History vault the cold wars featured photo

cold war

By IsraelF

  • space race

    space race
    Sputnik, 1957. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the earth's first artificial satellite, Sputnik-1. ... As a result, the launch of Sputnik served to intensify the arms race and raise Cold War tensions. During the 1950s, both the United States and the Soviet Union were working to develop new technology.

  • space race

    space race
    At last, on January 31, 1958, the United States succeeded in launching its first satellite, the Explorer. The Explorer was smaller than Sputnik.
    When John F. Kennedy became president in 1961, the United Space fell further behind. The Soviets had already placed a dog in space. Now in Kennedy’s first year on April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to orbit the Earth.

  • space race

    space race
    Many prepared for a Soviet attack with bomb shelters and “duck and cover” drills in school where kids would quickly hide under their desks to prepare for a possible nuclear bomb attack.
    Thousands rushed to stores to purchase bomb shelter kits. Congress created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958 and set aside money for science education.
    The successful Sputnik launch shocked the United States.

  • space race

    space race
    Americans who happened to be gazing at the stars on Friday, October 4, 1957, may have noticed an object crossing the evening sky. Radio listeners, too, may have heard “beep, beep, beep” coming from their radios. An important event had occurred in the Soviet Union. The Soviets had launched an artificial satellite into orbit around Earth. The satellite was named Sputnik, Russian for “traveling companion.” It sent the beeping radio signals as it orbited the globe.

  • space race

    space race
    The first fatal accident in the history of U.S. space flight occurred on January 27, 1967, during preparations for the first manned mission of the Apollo space program. A flash fire broke out in the command module of Apollo 204 during a simulated launch at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, killing astronauts Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee of asphyxiation.