Why the hell are they depressed? The Soviet Union won the Space Race. They were the first to put an object in space, the first to put a living being in space, the first to bring a living being back from space, the first to put a man in space (and bring him back). They designed, built, and proved the viability of the automobile, the US just proved that with a good sense of direction acquired from others you could park it at the grocery store, pick up your groceries, and bring them back.

USSR space firsts up until '69:

# 1957: First intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7 Semyorka
# 1957: First satellite, Sputnik 1
# 1957: First animal to enter Earth orbit, the dog Laika on Sputnik 2
# 1959: First firing of a rocket in Earth orbit, first man-made object to escape Earth's orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First data communications, or telemetry, to and from outer space, Luna 1.
# 1959: First man-made object to pass near the Moon, first man-made object in Solar orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First probe to impact the Moon, Luna 2
# 1959: First images of the moon's far side, Luna 3
# 1960: First animals to safely return from Earth orbit, the dogs Belka and Strelka on Sputnik 5.
# 1960: First probe launched to Mars, Marsnik 1
# 1961: First probe launched to Venus, Venera 1
# 1961: First person in space (International definition) and in Earth orbit, Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1, Vostok programme
# 1961: First person to spend over a day in space Gherman Titov, Vostok 2 (also first person to sleep in space).
# 1962: First dual manned spaceflight and approach, Vostok 3 and Vostok 4
# 1963: First woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok 6
# 1964: First multi-man crew (3), Voskhod 1
# 1965: First EVA, by Aleksei Leonov, Voskhod 2
# 1965: First probe to hit another planet (Venus), Venera 3
# 1966: First probe to make a soft landing on and transmit from the surface of the moon, Luna 9
# 1966: First probe in lunar orbit, Luna 10
# 1967: First unmanned rendezvous and docking, Cosmos 186/Cosmos 188. (Until 2006, this had remained the only major space achievement that the US had not duplicated.)
# 1969: First docking between two manned craft in Earth orbit and exchange of crews, Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5

I'm not knocking the moon landings, but seriously. They won.

Dr. Mojo PhD: They won.

I wouldn't exactly say it's over yet, and now there are more contenders.

nekom: I wouldn't exactly say it's over yet, and now there are more contenders.

It was the time of innovation that the race meant anything though. Now even developing nations have the power that once belonged solely in the domain of two superpowers. Even the great powers of the time couldn't accomplish what the USA and USSR did. Canada sent the first commercial satellite into space, but they did it on the backs of the USA and the USSR. Now it's just a matter of course.

Then they should be the first ones to land on the sun.

OK how 'bout double or nothing on Mars?

First we beat their ass to the moon,now we,re taking their wimmens.Stick that comrade

If they'd only spent more money supporting their film industry, they could have faked a moon landing by 1967 at the latest.

No we didn't

They'll get over it

In Russia, moon land on you.

USA! USA! USA!

/obligatory

Dr. Mojo PhD: USSR space firsts up until '69:

Yeah, but the moon was the big prize.
And we beat 'em there.

I like it here on Earth.

They can have the moon.

If this upsets her, I am here to comfort Maria Sharapova.

Dr. Mojo PhD: Why the hell are they depressed? The Soviet Union won the Space Race. They were the first to put an object in space, the first to put a living being in space, the first to bring a living being back from space, the first to put a man in space (and bring him back). They designed, built, and proved the viability of the automobile, the US just proved that with a good sense of direction acquired from others you could park it at the grocery store, pick up your groceries, and bring them back.

USSR space firsts up until '69:

# 1957: First intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7 Semyorka
# 1957: First satellite, Sputnik 1
# 1957: First animal to enter Earth orbit, the dog Laika on Sputnik 2
# 1959: First firing of a rocket in Earth orbit, first man-made object to escape Earth's orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First data communications, or telemetry, to and from outer space, Luna 1.
# 1959: First man-made object to pass near the Moon, first man-made object in Solar orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First probe to impact the Moon, Luna 2
# 1959: First images of the moon's far side, Luna 3
# 1960: First animals to safely return from Earth orbit, the dogs Belka and Strelka on Sputnik 5.
# 1960: First probe launched to Mars, Marsnik 1
# 1961: First probe launched to Venus, Venera 1
# 1961: First person in space (International definition) and in Earth orbit, Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1, Vostok programme
# 1961: First person to spend over a day in space Gherman Titov, Vostok 2 (also first person to sleep in space).
# 1962: First dual manned spaceflight and approach, Vostok 3 and Vostok 4
# 1963: First woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok 6
# 1964: First multi-man crew (3), Voskhod 1
# 1965: First EVA, by Aleksei Leonov, Voskhod 2
# 1965: First probe to hit another planet (Venus), Venera 3
# 1966: First probe to make a soft landing on and transmit from the surface of the moon, Luna 9
# 1966: First probe in lunar orbit, Luna 10
# 1967: First unmanned rendezvous and docking, Cosmos 186/Cosmos 188. (Until 2006, this had remained the only major space achievement that the US had not duplicated.)
# 1969: First docking between two manned craft in Earth orbit and exchange of crews, Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5

