Our final topic of this quarter of space is very current and will continue to be a major focus of science and the arts for centuries to come. My favorite topics covered in the lectures involved the first satellites and humans being sent into space. In 1957, right smack dab in the middle of the Cold War, the Soviets launched Sputnik I, the world’s first artificial satellite (NASA.gov). While the U.S. at the time had been focusing on staying ahead of the arms race with the Soviets, the Russians chose to lap the Americans in the space race. The size of a beach ball, Sputnik I was designed to be elegant and received massive media coverage of its launch, thanks to its ability to transmit radio signals back to Earth (History.com). Sputnik I Shortly thereafter, in 1961, the Russians secured another victory in the space race when they sent the first man into space, Yuri Gagarin (Redd). The United States, would respond, however, with a massive push in space...
Comments
Post a Comment