SPACE

The Space Race

October 1957: Sputnik

Being 8 years old, it was a shock to learn our scary enemy launched an artificial moon and America didn't have one yet! The following competition I followed closely. We watched Sputnik pass overhead in the early evenings when it was visible. Then Sputnik 2 with a dog on board. In December the US Navy attempted to launch Vangard 1. It went a whole 2 feet up before crashing down on itself. In January Exlporer 1 was launched successfully on a Jupiter rocket. A drum on top made of Sargent rockets began to spin just before launch and continued spinning to stableize it once in orbit. A final Sargent rocket boosted Exlorer 1 from it's drum and placed it in it's final orbit. We finally did it! Many more faluires and successes followed but we only heard of the Soviet successful "spectaculars" launched on large boosters.

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