I'm not knocking the moon landings, but seriously. They won.

The race was to land a man on the moon.

We won.

Anyone play Buzz Aldrin's Race into space?

Guys, everyone knows that the English won the space race: Link

"Russia is still pissed that the U.S. was first the only to land on the moon"

FTFY Subby

Dr. Mojo PhD: Why the hell are they depressed?

By the time of the space race the novelty of flight had already worn off. Despite the Soviet's long list of accomplishments in the end they just seem like extra high flights to the average lay person. Cool stuff for the record books but it doesn't exactly stoke the imagination. Landing on the moon is something different. It's the first material step towards space exploration. It's like the difference between sending a ship midway through the Atlantic ocean, and sending a ship to America and coming back.

Cue the Old Negro Space Program.

Dr. Mojo PhD: Why the hell are they depressed? The Soviet Union won the Space Race. They were the first to put an object in space, the first to put a living being in space, the first to bring a living being back from space, the first to put a man in space (and bring him back). They designed, built, and proved the viability of the automobile, the US just proved that with a good sense of direction acquired from others you could park it at the grocery store, pick up your groceries, and bring them back.

USSR space firsts up until '69:

# 1957: First intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7 Semyorka
# 1957: First satellite, Sputnik 1
# 1957: First animal to enter Earth orbit, the dog Laika on Sputnik 2
# 1959: First firing of a rocket in Earth orbit, first man-made object to escape Earth's orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First data communications, or telemetry, to and from outer space, Luna 1.
# 1959: First man-made object to pass near the Moon, first man-made object in Solar orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First probe to impact the Moon, Luna 2
# 1959: First images of the moon's far side, Luna 3
# 1960: First animals to safely return from Earth orbit, the dogs Belka and Strelka on Sputnik 5.
# 1960: First probe launched to Mars, Marsnik 1
# 1961: First probe launched to Venus, Venera 1
# 1961: First person in space (International definition) and in Earth orbit, Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1, Vostok programme
# 1961: First person to spend over a day in space Gherman Titov, Vostok 2 (also first person to sleep in space).
# 1962: First dual manned spaceflight and approach, Vostok 3 and Vostok 4
# 1963: First woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok 6
# 1964: First multi-man crew (3), Voskhod 1
# 1965: First EVA, by Aleksei Leonov, Voskhod 2
# 1965: First probe to hit another planet (Venus), Venera 3
# 1966: First probe to make a soft landing on and transmit from the surface of the moon, Luna 9
# 1966: First probe in lunar orbit, Luna 10
# 1967: First unmanned rendezvous and docking, Cosmos 186/Cosmos 188. (Until 2006, this had remained the only major space achievement that the US had not duplicated.)
# 1969: First docking between two manned craft in Earth orbit and exchange of crews, Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5

I'm not knocking the moon landings, but seriously. They won.

Sort of like being the first guy to figure out how to shoot an oblong object out of a tube with explosive powder charges and then the next day your neighbor creates a Rail gun. you may have been first but dammit if the other guy didnt make you look like a fool.

Yar, I dawn me hat what be made of tin foil.

Their biggest problem was with their moonshot rocket, the N1 never had a successful launch.

Rockstone: The race was to land a man on the moon.

Really? There was an official race with objectives, rules and referees? Who did they send as officials? The Swiss? Did the U.S. win a trophy? Or at least a purple ribbon?

The Soviets were primarily interested in developing technology that would further their military interests, such as ICBMs, satellite intelligence, or space weapons platforms. Although they certainly tried to go to the moon, in the end the bang was just not worth the buck for them.

The U.S. only really proved that it could outspend the Soviets.

We are going to be begging rides from the Russians for at least several years. Who freaking won? Begging rides.

The Russians did it the right way and have a steady, solid, if technologically backward program. They built on what they had with an eye toward sturdiness, not flashiness.

