Space Race

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S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

Tonight, we found ourselves at a moment in history where mankind is no longer merely gazing at the stars. We are reaching out to touch them. You and I are living through the most breathtaking hours our civilization has ever known. Since Sputnik pierced the silence of the heavens a few years ago, one question has dominated every household across the globe.

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S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

which flag the star and stripes or the soviet hammer and sickle will be the first to fly over the ancient dust of the moon engineers are working around the clock defying the very laws of physics to tear our fellow man away from the invisible grip of earth's gravity

0:56

S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

Every lunch is a gamble with life itself, every successful orbit a giant stride into the great unknown. But one thing is certain, the world we knew is expanding beyond all recognition. Tonight, we bring you the lattice on this space race that has captured the heart and the imagination of our century. But firstly, why are we in this race? It's simple.

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S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

The world has been divided since 1947. On one side, the United States. On the other, the Soviet Union. They aren't fighting with soldiers yet.

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S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

But they are fighting with science, which is why we call it Cold War. To understand better, let's do a chronology of the space race. It all began in 1957. The word was chained by when the USSR launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite. That metallic beep-beep from the sky marked the official start of the competition.

1:58

S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

In 1961, the Soviet Union took the lead again with Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space. In response, President Kennedy issued his bold challenge, America won't land a man on the moon before the end of the decade.

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S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

The mid-1960s, it was a time of daring spacewalks, orbital rendezvous and early tragedies as both superpowers pushed forward at a relentless pace.

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S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

And finally, in 1969, the Apollo 11 mission achieved the impossible. Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface, bringing this frantic race to an end before the eyes of 600 million television viewers. We're lucky to personally ask questions to a NASA expert in space exploration, who's currently in space.

2:55

S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

Good evening, Ndaya, and thank you for being with us today. From your perspective as an expert, how did the conquest of space begin? At first, space exploration started as a competition during the Cold War. The United States and the Soviet Union wanted to show their power through the technology.

3:19

S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

I see. And beyond their historical significance, what did the launch of Sputnik 1 and the moon landing represent from a purely technical and engineering standpoint? Key events like the launch of Sputnik in 1957 and the moon landing in 1969 were major successes and important scientific steps.

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S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

And how has the approach to space exploration changed over the decades? Over time, space exploration evolves into a field of international cooperation. The International Space Station stand as a key example, enabling continuous scientific researches in microgravity and fostering collaboration between nations.

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S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

In what ways is the modern landscape of space exploration evolving? Today, the sector is undergoing a major transformation. Private companies are reducing launch costs through its reusable rockets, while space agencies are focused on long-term goals such as returning to the Moon and sending humans to Mars.

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S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

however there are still challenges such as space debris health risks for astronauts and long missions in space space exploration to man's

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S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

important because it helped science progress and prepare the future of humanity. Thank you very much Ndaya for your analysis and expertise of this historical event. Now we have two more guests, Valentin, a NASA scientist, and Baya, an American citizen who witnessed the whole space race through her television. Thank you for making us some time to answer questions.

5:27

S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

So, how did the USSR start this space race, and what was the reaction of the country? It really began in October 1957, when we received a radio transmission. Later, we learned it was from Sputnik, their first artificial satellite, carrying an Air-7 rocket. This was the beginning that put the Cold War in a new front in space.

5:54

S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik on October 4, it truly took American citizens like me by surprise, since we had a whole hope that the United States would be the first one to achieve this scientific advancement. When we heard the news on TV, it was a shock for us. The launch of Sputnik had an effect on American public opinion comparable to that of Pearl Abu. I remember going out next morning and my whole neighborhood was in shock. At work,

6:23

S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

Everyone was talking about nothing else. They even created the illusion of a technological lag. We all believe that we are going to lose the space race and that the United States was far behind the USSR.

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S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

This encouraged increased spending on aerospace, technical and scientific education programs and the creation of new federal agencies responsible for research and development in aerospace fields. I can tell you that the launch of Sputnik really anticipated the armed race and tension between our country and the USSR rose sharply.

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S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

And what was the answer of the United States to the USSR? Was it harder than expected? For our side, we had several failures despite our hard work.

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S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

But we still kept confident. For example, we launched into space a rocket that carried a satellite called Explorer on January 31, 1958. In addition, three weeks after Gagarin, we launched our first astronaut Alan Shepard into space. But to be honest, it was really less successful and impressive than the USSR. Why do you think it wasn't a success?

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S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

Were you perhaps anxious about the tension maybe? The reason we were particularly anxious is that by this progress, the USSR could attack us, sending missiles without any planes. It was terrifying. It must have been very scary, but you didn't give up so easily. And when was the NASA founded and what were your fears about this race?

