How US Politics, Science, and Daring Won the Space Race

The Space Race between the US and the USSR had only intensified the Cold War, and the Soviets proved to be well ahead of the Americans. A Senator from Texas pushed for new legislation that would enable the US to compete. The first initiative was to catch up with the USSR by putting a man in space and then to orbit the Earth. The next step was to win the race.International Geophysical Year - https://www.nasa.gov/history/70-years-ago-scientists-establish-the-international-geophysical-year/Sputnik - https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/ussr-launches-sputnik/Sputnik - https://history.state.gov/milestones/1953-1960/sputnikBaikonur - https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/12/09/russias-cosmos-town-an-isolated-relic-of-soviet-glory-a75772 Baikonur - https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Baikonur_Cosmodrome Yuri - https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/april-1961-first-human-entered-space/#:~:text=Yuri%20Gagarin%20from%20the%20Soviet,not%20land%20inside%20of%20capsule. NASA Act 1958 - https://www.senate.gov/general/Features/SpaceLanding_Article_display.htmNASA Act - https://www.nasa.gov/history/65-years-ago-the-national-aeronautics-and-space-act-of-1958-creates-nasa/#:~:text=President%20Eisenhower%20signed%20the%20National,of%20the%20International%20Geophysical%20Year. Mercury program - https://www.nasa.gov/missions/project-mercury/in-the-beginning-project-mercury/Alan Shepard bio - https://achievement.org/achiever/admiral-alan-shepard-jr/First flight - https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/shepards-mercury-flight-was-first-step-on-the-long-journey-to-mars/ Vanguard - https://www.nasa.gov/history/60-years-ago-vanguard-fails-to-reach-orbit/ Mercury Shepard - https://www.nasa.gov/mission/mercury-redstone-3-freedom-7/ Alan Shepard ship - https://airandspace.si.edu/explore/stories/alan-shepardJohn Glenn - https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/friendship-7-transcriptGlenn bio - https://www.nasa.gov/people/john-glenn/ Ranger 8 - https://science.nasa.gov/mission/ranger-8/JFK Congress - https://www.nasa.gov/history/60-years-ago-president-kennedy-proposes-moon-landing-goal-in-speech-to-congress/JFK Rice - https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/historic-speeches/address-at-rice-university-on-the-nations-space-effort Ranger Program - https://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/past/ranger.html