The Space Race

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The Space Race
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Sputnik

• On October 4, 1957, the former Soviet Union
  launched the first artificial satellite into
  orbit around Earth.
• It was called Sputnik, the Russian word for
  satellite.
• The Soviets success caught Americans, who were
  expecting to be first in space, by surprise.

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Another First!

• Then the Russians achieved the Big One.
• Major Yuri Gagarin became the first to go into
  space.
• He orbited the Earth.
• The Soviets seemed unstoppable.

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President Kennedy

• On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy
  presented a bold challenge before a joint session
  of Congress Send a man to the Moon by the end of
  the decade.

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President Kennedy

• "I believe this nation should commit itself to
  achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of
  landing a man on the moon and returning him
  safely to the Earth,"

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Project Mercury

• 1958-1963
• Goals
• To orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth
• To investigate man's ability to function in
  space
• To recover both man and spacecraft safely.

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The Gemini Program

• 2 unmanned flight tests of equipment.
• 10 manned flights.
• Goals
• Longer time in space.
• Practice docking with other space vehicles.
• Practice entering the atmosphere and landing.

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The Apollo Program

• 1963-1972
• 1 Goal
• Land humans on the Moon and bring them back
  safely to Earth.

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July 20, 1969

• Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong took a small
  step for himself and a giant step for humanity,
  leaving a dusty trail of footprints on the moon.

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Apollos 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 landed on the
Moon.

• A total of 12 Apollo astronauts would reach the
  lunar surface over the next three years,
  collecting rocks, driving buggies and even
  practicing a little golf.

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• In memory of those who have given their lives in
  the quest to explore space.

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Apollo 1 27 January 1967

• Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, Commander Edward
  H.White II, Command Module Pilot Roger B.
  Chaffee, Lunar Module Pilot

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Soyuz 1 24 April 1967

• Vladimir M. Komarov, Commander

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Soyuz 11 / Salyut 1 29 June 1971

• Georgi T. Dobrovolsky, Commander Vladislav N.
  Volkov, Flight Engineer Viktor I. Patsayev,
  Research Engineer

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Challenger, 51-L 28 January 1986

• Francis R. Scobee, Commander Michael J. Smith,
  Pilot Judith A. Resnik, Mission Specialist
  Ellison S. Onizuka, Mission Specialist Ronald
  E. McNair, Mission Specialist Gregory B. Jarvis,
  Payload Specialist Sharon Christa McAuliffe,
  Payload Specialist

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Columbia, STS-107 1 February 2003

• Rick D. Husband, Commander William C. McCool,
  Pilot Michael P. Anderson, Payload Commander
  Kalpana Chawla, Mission Specialist David M.
  Brown, Mission Specialist Laurel B. Clark,
  Mission Specialist Ilan Ramon, (Israel) Payload
  Specialist