13. The Space Race Flashcards
What was the space race?
It was a race for superiority between the USA and USSR between the late 1950s and early 1970s
What led to the space race?
- propaganda, both countries were keen to show superiority and wanted to be seen as leading the world into the modern age
- weapons development, Americans were worried nukes could be launched using the the same system the SU launched rockets into space and this was justified through ICBMs
What happened on October 4, 1957?
The SU sent the first man-made satellite into orbit :Sputnik. the Americans have been working on the same thing and the Soviet victory was seen as a triumph for communism
What happened on November 3, 1957?
The SU sent the first animal into space, a dog named Laika, as the Americans scrambled to catch up
What happened on 18 December 1958?
The USA launch the first communication satellite into space
What happened on April 12, 1961?
The Soviet union wins the race to send a human into space with cosmonaut Yuri gagarin
What happened on 5 May 1961?
There was the first successful American space flight controlled by pilot Alan Shepard
What happened on May 25, 1961?
Kennedy announced that by the end of the decade, an American will land on the moon but technology was still far from being able to achieve this
What happened on June 16, 1963?
First woman in space Valentina Tereshkova from the SU
What happened on the 20th of July 1969?
Neil Armstrong became the first man on the man as Kennedy’s promise was fulfilled
What happened on April 23, 1971?
The first human crewed station is launched by the Soviet Union
What happened on July 15, 1975?
The first joint space mission between the US and SU ‘Apollo Soyuz’ is seen as a symbol of a new age of co-operation between the superpowers
