Space Race Flashcards
What was the Space Race?
The Space Race was a competition between the USA and the USSR over advancements in space exploration. They competed over technological advancements which put them further into space than the other had managed. To both sides, the scientific and technological advancement into areas previously undiscovered reflected their prestige and superiority over the other side.
What started the Space Race?
In the early 1950s, US President Ike Eisenhower announced a programme of space exploration, which begun the space race. As a part of this programme, the USA announced its plans to develop a man-made satellite to go into space.
How did the space race link to the arms race?
Krushchev realised that space technology would make missiles the most powerful weapons on earth. On 15th May 1957, the world’s first ICBM was tested, a technology which would, a year later, allow the Soviets to launch a missile into space and bring it down on a target in the USA.
What was the first satellite and when was it launched?
The first satellite was called Sputnik and it was launched by the USSR in October 1957. It was hailed as a heroic achievement by the USSR.
What was Sputnik II and what did it prompt the Americans to do?
Sputnik II was a more advanced version of the world’s first satellite, Sputnik. It was larger than Sputnik and carried a dog called Laika. It prompted the Americans to pour billions of dollars into space research to try and ‘catch up’ with the Russians.
When did the USA launch their first satellite into space?
In January 1958, the Americans launched their own ‘Explorer I’ satellite into space. In July that year, Congress approved the formation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
How did the ‘Luna’ satellites push the USSR further into the lead?
In September 1959, the Soviet satellite, Luna II, reached the moon. The following month, Luna III took a picture of the other side of the moon.
Which country was first to send a man into space?
USSR - On 12th April 1961, the Soviet’s Vostock rocket sent Major Yuri Gagarin of the Red Army into orbit.
Who was the first American to enter space?
In May 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American man to enter space aboard Mercury Freedom VII. He was followed by John Glenn who orbited the Earth in 1962.
Which was the first side to send a woman into space?
USSR - Valentina Tereschkova in June 1963
When was the first space walk made and by which side?
March 1965 - first space walk achieved by Soviet Alexei Leonov on the Voskhod II. Three months later, Ed White became the first American to make a space walk with the Gemini IV.
Which was the first side to put a human on the moon and how did this affect relations?
USA - In July 1969, Apollo 11 landed Neil Armstrong on the surface of the moon. This worried the Soviets as they had assumed that they were more advanced than the USA, so many Soviets claimed that the Neil Armstrong mission was a fake. In the early 1970s, Apollo 14 achieved the first exploration of the moon. These events ended the space race.
