...s not before the end of orld ar II, hoever, hen people became serious about traveling to the Moon. It as the time of the Cold ar and both superpoers ere struggling to prove that they possessed superior technology. At first the Soviet Union seemed to be ahead but the United States ere far from admitting defeat in the space race. In the folloing I ant to give you a more detailed picture about mankinds ay into space. Since it as difficult to access Russian sources I had to focus on the American efforts.1. The Sputnik ShockIn both Russia and the United States the space race as a military project in the beginning. In the Soviet union it as headed by Sergei Pavlovich Korolev. In the 30s he led an amateur rocketry organization. In the 40s and early 50s he as forced to ork in Stalins labor camps.After Stalins death he as alloed to focus on his rocket project again. On May 20, 1954, his design bureau got an order from the government to develop the first Russian intercontinental ballistic missile ICBM. Some plans already existed for the so-called R-7. It as supposed to be an offensive eapon against the United States that could be launched from Russian territory. Six days later he handed over a paper that as ritten by his friend M. Tikhonravov. It as titled Report on an Artificial Satellite of the Earth. It stated that the R-7 missile could be used to launch satellites into space. Yet, the R-7 remained a military project. The military officials intended it to be a eapon and ere reluctant to admit missile launches ith it. About a year afterards the first Soviet Organization devoted to space flight as born. In August 1955 Korolev presented a ne paper to a Soviet governmental commission. The R-7 should be used to lift a 1500kg object into space. Based on the report he received permission to use the rocket as a satellite launcher. Many Soviet military leaders ere against the project because they feared that it might interfere ith the ballistic missile development. Korolev as able to convince the Soviet leader Khrushchev of the contrary. The program could finally be started.In the first days the program as processing sloly. It as formally approved on January 30, 1966, months after the plans ere turned in. Subcontractors ere not making required deliveries. orst of all the R-7 did not have enough thrust to lift the heavy satellite. Its eight had to be reduced form 1500kg to 100kg. The program as nearing completion in August 1957 hen the first Russian ICBM, the R-7 as successfully tested. The rocket as no being modified for the orlds first satellite launch. It had to stages and a length of 29 meters. On October 4, 1957 the rocket as ready for launch. Six minutes after lift-off Sputnik as released. Sputnik as designed to determine the density of Earths upper atmosphere. Hoever, it only transmitted signals for a short time. A month later, a second Sputnik as launched. It brought the first living being into space, the dog Laika. For about a eek medical data as collected. Afterards the dog had to be put to sleep since a safe reentry as not possible at that time. The last Sputnik that as shot into space as the one that as intended to go up first. It as launched on May 15, 1958. For to years it performed experiments on the Earths magnetic field and ionosphere. The launch of Sputnik as a shock to the estern orld since there ere no previous announcements. The Russians seemed to be ahead of the Russians. In order to close this gap the National Aeronautics and Space Organization NASA as created on October 1, 1958.2. The Mercury Project2.1. hat as Mercury aboutProject Mercury as launched one year after Sputnik as shot into space on October 7, 1958 as NASAs first project. It had three prime objectives.to send manned spacecraft into orbit circle Earth to find out eather humans can ork properly in space, and to recover both man and spacecraft safely.The Mercury engineers ere true pioneers. Nothing that they ere doing has ever been done before. The engineers had to build a space capsule that protects humans in space from the vacuum, the freezing cold temperatures, the radiation of space that has just been discovered, and the astronauts had to survive the heat of the reentry into the atmosphere during hich the spacecraft ould be flying very fast. The engineers found that the ideal shape for the spacecraft as bullet-like. They put strong heat shields on the front side so that the astronaut could survive the reentry. The Mercury capsules ere driven into space by to different propulsion systems. At first the astronauts ere boosted into space by Redstone Rockets hich ere only good for sub-orbital flights. Later the more poerful Atlas-D rockets ere used. The Atlas-D as a modified ballistic missile. Its skin as extra thin to safe eight, so that it had to be pressurized from ithin.Compared ith todays standards the Mercury capsules ere very small. They had about 12,000m3 of Volume hich is just the right size for one person to squeeze in. The internal controls ere poered ith batteries. Inside there ere 120 controls, and 90 sitches and levers. Despite that great number of instruments Mercury as only able change its orientation in space.2.2. Mission HistoryOut of a group of 110 military pilots, seven ere chosen to become Americas first Astronauts, the Mercury Seven. They all gave their spacecraft a name hich ended ith a 7 to emphasize the teamork among them. Before they could go on their mission tests on animals, and even a breathing robot ere conducted. On May 5, 1961, a Redstone, that as given the name Freedom 7, as ready to take off. It took Allan B. Shepard Jr. on a 15 minute space ride that as atched by 45 million Americans on TV. He had the experience of eightlessness for five minutes hile he as traveling in a height of 187km.Nine months later it as John H. Glenns turn to make the first trip ith an Atlas-D, hich he had named Friendship 7. Glenn remained in the orbit for almost five hours, circling Earth three times. After experiencing a sunrise and a sunset in space he returned safely to Earth as a national hero. The primary objective of the Mercury Project as thus fulfilled. Other Mercury missions folloed, most noticeably Faith 7 the last one hich started in May 1963. It as supposed to be an endurance test. L. Gordon Cooper spent 34 hours in space and rounded Earth 22 times. On board he slept, and made some great pictures of the Earth. He as also the first person to launch a satellite in space.2.3. The Importance of MercuryThe Mercury Project ansered many of the basic questions about space flight. It has proven that is possible to build rockets that are strong enough to launch humans into space, and that they could survive there. The engineers gained much experience and learned about the difficulties of preparing a rocket. It also shoed that a global communications netork as necessary to make the missions more secure. The program as so successful that the last scheduled mission could be canceled. Presiden...
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