The Cold War Project By: Nicole Thomas

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The Cold War ProjectBy Nicole Thomas
The Space Race
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Mini-Timeline of the Cold War

• Significant dates in bold directly relate to
  the Space Race. The other events occurred
  simultaneously during the Cold War.
• January 1946 First German V-2 Launch
• 1948 1949 Berlin blockade set up by USSR.
• 1949 NATO pact signed by 12 countries.
• 1950 1953 Korean War.
• 1953 Stalin dies.
• October 1957 Sputnik, the worlds first
  artificial satellite launched.
• 1958 NASA established (National Aeronautics and
  Space Administration).
• 1960 USSR shoots down a U2 spy plane.
• April 1961 First man in space, Russias
  Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin
• 1961 German Communists build the Berlin Wall.
• March 1965 Russias first space walk.
• June 1965 United States first space walk.
• July 1969 First man on the moon. Neil Armstrong
  and Buzz Aldrin.
• (CNN World Book Encyclopedia)

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What was the Space Race all about?

• The Space Race was when the rivalry for success
  in space between Russia and the United States
  climbed to its highest peak. The two superpowers
  yearned for advancement in science, military
  defense, and national leadership, causing tension
  and feelings of competition between the two
  nations. (World Book) The Space Race had a span
  of about 40 years with the 1960s and the 1970s
  being at the highest point of competition. It
  lasted from around the 1940s until the 1980s.

The flag of Russia
The flag of the United States of America
Images from www.flags.net
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How did the Space Race begin?

• The heated race began when Wernher von Braun
  revealed Germanys capabilities of long range
  ballistic missiles, also known as the V-2s. This
  triggered a sudden urge for both Russia and the
  United States to enhance their research and
  experimentation concerning outer space to improve
  their weaponry capabilities. By studying the
  German-made V-2s, Russian and the United States
  were able to create their own V-2s and this
  eventually became the basis of their missile
  programs. (CNN)

Wernher von Braun http//www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/col
d.war/experience/technology/space.timeline/us/v2/v
on.braun.gif
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The Space Race Sputnik

• The launch of the Sputnik on October 4, 1957, a
  silver spherical satellite the size of a
  basketball, lured undivided attention from all
  nations around the globe. This miraculous
  scientific step proved to the world that Russia
  was a powerful nation that was now capable of
  firing long range ballistic missiles. It is said
  that the Sputnik marked the launch of the Space
  Age. (CNN) Due to the Sputniks immaculate
  success, Soviet Premier Nikita S. Krushchev
  demanded more funds to the space program in order
  to continue to awe the world with their successes
  in space. (World Book)

The Sputnik http//www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/e
xperience/technology/space.timeline/soviet/sputnik
/sputnik.gif
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Russian Successes in Space

• The United States, only half a step behind,
  continued to remain a threat to Russia. The two
  superpowers were competing head to head, each
  nation wanting to rush ahead of the other to
  claim global leadership and respect. In the
  following years Russia had launched more
  Sputniks, sent the first man up to space, and was
  the beholder of the first successful spacewalk.
  (CNN)

Top right Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin who orbited the
Earth once and was the first man in space. Bottom
right Aleksei Leonov became the first person to
leave a spacecraft in orbit. Images taken from
http//www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/experience/te
chnology/space.timeline
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American Accomplishments in Space

• The United States had launched the Explorer I,
  circled the earths orbit, and had sent Neil
  Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moons surfaces.
  (CNN) The Space Race eventually came to a
  gradual halt when Russia and the United States
  had different interests in space and wanted to
  achieve individual goals. (World Book)

Buzz Aldrin getting off a ladder to walk on the
moon.
http//www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/experience/te
chnology/space.timeline/us/man.on.moon/step.down.g
if
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Key People concerning the Space Race

• Wernher von Braun the technical director of
  Germany's long-range missile program who revealed
  to the United States the capabilities of German
  weaponry. (CNN)
• Nikita S. Khrushchev the Soviet Premier who
  commanded an increase in funds for space
  technology. (World Book)
• Neil Armstrong Buzz Aldrin the first
  astronauts ever to walk on the moon. (CNN)

http//www.alstewart.com/history/redsquare.htm
http//www.onemonkey.org/caspar/apolloxi.htm
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Mistrust/Miscommunication between United States
and Russia

• The Space Race not only concerned the yearning
  for wanting to be the most powerful and
  technologically advanced nation in the world, but
  was also based on mistrust and misunderstanding.
  During the Cold War, Russia and the United States
  had missiles pointing at one another both
  nations not trusting the other. The Space Race
  was in the same sort of situation. The two
  superpowers competed for global domination to the
  point of which they grew suspicious of the rapid
  advancements of their rivals.

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Space Race Cartoon
http//uss001.infi.net/flatoday/floridatoday/space
/weekly/w022700.htm
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Space Race Quiz

• What was the Space Race and when was it in
  relation to other events in the Cold War?
• What triggered the Space Race?
• What were some accomplishments made by Russia?
• What were some space accomplishments made by the
  United States?

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Works Cited

• Information
• CNN Interactive Cold War Experience.
  http//www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/experience/te
  chnology/
• Space Race." World Book Encyclopedia. 2002 ed.
• Images
• www.flags.net
• http//www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/experience/te
  chnology/space.timeline/us/v2/von.braun.gif
• http//www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/experience/te
  chnology/space.timeline/soviet/sputnik/sputnik.gif
  
• http//www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/experience/te
  chnology/space.timeline/us/man.on.moon/step.down.g
  if
• http//www.alstewart.com/history/redsquare.htm
• http//www.onemonkey.org/caspar/apolloxi.htm
• http//uss001.infi.net/flatoday/floridatoday/space
  /weekly/w022700.htm
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