The Space Race
Labels: Dangerous, Daring, History, Rocketry, Technology
Fifty years ago today, the Space Race was won, but the Soviet Union. The USSR launched Sputnik, a small, simple satellite whose continuous beeping announced to the world their victory.
Three and a half years later, on 12 April 1961, the USSR would take the next step into space, when Senior Lieutenant Yuri Gagarin travelled into space aboard Vostok 1 (while in orbit, he was promoted to the rank of Major).
(Please ignore the obnoxious soundtrack in this video.)
The United States would put Alan Shepard into space less than a month later.
