virginia) known as Tom Wolfe, is a Best-selling 2001). ISBN 0-553-38135-0 ISBN 0-613-91667-0
- Russia in Space: The Failed Frontier?, Brian Harvey (2001). ISBN 1-85233-203-4
- The Soviet Space Race With Apollo, Asif A. Siddiqi (2003). ISBN 0-8130-2628-8
- Soyuz: A Universal Spacecraft, Rex Hall, David J. Shayler (2003). ISBN 1-85233-657-9
- Space for Women: A History of Women With the Right Stuff, Pamela Freni (2002). ISBN 1-931643-12-1
- Space Exploration, Carole Scott, Eyewitness Books, 1997
- Sputnik and the Soviet Space Challenge, Asif A. Siddiqi (2003). ISBN 0-8130-2627-X
- Stages to Saturn: A Technological History of the Apollo/Saturn Launch Vehicles, Roger E. Bilstein (2003). ISBN 0-8130-2691-1
- Yeager: An Autobiography, Chuck Yeager (1986). ISBN 0-553-25674-2
External links
NASA:
- Arrows to the Moon synopsis from the NASA website
- Communications Satellites from the NASA website
- Scan of a letter from Wernher Von Braun to Vice President Johnson, dated 29 April 1961, providing Von Braun's personal (not professional) assessment of United States and Soviet capability. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The analysis includes the opinion that the U. S. has "an excellent chance" of beating the Russians to a manned lunar landing, adding "with an all-out crash program I think we could accomplish this objective in 1967/68. "
- "America's Space Program: Exploring a New Frontier", a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
Other websites:
- Why Did the USSR Lose the Moon Race? from Pravda, 2002-12-03
- The 1st and 2nd Space Races Compared: Bi vs. Multi-polarity Jagiellonian University, 2006
- Space Race Exhibition at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- TheSpaceRace.com – Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs
- Timeline of the Space Race to the Moon 1960 - 1969
- Shadows of the Soviet Space Age, Paul Lucas
- Chronology:Moon Race at russianspaceweb. Pravda (Правда "The Truth" was a leading Newspaper of the Soviet Union and an official organ of the Central Committee of the For several academies alternatively called "Krakow Academy" see Education in Kraków The Jagiellonian University (Uniwersytet The National Air and Space Museum (NASM of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington D com
- Space study hobbyists' organization
- Artwork representing the cold war in space
- Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space: a game that simulates the Space Race, from a GeoCities website
- Artifacts from the U.S. Space Program
Yahoo! GeoCities is a Webhosting service founded by David Bohnett and John Rezner in late 1994 as Beverly Hills Internet (BHI
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