They should be proud of their program. A huge number of "firsts" and an ongoing and steady program. They currently have the best manned space program.

Broadside: The Soviets were primarily interested in developing technology that would further their military interests, such as ICBMs, satellite intelligence, or space weapons platforms. Although they certainly tried to go to the moon, in the end the bang was just not worth the buck for them.

It was as much a PR contest as anything else in the cold war, on both sides.

The U.S. only really proved that it could outspend the Soviets.

Damn right we did, and it was a significant fact.

Dr. Mojo

Russians ALSO still steamed at Jordell Bank Observatory for leaking the photos from the surface of Venus to the press.

(They used fax machine technology to encode the video for transmission to earth.
JBO just happened to have one handy they could connect to their huge antenna.)

"In the United States, more than anywhere else, they are sure of the believability of the steps on the moon," the report said, adding that Armstrong keeps a very low profile. "This also seems strange to many people."

Yeah, well you sure don't hear much from their hero, Yuri Gagarin. He's been silent since the sixties. It's almost like he disappeared from the face of the earth. Went underground, if you will.

The United States of America, in 1969, was the first country in the history of the world to send men to stand on another celestial body. This feat has not been duplicated by any other nation in the history of mankind.

It's kind of a big deal.

Broadside: The U.S. only really proved that it could outspend the Soviets develop the technology necessary to go to the moon.

FTFY

naptapper: This feat has not been duplicated by any other nation in the history of mankind.

Smarshmallow: Damn right we did, and it was a significant fact.

And the significance of that fact swings the other way when we're reduced to bumming rides off the Russians.

FTFA...adding that Armstrong keeps a very low profile. "This also seems strange to many people."

Buzz Aldrin doesn't, he'll punch you in the face.

Dr. Mojo PhD: Why the hell are they depressed? The Soviet Union won the Space Race. They were the first to put an object in space, the first to put a living being in space, the first to bring a living being back from space, the first to put a man in space (and bring him back). They designed, built, and proved the viability of the automobile, the US just proved that with a good sense of direction acquired from others you could park it at the grocery store, pick up your groceries, and bring them back.

USSR space firsts up until '69:

# 1957: First intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7 Semyorka
# 1957: First satellite, Sputnik 1
# 1957: First animal to enter Earth orbit, the dog Laika on Sputnik 2
# 1959: First firing of a rocket in Earth orbit, first man-made object to escape Earth's orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First data communications, or telemetry, to and from outer space, Luna 1.
# 1959: First man-made object to pass near the Moon, first man-made object in Solar orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First probe to impact the Moon, Luna 2
# 1959: First images of the moon's far side, Luna 3
# 1960: First animals to safely return from Earth orbit, the dogs Belka and Strelka on Sputnik 5.
# 1960: First probe launched to Mars, Marsnik 1
# 1961: First probe launched to Venus, Venera 1
# 1961: First person in space (International definition) and in Earth orbit, Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1, Vostok programme
# 1961: First person to spend over a day in space Gherman Titov, Vostok 2 (also first person to sleep in space).
# 1962: First dual manned spaceflight and approach, Vostok 3 and Vostok 4
# 1963: First woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok 6
# 1964: First multi-man crew (3), Voskhod 1
# 1965: First EVA, by Aleksei Leonov, Voskhod 2
# 1965: First probe to hit another planet (Venus), Venera 3
# 1966: First probe to make a soft landing on and transmit from the surface of the moon, Luna 9
# 1966: First probe in lunar orbit, Luna 10
# 1967: First unmanned rendezvous and docking, Cosmos 186/Cosmos 188. (Until 2006, this had remained the only major space achievement that the US had not duplicated.)
# 1969: First docking between two manned craft in Earth orbit and exchange of crews, Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5

I'm not knocking the moon landings, but seriously. They won.

And yet, they still didn't get to the moon first. Their space program has been nothing but bootstrap after bootstrap. Vostok was a farce, it did not meet the requirements at the time of a true spacecraft (i.e. it landed with its pilot inside, but Vostok riders ejected out before landing), all of their designs relied entirely on brute force, many were faulty and unreliable, and about half their Salyut stations had serious malfunctions and a few didn't even make orbit.

Almost all of their "firsts" were publicity stunts. Sputnik 1 and 2? Big nothings, had no science behind them whatsoever. Our first satellite, Vanguard 1? We discovered the van Allen belts and by the way, it's still up there, whereas Sputnik is long gone. Laika? Again, what did it prove? Other than the Russians had big rockets and were willing to launch stray dogs into orbit.

