Vostok

Soviet’s Voskhod Launch was ‘Undoubtedly a Greater Risk’

By Bob Granath | October 15, 2024

In the autumn of 1964, the Soviet Union achieved another space spectacular with the flight of the first multi-person spacecraft. On board was a pilot cosmonaut and the first civilians to fly in space – a physician and an engineer. Russia’s stated confidence in the reliability of their technology noted that there was no need for pressure suits. However, in the years since the fall of the Soviet regime, Russian space experts confirmed the mission was primarily for propaganda and included significant risks.

The U.S. Edges Ahead in the Race for Space, Shoots for the Moon

By Bob Granath | November 28, 2022

The “Space Race” between the United States and the Soviet Union remains an often studied and debated period of the 20th Century. While the Russians began with a lead, once challenged, the leadership of President John F. Kennedy resulted in Americans surpassing their Cold War rival on the way to the Moon. While the effort was politically motivated, the technology that came from space exploration built the modern world.

How Did the United States Take the Lead in the ‘Space Race?’

By Bob Granath | October 26, 2022

One of the most memorable periods of the 20th Century is known as the “Space Race” between the United States and the Soviet Union. While the Russians got off to a fast start with many impressive firsts, Americans quickly pulled ahead and met the goal of landing humans on the Moon. But, historians do not universally agree on when the competition actually began and at what point NASA took the lead.

Shepard’s Flight was Crucial Step in Long Journey of Exploration

By Bob Granath | May 5, 2021

According to an ancient Chinese proverb, “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” NASA is preparing to return astronauts to the Moon followed by exploration of Mars, a planet that is 121 million miles from Earth. Those journeys began 60 years ago with a single, 116-mile “step” into space by Alan Shepard on May 5, 1961.

Yuri Gagarin’s Historic Flight Broke the ‘Chains of Gravity’

By Bob Granath | April 12, 2021

The dream of breaking the “chains of gravity” and traveling through space was realized six decades ago on April 12, 1961. At age 27, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin launched into a one-orbit mission around the Earth becoming the first person to venture into the cosmos. While it was another volley in the Cold War with the United States, it marked a historic achievement hailed around the world.

American-Developed Abort System Helped Save a Russian Space Crew

By Bob Granath | June 28, 2020

Spaceflight is inherently dangerous. From the earliest days of designing spacecraft for crews, engineers have looked for ways astronauts could be rescued in the event of a mishap involving the rocket. An American-developed option — a launch escape system, or escape tower – was copied by the Soviet Union and it saved the lives of two Russian cosmonauts.

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