Turning Point in American History: The Space Program

As Cold War tensions heated up between the United States and the Soviet Union, the Space Race also come to light. While both countries had explored the option of space travel with missiles, the Soviets were the first to launch an artificial satellite in 1957 (Siddiqi, 2007). Americans realized they had to catch up if they did not want to lose the Space Race to the Soviet Union.  This created a turning point in history, as the United States began to fight the Soviet Union seperate from the Cold War.

In 1958, President Eisenhower brought about the creation of the American space program in a entity called NASA (NASA, 2008). Just three short years later, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space (Ultimate Space Place, 2004). This was followed by many more firsts in the Space Race. Americans finally saw themselves as having potential to lead the way to the moon and beyond.

PRESIDENT EISENHOWER AT GENEVA CONFERENCE
At the July 1955 Geneva Conference President Eisenhower proposed an interesting idea called the Open Sky Policy.  He thought both the United States and Soviet Union should agree to allow reconnaissance aircraft to fly openly over their airspace.  The Soviets declined this idea, leading to President Eisenhower's decision to create a satellite program that would provide needed information (National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, n.d.).  (Photo Courtesy:  NOVA, 2007)

*****

 SOVIET SPUTNIK SATELLITE
The Soviet launch of the first artificial satellite called Sputnik on October 4, 1957 created what would be called the "Sputnik crisis" in the United States (Siddiqi, 2007). The government became concerned about the Soviet's new ability and the potential hazard it created for national security. The United States turned its attention to catching up and surpassing the Soviets in the space race. (Photo Courtesy: Siddiqi, 2007)

*****

PRESIDENT EISENHOWER VIEWS SPACE PHOTOS
Eager to catch up with the Soviets, President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958 (NASA, 2008). This created the agency known as NASA. Americans could finally feel confident that the government was charting their way into space. (Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons, n.d.)

*****

ASTRONAUT ALAN SHEPARD
Astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space on May 5, 1961. He piloted Freedom 7 on a 15 minute flight (Ultimate Space Place, 2004). Americans now realized they had a viable space program that could compete with the Soviets. (Photo Courtesy: Exploring Florida, 2004).

*****

PRESIDENT KENNEDY ISSUES CHALLENGE FOR SPACE PROGRAM
In a speech on May 25, 1961, President Kennedy issued a challenge to the American space program.  He wanted to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade.  Though some thought the idea crazy, NASA jumped at the chance (Cable News Network, 2001).  (Photo Courtesy: Wall Street Journal, 2009)

*****

APOLLO 11 CREW LEAVES THE AMERICAN FLAG ON THE MOON 
On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the moon in the first manned lunar landing. Two Americans became the first to leave their footprints and the American flag on the moon (Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, n.d.). The mission provided a great deal of pride for Americans, as well as scientific data and lunar samples. (Photo Courtesy: Hsu, 2011)

*****

PLAQUE COMMEMORATING APOLLO/ SOYUZ JOINT EFFORT
Despite the heated tensions caused by the Cold War, in July 1975 the United States and Soviet Union joined forces for their first collaborative space effort.  The United States' spacecraft Apollo docked with the Soviet's spacecraft Soyuz.  A plaque was made to commemorate the occassion, which was considered a success both in information gathered but also in proving the countries' ability to work together (NOVA, 2007).  (Photo Courtesy:  NOVA, 2007)

*****

SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA MEMORIAL

NEWSPAPER:  SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER TRAGEDY

The American space program was not without issues.  Two episodes in particular reminded Americans of the dangers involved in going into space.  On January 28, 1986 the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after lift-off (Broad, 2011).  Tragedy struck again when the Space Shuttle Columbia exploded upon re-entry on February 1, 2003 (Foxnews, 2003).  (Photo Courtesty:  Vacation Lovers, n.d.)

*****

THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
The International Space Station (ISS) marked another turning point in American history. Instead of merely racing against others to be the first to conquer space, the ISS brought countries together on one project (International Space Station, 1999). The facility is an internationally staffed research facility benefitting scientists from several countries. (Photo Courtesy: UPI.com, n.d.)

*****

References:

Broad, W. J. (2011).  The shuttle explodes.  Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0128.html

Cable News Network. (2001, May 25).  Man on the Moon:  Kennedy speech ignited the dream.  Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2001-05-25/tech/kennedy.moon_1_single-space-project-apollo-space-race?_s=PM:TECH

Exploring Florida. (2004). Freedom 7 and Shepard in flight. Retrieved from http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/florida/photos/nasa/people/people07.htm

Foxnews. (2003, February 1).  Space shuttle disintegrates; Seven astronauts killed.  Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,77253,00.html

Hsu, J. (2011, January 13). The myth of America's love affair with the Moon. Retrieved from http://www.space.com/10601-apollo-moon-program-public-support-myth.html

International Space Station. (1999, June 3). International Space Station. Retrieved from http://www.shuttlepresskit.com/ISS_OVR/index.htm

NASA. (2008, October 15). The National Aeronautics and Space Act. Retrieved from http://www.nasa.gov/offices/ogc/about/space_act1.html

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.  (n.d.).  Open Skies Proposal.  Retrieved from http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=1878

NOVA. (2007 October).  Space Race Time Line.  Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sputnik/time-nf.html

Siddiqi, A. (2007). Sputnik: A history of the beginning of the space age. Retrieved from http://faculty.fordham.edu/siddiqi/sws/sputnik/sputnik.html

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. (n.d.). Apollo 11 (AS-506) lunar landing mission. Retrieved from http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/imagery/apollo/AS11/a11.htm

Ultimate Space Place. (2004, February 2). Freedom 7. Retrieved from http://www.thespaceplace.com/history/mercury/mercury03.html

UPI.com. (n.d.). International Space Station at 5 years in space. Retrieved from http://www.upi.com/enl-win/e1c472c77b706aea96dee00727986f02/

Vacation Lovers.  (n.d.).  Washington DC vacation photos.  Retrieved from http://www.vacationlovers.net/washington_dc/washington_dc_04.html

Wall Street Journal.  (2009, July 17).  Apollo's Historic Lunar Landing.  Retrieved from http://blogs.wsj.com/photojournal/2009/07/17/apollos-historic-lunar-landing/

Wikimedia Commons. (n.d.) (no title). Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:President_Eisenhower_and_NASA_Administrator_Glennan_examine_photographs_taken_by_TIROS-1.jpg