So yeah, they "won" if you look only at style instead of substance. And the substance of most Soviet spaceflight was "we are better than West! See! We do things first!" Problem is, that's about all they did. The only thing they ever did better than us was long-term spaceflight, and that's simply because when it became clear they weren't going to be "first" to the Moon, they said, "oh, we don't care about the moon. Never did. Nope, can't prove a thing, we never had a moonshot program. IGNORE THE REPORTS OF MASSIVE ROCKETS EXPLODING AT BAIKONOUR IS WESTERN CAPITALIST PIGDOG LIE.

My source: http://www.amazon.com/Almanac-Soviet-Manned-Space-Flight/dp/0872018482

Try actually reading the nitty gritty, and you'll find they were even more farked up than NASA is today. Dozens of failed launches, malfunctioning hardware, poor design, and a whole lotta incompetence.

Yeah, sure, they "won." Keep telling yourself that. Noob.

zamboni: "In the United States, more than anywhere else, they are sure of the believability of the steps on the moon," the report said, adding that Armstrong keeps a very low profile. "This also seems strange to many people."

Yeah, well you sure don't hear much from their hero, Yuri Gagarin. He's been silent since the sixties. It's almost like he disappeared from the face of the earth. Went underground, if you will.

Not underground. Just behind a small door in a thick wall.

HowlingFrog: Cue the Old Negro Space Program.

I'm a huge Ken Burns fan...so that makes me howl with laughter every time I watch it...

Link (new window)

Broadside: The U.S. only really proved that it could outspend the Soviets.

That race most certainly isn't over.

General Vayo: Yeah, sure, they "won." Keep telling yourself that. Noob.

Chillaxor. You don't have to diminish the Russians' accomplishments, which were not as trivial as you say, to celebrate ours.

"For all mankind," remember?

Man On Pink Corner: Broadside: The U.S. only really proved that it could outspend the Soviets.

That race most certainly isn't over.

Probably. I don't think the Soviets will be spending any more on space programs.

Mercutio879: Their biggest problem was with their moonshot rocket, the N1 never had a successful launch.

It did succeed in making some awesome launchpad explosions, however:

That country (Soviet Union), doesn't even exist anymore. Seems like that is the one they really lost.

Mercutio879: Their biggest problem was with their moonshot rocket, the N1 never had a successful launch.

You have to admire their can-do attitude with that thing, though.

"Comrades, we don't have engines large enough for a lunar rocket."
"No worries, comrade, let's just place, say, thirty of our regular engines on it? Should work perfectly."

zamboni: I don't think the Soviets will be spending any more on space programs.

Actually, according to reports, they are dusting off their 60's rocket tech for their reattempt at the moon. The space race is back on, kinda. Sad that it'll take another 10 years before we get back there.

I do wonder, if the N1 had been successful, and the Russians had gotten to the moon, would we have continued? Kind of a lunar land grab race?

Mercutio879: Actually, according to reports, they are dusting off their 60's rocket tech for their reattempt at the moon. The space race is back on, kinda. Sad that it'll take another 10 years before we get back there.

I do wonder, if the N1 had been successful, and the Russians had gotten to the moon, would we have continued? Kind of a lunar land grab race?

You sparked my curiousity, so I looked up what they're doing. Basically, when the International Space Station shuts down, Europe and Russia are making a new one together (no mention of US involvement), which will serve as a staging ground for missions to the moon.

Russia is still pissed that the U.S. was first to land on the moon

Sorry Ruskie. Tough govno. It's only closest in horseshoes. For everyone else. The U.S.A. got there first. Didn't mean squat in the long run, but, we did get there first.

What's my point again?

Is there not some technical problem with the claim of Yuri Gagarin being the rfirst in space? As I understand it the International Astronautical Federation ruels at the time required that the astronaut/cosmonaut land inthe same capsule he went up in. Years later it was revealed that, after re-entry Yuri Gagarin ejected from and land separately from his capsule.

zamboni: Yeah, well you sure don't hear much from their hero, Yuri Gagarin. He's been silent since the sixties. It's almost like he disappeared from the face of the earth. Went underground, if you will.

He was actually interred in the walls of the Kremlin, after he was killed in a training flight in 1968.

SnakeLee: You sparked my curiousity, so I looked up what they're doing. Basically, when the International Space Station shuts down, Europe and Russia are making a new one together (no mention of US involvement), which will serve as a staging ground for missions to the moon.

Unfortunately, it seems that program has been stalled. And if it hadn't stalled before the Great Recession I'll bet it has now. The ESA tried to get in on NASAs Orion project but was denied.

