Following the close of the Second World War, the most destructive collection of years we’ve ever undergone as a species, humankind decided to bond their efforts in order to achieve one higher goal. This goal was of course to get a manned aircraft out of the limits of the Earths, by this point weakened atmosphere, and into the realms of outer space. Despite working in conjunction with one another to bring down the Nazi Government of Germany during aforementioned war, two distinct superpower nations emerged as the prime frontrunners in what would soon become known as the international ‘space race’, namely the United States of America (USA) and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). With the former a leading capitalist nation and the latter a communist state, it wasn’t long before the space race extended far beyond the boundaries of healthy competition. As the onset of the ‘Cold War’ crept up on us all (is say all, I wasn’t around until several decades later…), tensions became more apparent between the two nations and soon it became evident that this race was an embodiment of so much more than having boasting rights for the rest of time. As the Cold War worsened, along with its now characteristic paranoid arms race, and as war raged in Asia, both the USA and the USSR continued unhindered with their efforts to reach space. Ending in July 1969 with the USA’s successful landing of Apollo 11 on the moon’s surface, the space race remains one of the most important incidents of the 20th century. In that spirit, here are some random facts on the subject!
10. Surplus Apollo Missions
Following the successful conclusion of the space race in the July of 1969, the US National Space and Aeronautics Administration (NASA) launched six more Apollo missions to the moon, the last of which was Apollo 17 which was launched on December 7th, 1972. Perhaps the most notable of these surplus missions was that of Apollo 13, the crew of which managed to survive an oxygen tank explosion whilst on their way to the moon.
9. The Ballpoint Pen Was Invented During the Space Race
Perhaps not the most exciting fact I could muster on the topic, however interesting nonetheless. After scratching their heads for a number of months, as well as spending around $1million (which back then was more a lot more than it is now) on research, expert researchers at NASA came up with the prototype for the ballpoint pen- intended to eliminate problems caused by zero-gravity conditions. Funnily enough the Soviets had a similar problem, though came up with a much more cost effective option- using a pencil.
8. The Russians Took an Early Lead
In October 1957, the Soviet space programme took an early lead, and in many ways signalled the true beginning to the space race when they successfully launched the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1. This early incarnation of what would eventually become the technology upon which most modern communications are now built, was just 22 and a half inches in diameter, weighing in at relatively modest 183 pounds. In terms of instruments, the Sputnik carried only a radio transmitter designed to transmit on the 15-meter short-wave band.
7. Sputnik 3 Was the Size of a Moon
Maybe a little bit of an over-exaggeration in terms of literal speaking, however far from it if we consider the generational differences between Sputnik 3 and its aforementioned generational elder. Launched in the spring following the success of Sputnik 1, Sputnik 3 was a much vaster mission, in terms of size, duration and ambition. Orbiting Earth an estimation 10,000 times over 682 day period, Sputnik 3 returned to its home planet in the April of 1960. Given the satellites size for the time, sizing up and 5×11 feet and weighing in excess of a ton, Premier Khrushchev is said to have stated at the time ‘America sleeps under a Soviet moon’. I bet that did a lot to calm the escalating tension.
6. President Eisenhower was no war-monger
The USSR launched their first spacecraft, named Vostok, on May 15th, 1960. Vostok’s mission entailed a brief four day orbit of the Earth, followed swiftly by an unproblematic return to the planet’s atmosphere via use of retrograde rockets. However, upon attempting to give the Vostok its much needed nudge towards Earth, the retro rockets instead acted to thrust the spacecraft further out into space, and into a much higher orbit. As a result, the originally scheduled return date of the Vostok (September 1960) became far from accurate, with the craft instead returning some five years later in October 1965. Whilst the Soviets undoubtedly anticipated all manner of ridicule for such a faux pas (as I’m sure the misdirection of retrograde rockets is regarded amongst rocket scientists), Western observers instead congratulated the Soviets on their invention of this unique in-orbit move.
4. The Russians Orbited the Sun First
Lunik 1 was launched towards the moon on January 2nd, 1959. Following the decision to set aside initial plans to load the craft up with a small atomic bomb which would explode upon impact with the moon, the Soviets decided that their idea was in fact utterly ridiculous and instead decided to fill the Lunik with loads and loads of sodium instead, the intention being to mark the occasion of leaving the Earth’s orbit for the first time in recorded history. Whilst Lunik failed to get anywhere near the moon, even by space terms, (it missed by around 4,000 miles) it did become the first manmade craft to go into orbit around the Sun. Thank god they decided against the atom bomb idea, eh?
3. NASA was not alone
President Eisenhower enjoyed the opportunity of serving his two terms in the White House in not only the midst of the USA’s post-WW2 economic and industrial boom, but of the space races beginnings. Ever the military mind, Eisenhower saw a huge amount of potential in the science that was going into getting mankind to the stars. Aside from the central, and far more publicised, NASA space program, Eisenhower also sponsored two separate programs of research. The first was spearheaded by the Air Force and was solely dedicated to exploring the possibilities of the militarisation of space technology, whilst the second was a far more covert affair. Led by the CIA, the Air Force as well as an organisation created especially for the purpose, named the National Reconnaissance Office (which remained a top secret government agency until the end of the Cold War in the early 1990’s), the operation was entitled Corona. Corona had one particular agenda: the use of satellites in the garnering of intelligence on the USSR and her allies.
2. Astronauts were almost called ‘Cosmonauts’
The two terms act to significantly divide the two nations involved, as well as entirely symbolise the space race as a whole. Though fulfilling the same role in their respective programs, it is fairly common knowledge that those trained to man spacecraft under the USAs space program are named ‘Astronauts’, while those who fall under Russian jurisdiction are ‘Cosmonauts’. This was almost not the case however, as NASAs Deputy Administrator of the late 1950’s/early 1960’s- Dr. Hugh Dryden wanted to name American crew members ‘Cosmonauts’, his reason being that the prefix ‘cosmo’ was more fitting as it referred to space (the ‘cosmos’) instead of just the stars (astro). Though he had an extremely intelligible point, he was out-voted by his peers.
1. The Space Race was a HUGE thing at the time
Though intergalactic travel still enthrals many people nowadays, at the time of the space race it was simply the most talked about thing in popular society. Coinciding with the advent of television, the race was symbolic of a new and exciting era for the United States of America. Astronauts were portrayed as pioneering heroes, which in many ways I suppose they were, and enjoyed superstar status amongst the optimistic populous. A perfect distraction and tool of propaganda for a time of international nuclear size-offs, the Soviets were in turn played out to be total villains, interested in surpassing American efforts and not much else.