The Space Race

NASA's origin story spawned from the well known "Space Race" between the US and the USSR, which itself spawned from the Cold War between those two countries. On this page, you'll learn about the Cold War, the Space Race, and Apollo 11, the space shuttle that brought the first men onto the moon.

1. The Cold War

A war like it, the world had never seen before. In the aftermath of World War II, the USA and the USSR's relationship with each other as allies only became more and more strained. Their different leadership styles and priorities, Democracy for the USA, and Communism for the USSR, was the central root behind their conflict. The Cold War was never declared, and therefore never terminated, but most experts agree that the war started in 1947, just 2 years after the traumatic events of WWII. It would not end for almost 45 years, in 1991.
In 1950, the USA had begun to study and test atomic bombs. The USSR, or Soviet Union, went the same path. The Cold War's name comes from the apprehension and tension that seemed to come as a package deal for these weapons. Both countries became ready to use these bombs on one another if necessary. There was one huge problem, though. If two many of these bombs were used, it was feared they could cause the end of the world with it's radioactive and deadly power. The majority of the war was spent spying on each other's nuclear arms progress and, truth be told, a nagging sense for citizens in the back of their heads in both countries that each day could be their last. From The Cold War came the Space Race. The USA and the Soviet Union would see who could get into space sooner. But it was so much more than that. Deep down, at it's heart, it was a quest to see which country was better.

2. The Space Race

Why it might be considered odd, there is still debate about who actually won the Space Race. Some argue that the Soviets one as they were, in fact, the first to get a man into space. Others say that the USA won as they were the first to land on the moon. Either way, it was an important time for air flight. The Wright brothers had only set off in their plane in 1903, and come 1960, airplanes have broken the speed barrier, and the next step is outer space! It was a time of hope and excitement in midst of chaos. Job numbers went up due to the increase of people needed to help the USA.
In 1961, on April 12, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin officially became the first human in space. On July 20th, 1969, the USA landed the first man on the moon. His name was Neil Armstrong,and he came aboard the Apollo 11.

3. The Apollo 11

On July 20, 1969, the USA made history. They managed to put a man on the moon, over 238,900 miles away. Aboard the Apollo 11 lived Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin. "The Apollo missions would begin with several unmanned test flights followed by a few manned flights to the Moon (but not landing on it), and eventually, the actual Moon landings themselves (bobthealien.co.uk)."
The Apollo program had a rough start. During a space launch simulation, a fire broke out, killing the three members inside, Virgil Grissom, Ed White and Roger B. Chaffee. It was later revealed that faulty wiring was the culprit. Later missions were varying in manned (Apollo 7, 8, 9, and 10) and unmanned (Apollo 4, 5, and 6. Strangely, there were no Apollo 2 or 3 space shuttles or missions.). Apollo 4 was a tester for all components that would be used in a manned space launch, and Apollo 10 was, in short, a dress rehearsal for Apollo 11, with everything playing out except for the actual moon landing. Apollo 11's journey through the stars lasted several days as each crew member slowly yet surely got closer to his destiny.
The space shuttle had some very close calls along it's journey. Just as the crew was descending the ship onto the moon, they received an error code. The landing computer was simply overbooked. It was time to shut down, reboot, and start up again. But after a quick conversation with NASA back on Earth, it was decided that their safest bet was to plunge onward. Sure enough, the crew remained safe and they reached they landed on the moon.
It was time. Neil Armstrong, as Commander, was going to be the first man of the human civilization to step foot on the moon. And step he did. It was a step 66 years in the making, ever since the Wright brothers changed the world forever. His famous quote rings in the heart of every American to this day: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."