From a cost perspective, I just don't see how countries are going to be able to continue on these parallel development programs. I know the ISS was a logistical and diplomatic nightmare, but I don't see any way around a multinational effort for future space exploration.

Dr. Mojo PhD: Why the hell are they depressed? The Soviet Union won the Space Race. They were the first to put an object in space, the first to put a living being in space, the first to bring a living being back from space, the first to put a man in space (and bring him back). They designed, built, and proved the viability of the automobile, the US just proved that with a good sense of direction acquired from others you could park it at the grocery store, pick up your groceries, and bring them back.

USSR space firsts up until '69:

# 1957: First intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7 Semyorka
# 1957: First satellite, Sputnik 1
# 1957: First animal to enter Earth orbit, the dog Laika on Sputnik 2
# 1959: First firing of a rocket in Earth orbit, first man-made object to escape Earth's orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First data communications, or telemetry, to and from outer space, Luna 1.
# 1959: First man-made object to pass near the Moon, first man-made object in Solar orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First probe to impact the Moon, Luna 2
# 1959: First images of the moon's far side, Luna 3
# 1960: First animals to safely return from Earth orbit, the dogs Belka and Strelka on Sputnik 5.
# 1960: First probe launched to Mars, Marsnik 1
# 1961: First probe launched to Venus, Venera 1
# 1961: First person in space (International definition) and in Earth orbit, Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1, Vostok programme
# 1961: First person to spend over a day in space Gherman Titov, Vostok 2 (also first person to sleep in space).
# 1962: First dual manned spaceflight and approach, Vostok 3 and Vostok 4
# 1963: First woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok 6
# 1964: First multi-man crew (3), Voskhod 1
# 1965: First EVA, by Aleksei Leonov, Voskhod 2
# 1965: First probe to hit another planet (Venus), Venera 3
# 1966: First probe to make a soft landing on and transmit from the surface of the moon, Luna 9
# 1966: First probe in lunar orbit, Luna 10
# 1967: First unmanned rendezvous and docking, Cosmos 186/Cosmos 188. (Until 2006, this had remained the only major space achievement that the US had not duplicated.)
# 1969: First docking between two manned craft in Earth orbit and exchange of crews, Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5

I'm not knocking the moon landings, but seriously. They won.

So the Russians are like the 2007 New England Patriots.

I enjoy the story about NASA spending millions to develop a ball point pen that would write in zero gravity while the Russians just used a pencil

Broadside: I know the ISS was a logistical and diplomatic nightmare, but I don't see any way around a multinational effort for future space exploration.

The ISS is the head on a pin compared to the moon. Considering the territoriality of the US, taking along another country, or group of countries (the ESA) for the ride would stir up a lot of hate in Congress.

Dr. Mojo PhD: Why the hell are they depressed? The Soviet Union won the Space Race. They were the first to put an object in space, the first to put a living being in space, the first to bring a living being back from space, the first to put a man in space (and bring him back). They designed, built, and proved the viability of the automobile, the US just proved that with a good sense of direction acquired from others you could park it at the grocery store, pick up your groceries, and bring them back.

USSR space firsts up until '69:

# 1957: First intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7 Semyorka
# 1957: First satellite, Sputnik 1
# 1957: First animal to enter Earth orbit, the dog Laika on Sputnik 2
# 1959: First firing of a rocket in Earth orbit, first man-made object to escape Earth's orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First data communications, or telemetry, to and from outer space, Luna 1.
# 1959: First man-made object to pass near the Moon, first man-made object in Solar orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First probe to impact the Moon, Luna 2
# 1959: First images of the moon's far side, Luna 3
# 1960: First animals to safely return from Earth orbit, the dogs Belka and Strelka on Sputnik 5.
# 1960: First probe launched to Mars, Marsnik 1
# 1961: First probe launched to Venus, Venera 1
# 1961: First person in space (International definition) and in Earth orbit, Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1, Vostok programme
# 1961: First person to spend over a day in space Gherman Titov, Vostok 2 (also first person to sleep in space).
# 1962: First dual manned spaceflight and approach, Vostok 3 and Vostok 4
# 1963: First woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok 6
# 1964: First multi-man crew (3), Voskhod 1
# 1965: First EVA, by Aleksei Leonov, Voskhod 2
# 1965: First probe to hit another planet (Venus), Venera 3
# 1966: First probe to make a soft landing on and transmit from the surface of the moon, Luna 9
# 1966: First probe in lunar orbit, Luna 10
# 1967: First unmanned rendezvous and docking, Cosmos 186/Cosmos 188. (Until 2006, this had remained the only major space achievement that the US had not duplicated.)
# 1969: First docking between two manned craft in Earth orbit and exchange of crews, Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5

I'm not knocking the moon landings, but seriously. They won.