8:15

S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

It was in October 1958 that the National Agronautics and Space Administration was founded, encompassing our section in Alabama. The last part of this space race was the moon target. The USSR sent Luna 2 to hit the moon in 1959. At this time, I believed it was the end. The USSR was going to be the winner.

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S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

They succeeded in sending the first satellite, the first living creature, and on April 12, 1961, the first man named Yuri Gagarin. And what were the primary challenges and controversial factors that influenced the early years of the space race? And how did the US eventually shift its focus toward the moon? The space race was very stressful and difficult.

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S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

Each day, we were afraid of receiving any messages or transmissions that proved that the USSR was winning. At the beginning, NASA didn't exist. We worked in Huntsville in Alabama. In my opinion, the truth is we couldn't succeed so quickly without German knowledge, which was the best until World War II.

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S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

Indeed, after the end of World War II, the government paid some Nazi scientists in order their work for the United States. For example, the knowledge of Werner Von Born, a former SS officer who made V2 missiles, was very crucial for us. However, even with our best wishes and works, for almost a decade, the USSR was better than us.

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S… Speaker 3 (Space Race)

On April 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy challenged the country to send and return an American to the moon before the end of the decade. It wasn't a battle anymore, but a goal to make our nation proud. Two other factors indirectly helped us. In a part, the death of Korolev in 1966. He was a former Nazi scientist, too, working for the USSR.

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S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

he led the majority of space missions so without his skills the space projects began to fail and in another part there were some internal disagreements about trying to send humans to the moon how did the project gemini pave the way for the apollo missions and what was the significance of the apollo 11 landing for those working behind the scenes

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S… Speaker 3 (Space Race)

During the 60s, we created first the project Gemini, in which astronauts tested technology needed for future flights and tested their own ability to endure many days in a spaceship. The second project, following this first one, was the famous project Apollo.

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S… Speaker 3 (Space Race)

In December 1968, Apollo 8 succeeded to orbit around the Moon with a man inside. This was followed by the first lunar landing on July 20, 1969 with Apollo 11.

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S… Speaker 3 (Space Race)

With this mission, we could collect samples of rock and lunar dust. That day was full of stress, anxiety and pride. And hearing the testimony of a citizen supports our pride. In the lab, we were all full of solidarity and happiness at the moment when Armstrong put his foot on the moon. We succeeded in accomplishing the challenge we won.

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S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

Baya, how did the space race impact the economy in the United States?

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S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

I remember that few years ago, in 1969, there was a debate about paying taxes to fund the space race. Many Americans agreed that it was worth spending so much money on the space race. It was very important for us to be the first one on the moon and to maintain our position in the world. Some didn't think the money should be spent as well because the space race brought people together, especially through mass media. Million people watched the American mission live, but some people like me.

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S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

There was a better way to spend that money such as fighting poverty, providing housing or funding education. That said, I still love following the space race. How did the invention of the television impact the Americans during Apollo 11 launch?

12:49

S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

Indeed, television played a major role during the space race, and I can give you the example of the Apollo 11 mission. For me, that mission was an historic day. Every American citizen was watching it on TV. To give you an idea, more than 53.5 million American households watched the Apollo 11 mission.

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S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

For two weeks, it was the most watched program. Every day, I turned on my TV and followed the entire mission. At that time, everyone was talking about nothing else. Thanks to television, we felt like we were right there with the astronauts. At work, everyone was talking about Apollo 11. Children were talking among themselves about Apollo. I can tell you that Apollo 11 was on every American's lips.

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S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

Upon their return, the astronauts embark on a tour, visiting 23 countries in 38 days. Everyone followed this tour on TV. So the euphoria of this mission didn't end when they came back. Do you think that Apollo 11 was really part of the Cold War? Wasn't it something more significant for us?

14:01

S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

These days, we often heard that the lunar missions were part of the Cold War. Technically, this is true for most of the space program. It was a show of power, but not Apollo 11. The plague on the moon's Belgian inscription, we came in peace for all mankind. At that moment, the whole world was ignited, hoping the mission would success.

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S… Speaker 2 (Space Race)

It was the most widely covered event of all time and the world was more united than ever. All over the world, everyone who could watch it on television. We came in peace for all mankind and all of the humanity was watching us. During those few days, humanity triumphed over patriotism. Peace triumphed over war. In one way or another, we all took part in it.

14:55

S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

Thank you very much Valentin and Baya for answering all of our questions.

15:00

S… Speaker 1 (Space Race)

We hope that we've been learning you more about the historical events we're all currently witnessing. And we also hope that the future will hold more exploration of the unknown that will straighten our ties as human beings. Stay tuned and see you tomorrow.

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