1.+The+Space+Race

=The Space Race! Gathering Storm =

During World War II, a group of Nazi scientists under the command of Wernher von Braun succeeded in creating a rocket capable of striking long range targets. The V-2 rocket, first successfully tested in 1943, was capable of bombing cities from a distance of up to 200 miles away. Though only used towards the end of the war in 1945, the V-2 rocket was used to bomb both British and Belgian towns, causing an estimated 7,250 military and civilian casuaties. This momentous technological achievement forever changed the face of modern warfare. America and European powers alike became obsessed with the idea of long range, devastating missles, and Nazi scientists were secretly assimilated into both American and Soviet military research projects (through Operation Paperclip). The age of the ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missle) had been born.

Growing Fears
In the wake of the destruction caused by the atomic bombs, the Soviet Union felt threatened by America's dominance in the atomic age. As a result, military and political tensions rose between these two superpowers to create the infamous Cold War in 1945. To protect itself from U.S air bases in Turkey and mainland Europe, the U.S.S.R began to develop ICBMs of its own, and successfully tested their R-7 rocket in August of 1957. Then on July 29, 1957, the United States announced Project Vanguard, which planned to launch an articficial satellite into the earth's atmosphere by 1958. Two days later, fearing that the U.S would gain an even greater technological advantage over them, the Soviet Union announced their own plans to deploy an unmanned satellite by the end of 1957. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched its satellite, Sputnik I, into the earth's orbit. Though only 22.8 inches in diameter and just over 180 pounds in weight, Sputnik still managed to scare the American government and public with the thought of a Russian pressence looming over their heads. To make matters worse, America's own attempted foray into orbital satellites (Project Vanguard) failed horribly when the Vanguard missle exploded during its launch on December 6, 1957. This failure further demonstrated Russia's dominance over the United States in space technology.

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= = = = =First Steps =

Due to the huge boost to Russian morale that Sputnik I's launch caused, the U.S.S.R quickly rushed to send another satellite into space before the end of the year. On November 3, 1957, the Soviets launched Sputnik II into space less than a month later using another R-7 ICBM. However, this mission was not merely meant to be another blow to American morale. Sputnik II was significantly important in elevating the Cold War tensions between the U.S and Russia because it was the first mission to launch a living creature into space. Soviet scientists chose to send the small dog, Laika, into space. She was kept tethered to her small flight crate and had feeding and waste extraction tubes implanted into her body. While food, water and a costly cooling apparatus were meant to keep Laika alive for seven days, the cooling system malfunctioned and Laika died as a result of over heating. Despite this inhumane death, Laika's sacrifice paved the way for human space travel.

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