Let us not forget thid first: On April 5, 1975, the second stage of a Soyuz rocket carrying 2 cosmonauts to the Salyut 4 space station malfunctioned, resulting in the first manned launch abort.

Their rush to be "first" came at a high cost including over 180 dead in three separate launch pad explosions (1960,1969 and 1980)and many other unreported deaths until after the collaspe of the Soviet Union

Link (new window)

/They may have won their conference championship but they lost the Super Bowl.

Vohnkar: I enjoy the story about NASA spending millions to develop a ball point pen that would write in zero gravity while the Russians just used a pencil

When I read that story the first time, I asked, Really?!? (new window)

Dr. Mojo PhD: Why the hell are they depressed? The Soviet Union won the Space Race. They were the first to put an object in space, the first to put a living being in space, the first to bring a living being back from space, the first to put a man in space (and bring him back). They designed, built, and proved the viability of the automobile, the US just proved that with a good sense of direction acquired from others you could park it at the grocery store, pick up your groceries, and bring them back.

USSR space firsts up until '69:

# 1957: First intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7 Semyorka
# 1957: First satellite, Sputnik 1
# 1957: First animal to enter Earth orbit, the dog Laika on Sputnik 2
# 1959: First firing of a rocket in Earth orbit, first man-made object to escape Earth's orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First data communications, or telemetry, to and from outer space, Luna 1.
# 1959: First man-made object to pass near the Moon, first man-made object in Solar orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First probe to impact the Moon, Luna 2
# 1959: First images of the moon's far side, Luna 3
# 1960: First animals to safely return from Earth orbit, the dogs Belka and Strelka on Sputnik 5.
# 1960: First probe launched to Mars, Marsnik 1
# 1961: First probe launched to Venus, Venera 1
# 1961: First person in space (International definition) and in Earth orbit, Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1, Vostok programme
# 1961: First person to spend over a day in space Gherman Titov, Vostok 2 (also first person to sleep in space).
# 1962: First dual manned spaceflight and approach, Vostok 3 and Vostok 4
# 1963: First woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok 6
# 1964: First multi-man crew (3), Voskhod 1
# 1965: First EVA, by Aleksei Leonov, Voskhod 2
# 1965: First probe to hit another planet (Venus), Venera 3
# 1966: First probe to make a soft landing on and transmit from the surface of the moon, Luna 9
# 1966: First probe in lunar orbit, Luna 10
# 1967: First unmanned rendezvous and docking, Cosmos 186/Cosmos 188. (Until 2006, this had remained the only major space achievement that the US had not duplicated.)
# 1969: First docking between two manned craft in Earth orbit and exchange of crews, Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5

I'm not knocking the moon landings, but seriously. They won.

Here's the problem with all those first, had the US not had any intention of actually being safe and ensuring the survivability of their astronauts we could have beat them on several of those.

Laika was launched with all intentions of never being recovered. If we wanted to, we could have tossed a dog in an ICBM and beat them.

Ultimately their race to rack up accomplishments led them into being left behind in actual technology. Which when it got to the moonshot hurt them severely.

General Vayo: Almost all of their "firsts" were publicity stunts. Sputnik 1 and 2? Big nothings, had no science behind them whatsoever.

What a ridiculous comment. To think that Sputnik was not of technological importance. I suppose you're going to say it was completely irrelevant as well. Holy crap.

rhiannon: What a ridiculous comment. To think that Sputnik was not of technological importance. I suppose you're going to say it was completely irrelevant as well. Holy crap.

In all actuality, the US had the tech to put a satellite into orbit a year or two before Sputnik, but Eisenhower was afraid of the legal implications of putting a satellite over other nations airspace. He actually applauded the USSR launch, since it set legal precedent for spy satellites. Von Braun had been lobbying for a satellite launch for quite some time. If I remember correctly, the first launch of Redstone had a third stage filled with sand, so that it couldn't go into orbit. When the Navy's competing rocket (Vanguard) failed, the Redstone team said 'Hey, we happen to have this rocket sitting here, ready to go.'

Historically speaking, Sputnik was huge, gave the USSR the lead in the space race, and pushed the US to new heights. Technically? Not so much.

