Cold War and Space Race

• During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were in a battle for supremacy, competing for superior political, economic, and military influence, including aiming for scientific advancements and setting records.

Early Space Race Foundations

• Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager, a United States Air Force pilot, broke the sound barrier in the X-1 in October 1947.
• The Soviet Union launched Sputnik, a 184-pound aluminum satellite, into low Earth orbit on October 4, 1957 which caught the U.S. off guard.
• In January 1958, the United States succeeded in launching Explorer 1 after a failed attempt with Vanguard 1.
• NACA became NASA on October 1, 1958.

Project Mercury

• The United States Air Force had a program called "Man In Space Soonest" which was scrapped after the formation of NASA's Project Mercury.
• The Mercury Seven were selected to be the first astronauts.
• Alan Shepard was selected to be the first man to go up.
• Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was sent into space by the Soviets in April 1961.
• John F. Kennedy declared that America would beat the Russians to the moon by the end of the decade.
• John Glenn became an American icon after orbiting the Earth.
• Project Mercury ended with Leroy "Gordo" Cooper in 1963.

Project Gemini

• "The New Nine" astronauts were chosen to help America get to the moon.
• Project Gemini tested if a man could work in space which included rendezvous, docking, extra-vehicular activity, or staying in space for long periods of time.
• The Russians achieved the first EVA with cosmonaut Alexey Leonov.
• America got its first successful spacewalk with Ed White on Gemini 4 in 1965.
• Buzz Aldrin simulated the conditions of working in space using a swimming pool which helped him make working in space look easy.
• All of Gemini's objectives were accomplished, and the stage was set for Apollo.

Project Apollo

• The Apollo 1 crew which included Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee died in a fire during a routine test on the launch pad; the cause of the fire was due to frayed wiring serving as an ignition source, combined with the 100% pure oxygen environment.
• Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov died when the parachute on his Soyuz spacecraft failed to properly deploy.
• Apollo 7 got America back into the race in October 1968.
• Apollo 8 which included Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders circumnavigated the moon and came back safely in December 1968.
• Neil Armstrong stepped off the lunar module on July 20, 1969 which signified America's victory in the space race.
• Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planted "Old Glory" on the moon.
• The moon missions ended after Apollo 17 due to a public disinterest towards moon missions, and spaceflight, and budget cuts.
• Apollo 13 suffered an accident on the way to the moon.
• The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975 marked the beginning of international efforts in space.