With the launch of Space X's rocket just a few weeks ago, a brief history of the original "Space Race" that dominated the 1960s and inspired millions felt necessary.
by Matt Zupon
The Cold War, one of the most defining ideological conflicts in human history. Despite no bullets fired at each other from the major players, millions of people suffered in the Eastern hemisphere. The United States of America represented the Western world, its European allies in NATO, and the free world. The Soviet Union represented the Eastern World, along with major players like China. The physical manifestation of this divide came in the form of the Berlin Wall.
The Cold War resulted in many different forms of competition. Many wars, such as the US in Vietnam and the Soviet Union in Afghanistan exemplified the struggles of the two superpowers. The armament of each nation’s nuclear stockpile soared. While lots of dangerous competition loomed, the journey to space, and the Space Race, was born.
The Space Race, according to The Khan Academy: “The ‘space race’ was a Cold War competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to develop aerospace capabilities, including artificial satellites, unmanned space probes, and human spaceflight.”. Due to this, we saw the rapid expansion of space exploration in the 1950s through the early 1970s. Astronauts inspired millions of humans across the world to never declare the sky the limit when people walked on the moon.
The Space Race consisted of many “firsts” for both the Soviet Union and the United States. While many Americans, rightfully so, look nostalgically upon NASA as the forebearer of space exploration, plenty of cosmonauts from the USSR set astronomical records, too. In fact, one of the first major leaps to space came with the launch of the Russian Sputnik in 1957. This accomplishment sent NASA into overdrive to ensure the US would win the Space Race.
Following the October launch of the original Sputnik, Sputnik II propelled into space carrying a dog named Laika. Laika perished but still set a record as the first living organism to enter space. The first satellite launched by the US entered orbit in January 1958, mere months after Sputnik. Explorer I set the precedent for US satellites. In April of 1961, Yuri Gagarin entered space. He was the first human being to do so. In 1962, John Glenn entered space as the first American. He later served the US as a Senator from Ohio. In March of 1965, Alexei Leonov walked in space, the first human to do so. In June of that year, Ed White followed.
In regard to Moon exploration, the Americans led in the most crucial moments. In February of 1966, the first-ever spacecraft landed on the moon. The Soviets claimed this prize. An American spacecraft followed in June of that year. However, the first humans to orbit the moon waved the American flag. In December of 1968, Americans orbited the moon.
Soon after, in July 1969, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong became the first humans to ever set foot on a foreign space object. The Moon landing solidified America as the leader and victor of the Space Race. While the Soviets bested us in some battles, the Americans won the war.
President John F. Kennedy pledged to send an American to the Moon during a speech in May 1961. While the tragic death of President Kennedy in late 1963 horrified millions of Americans, it also fueled the passion of millions to ensure that our beautiful nation delivered on the late-President's promise. In typical America fashion, we did. As stated earlier, the Soviets do earn some credit as plenty of firsts occurred from the Easter World. However, the image that everyone pictures when we think of Space, Americans planting the flag on the Moon, will forever place America at the forefront of space victory.
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