Dr. Mojo PhD: It was the time of innovation that the race meant anything though. Now even developing nations have the power that once belonged solely in the domain of two superpowers. Even the great powers of the time couldn't accomplish what the USA and USSR did. Canada sent the first commercial satellite into space, but they did it on the backs of the USA and the USSR. Now it's just a matter of course.

Nobody's been to the moon in over 30 years, seems to me somebody wants to get there again. And then there's Mars. Unfortunately (for myself and all fans of space exploration) nothing is happening fast, but it's going to happen. The question now is who, and it might not be the USA or Russia this time.

nekom: Nobody's been to the moon in over 30 years, seems to me somebody wants to get there again. And then there's Mars. Unfortunately (for myself and all fans of space exploration) nothing is happening fast, but it's going to happen. The question now is who, and it might not be the USA or Russia this time.

I don't care if it's North Korea. I'll be damned excited in any case.

Vohnkar: I enjoy the story about NASA spending millions to develop a ball point pen that would write in zero gravity while the Russians just used a pencil

I enjoy fake stories as well.

rhiannon: General Vayo: Almost all of their "firsts" were publicity stunts. Sputnik 1 and 2? Big nothings, had no science behind them whatsoever.

What a ridiculous comment. To think that Sputnik was not of technological importance. I suppose you're going to say it was completely irrelevant as well. Holy crap.


I think one of the largest differences in the USA vs USSR space race's effect on respective cultures was in how the technology was developed. The USSR system tended to classify anything done for space as military secrets. So their advancements stayed in house and for the most part, the general public didn't benefit much from it.

USA's space tech was all developed by public corporations who turned around and used the technology in commercial enterprises, many of which would benefit the general public in years to come. Computers, communications, materials etc...

I think this is why the USA ultimately "won". We let our secrets out and the rest of the world benefited. USSR's space technology never really captured the world's imagination the same way the USA's would.

But of course the Russians are having something of a last laugh, as the complicated space shuttles retire and rugged Russian capsules ferry astronauts back and forth...

Not to sound too dorky, but maybe we could think of ourselves as humanity as a whole instead of this country did this and that country did that. I think most astronauts and cosmonauts would agree.

And why would you say first to the moon Subby? Did anyone else walk on it? Or drive a car there?

Mercutio879: Historically speaking, Sputnik was huge, gave the USSR the lead in the space race, and pushed the US to new heights. Technically? Not so much.

The US was in catch-up mode after Sputnik. Spin it all you want, Sputnik was significant both in technology and historically. The fact that the US was working on the same technology does not take away from that.

Gen. Apathy: Not to sound too dorky, but maybe we could think of ourselves as humanity as a whole instead of this country did this and that country did that. I think most astronauts and cosmonauts would agree.

And why would you say first to the moon Subby? Did anyone else walk on it? Or drive a car there?


Oh, I agree. Space is too complicated and damned expensive for any one nation to get far into. It'll take the efforts of the whole world cooperating to get much farther. All the more reason to continue manned space programs.

Rockstone: The race was to land a man on the moon

errrr

yea thats totally why it was called the moon race right ? (*cough cough, SPACE race*)

those grapes were sour anyway ?

Get over it.
At least the Russians can be satisfied with inventing baseball.

rhiannon: The fact that the US was working on the same technology does not take away from that.

The US wasn't 'working on the same technology.' We had the technology, but couldn't use it because Eisenhower was afraid of an international incident. The USSR put a satellite up first because they weren't worried about it. There was a reason we had the first spy satellite, and the first science performing satellite up there.

Three words: The Nedelin Catastrophe

I don't think NASA ever had a disaster that bad.

TheDirtyNacho: Oh, I agree. Space is too complicated and damned expensive for any one nation to get far into. It'll take the efforts of the whole world cooperating to get much farther. All the more reason to continue manned space programs.

You know, on second thought, I think it more likely that the first person on Mars won't plant a American, Russian, or Chinese flag. No, it'll be a corporate logo for Google Spacecorp or something like that.

"Did Russia ever go to the moon? Nooooooo... You know why? 'Cause they're little space pussies! ...You really wanna impress us? Bring back our farkin' FLAG, asshole!"

Don't forget that the USA got to the moon first on the back of German rocket technology courtesy of Werner von Braun, the enthusiastic Nazi slave-driver.

Broadside: nekom: Nobody's been to the moon in over 30 years, seems to me somebody wants to get there again. And then there's Mars. Unfortunately (for myself and all fans of space exploration) nothing is happening fast, but it's going to happen. The question now is who, and it might not be the USA or Russia this time.

