The Space Race has pushed Space Technology development to new frontiers. If there were no competition to gain superiority, the world would have been a different place. Thanks to this race, now we are thinking about colonizing Mars. In the meantime, smaller companies are building new carriers, Skylark L included, to make satellite launches more affordable. So, let’s discover exciting space race facts and try to think of our future potential.
The race was a result of an intense rivalry between the United States and Soviet Union (USSR). This competition revolved around who could send a man to outer space first, who would have the upper hand in satellite technology, and who would conquer space.
But this competition was not always like this. During World War II period, the focus of USA-USSR rivalry was between who could develop Nuclear Ballistic Missiles. As a result of the cosmic race, both countries carried out many successful uncrewed missions, launched many artificial satellites, and sent many probes to Mars, Moon, and the Earth’s lower orbit.
A Brief History of Space Race
Right after World War II, there was a power vacuum in the global political arena. The USA was a strong advocate of democracy. And they were a truly Capitalist society. On the opposite side, the USSR was a Communist country. Both countries were showing off their military power, fire-power, weapons arsenal, and global alliances. All of these affected space race technology advancement.
This competition was not fair all the time. Both countries accused each other of espionage. They would send spies to uncover each other’s top secrets. And when the Korean War broke out, things escalated quickly. Moreover, The Cuban Missile Crisis and establishment of the Berlin Wall back in 1961, only made things worse between these two powerhouses. This cosmic race continued until the USSR’s fall (1991).
Rocket Development During the Space Race?
Thanks to a cosmic race, human civilization saw great technological achievements, and rocket technology was one of them. At first, the USSR had the upper hand. They landed the first man-made artificial spacecraft into the Earth’s Orbit.
Back in 1957, Soviet Union launched the R-7 into space, which is better known as Sputnik. In Russian, Sputnik means “satellite.” This news was a great blow to American society. They took it as a big defeat. US army and government officials were particularly worried about the USSR’s ability to place a Nuclear Warhead right above them, orbiting the Earth.
Creation of NASA
This made America inquiry into USSR’s military power and what next projects they had planned. Only after a year after the USSR launched their Sputnik into space, USA President Dwight D. Eisenhower formed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, shortly known as NASA. A new stage of NASA space race began. Due to their dedication and hard work, USA was able to launch Explorer I that same year.
The USA also established two other cosmic programs. The first one was intended to send satellites into low Earth orbit to gather more intelligence about the USSR and its allies. This program was named “Corona” and was kept a secret. CIA, US Air force, and National Reconnaissance Office were responsible for this program.
Another program was intended to discover how space could be used to establish military superiority over other nations.
Sending Men, and Chimps to Space
During the Space Race, scientists sent humans, chimps, as well as dogs to man space probes. After their success with Sputnik Spacecraft, USSR sent another spaceship to the Moon. Luna 2 was launched back in 1959, and it successfully landed on the Moon.
USSR were the first ones to also send a man to outer space. Back in 1961, Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth in Vostok 1 spacecraft. During that time, the cosmic race was heating up fast. That same year, the USA sent American astronaut Alan Shepard into space.
To get the upper-hand in Space Rivalry, NASA’s budget was increased by a margin of 500%. During 1961-1964, NASA had an in-house team of 34,000 people. They also had another 375,000 people working as individual contractors.
How Technology from the Space Race Changed Our World?
Both the USA and USSR had shared their research and technology with their allies, thus consolidating their superiority. As part of their effort, they trained many scientists, academicians, and engineers.
India is a country that greatly benefited from the Space Race between the USA and USSR. Indian scientists received training and support from both these countries. India was the first South-Eastern Asian nation to launch its probes. Indian Space Research Organization and the USSR, sent Aryabhata, India’s first satellite, in April of 1975.
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