The Space Race, part 1

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The Space race means competition between the Soviet Union and Unites States for the dominance in the space during the Cold war. The race began as a result of tension between the nations following the Second World War. We can say that the real Space race began on August 2, 1955, when the Soviet Union responded to US announcing about launching the satellite in the near future.

But to be really correct we have to go in history slightly back. During the Second World war Nazi Germans built operational ballistic missiles able of sub orbital flight. Von Braun was technical director of that ballistic missile program. They built Aggregate-4 (A4) rocket, which was the first craft reaching the outer space during the test flight in 1942. By 1942 they started to built the rocket as Vergeltungswaffe 2, commonly known as V2. After the war V2 became the model of the American and Soviet rockets.

 For short summary of Lunar programs see the article Short summary of lunar program. 

Sputnik 1

Soviets got first points by launching Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957,  Luna 1 launched in 1959, which was the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Earth's Moon (article Luna 1), and later first human Y. Gagarin on April 12, 1961 (article Yuri Gagarin). 

Left: Luna 1, Right: replica Vostok 1

The race got very interesting after launching Apollo 8 (article Apollo 8), launched on December 21, 1968,  the first manned mission leaving the Earth's low orbit and reaching the lunar orbit. The race peaked on July 20, 1969, US landing of the first humans on the lunar surface by Apollo 11. Soviets gave up lunar manned mission and focused on the Earth orbital space stations and unmanned projects Soviet lunar program. The difference was also visible in form of study of the Moon: Lunar vehicles. US used rover helping the Apollo crew to move on the lunar surface to explore and bring a lunar samples back on Earth, and Soviets turned into robotic vehicle controlled from the ground. 

Apollo 11: N. Armstrong

Small brake in the race occurred in April 1972 in a cooperation Apollo - Soyuz test project (article Apollo - Soyuz test project), which was the first joined program of both countries.

Apollo Soyuz test project


Apollo Soyuz test project: famous hand shaking in the space

The end of the Space race is really hard to define but it was over by the December 1991 by dissolution of the Soviet Union, after which started new chapter of real collaboration of both countries.

International Space Station 2010
That always remind me where I want to be .. up there!!

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