I don't care if it's North Korea. I'll be damned excited in any case.

well I wouldn't really bank on them getting there, but maybe China or India. I'd be thrilled too, whoever it was.

Came in to correct 'first nation' to 'only nation', but see it has already been done.

Suede head: Don't forget that the USA got to the moon first on the back of German rocket technology courtesy of Werner von Braun, the enthusiastic Nazi slave-driver.

"I aim for the stars - it's just that sometimes, I hit London."

Broadside: TheDirtyNacho: Oh, I agree. Space is too complicated and damned expensive for any one nation to get far into. It'll take the efforts of the whole world cooperating to get much farther. All the more reason to continue manned space programs.

You know, on second thought, I think it more likely that the first person on Mars won't plant a American, Russian, or Chinese flag. No, it'll be a corporate logo for Google Spacecorp or something like that.

National differences disappear when there is money to be made. For business interest, space has been low on priority because Initial cost is high, risk is high, return on investment is low. Exception to this is satellite communications - there's enough ROI to make it worthwhile, and there has been lots of innovation accordingly.

Eventually it will make sense to mine the asteroids and the moon. The moon has lots of fusionable helium, whereas the Earth has relatively little. Eventually it may make sense to mine helium on the moon to power the earth. After then, it may make sense to build a space elevator for launching and returning spacecraft. And then move on to Mars, and the asteroids and beyond...

Or some other scenario...

Total time in space:

1 Sergei Krikalev =804.3 Days Russia/Soviet Union
2 Sergei Avdeyev =747.5 Days Russia
3 Valeriy Polyakov =678.6 Days Russia/Soviet Union
4 Anatoly Solovyev =651.1 Days Russia/Soviet Union
5 Alexandr Kaleri =609.9 Days Russia
6 Viktor Afanasyev =555.7 Days Russia/Soviet Union
7 Yury Usachev =553.0 Days Russia
8 Musa Manarov =541.0 Days Russia/Soviet Union
9 Yuri Malenchenko =514.5 Days Russia
10 Alexander Viktorenko =489.0 Days Russia/Soviet Union
11 Gennady Padalka =501.7 Days Russia
12 Nikolai Budarin =444.0 Days Russia
13 Yuri Romanenko =430.7 Days Soviet Union
14 Alexander Volkov =391.4 Days Russia/Soviet Union
15 Yuri I. Onufrienko =389.2 Days Russia
16 Vladimir G. Titov =387.0 Days Russia/Soviet Union
17 Vasili Tsibliyev =381.6 Days Russia
18 Valery G. Korzun =381.6 Days Russia
19 Pavel Vinogradov =380.6 Days Russia
20 Peggy A. Whitson =376.7 Days United States

We barely crack the top 20!
/Spam in a can

zamboni: Probably. I don't think the Soviets will be spending any more on space programs.

Obvious to you and me perhaps, but unfortunately nobody seems to have told the US government.

"Russia still blueseeing red over moon landing 40 years later"

FTFTFA.

Musto: We barely crack the top 20!
/Spam in a can

Again, it's not for technical merits. The Soviets just didn't care about the health problems associated with long term space habitation.

The ISS could have kept Americans up there for a long long time. But why?

Smarshmallow: naptapper: This feat has not been duplicated by any other nation in the history of mankind.

The U.S. duplicated its feat five times (Apollos 12, 14, 15, 16, 17).

Dr. Mojo PhD: Why the hell are they depressed? The Soviet Union won the Space Race.

Because we had the better sherpa.

Mercutio879: The ISS is the head on a pin compared to the moon. Considering the territoriality of the US, taking along another country, or group of countries (the ESA) for the ride would stir up a lot of hate in Congress.

Probably. However, partnering with other nations would surely be popular due to two particulars:
i) someone else is paying for it
ii) someone else can be blamed when it goes wrong

Mrbogey:
Again, it's not for technical merits. The Soviets just didn't care about the health problems associated with long term space habitation.

The ISS could have kept Americans up there for a long long time. But why?

Doesn't interplanetary space travel require long term habitation?

Seems like Russia is ahead of the curve. Not that it matters, the Chinese will beat us back to the Moon then the race will be for Mars.

I wish they'd remake Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space with a start in 1950 or 1955 and a chance to go for a moon landing. In the original the endings for a Spring or Fall landing in '65 are great!

that should be mars landing and lunar colony, not "moon landing" in that last comment...

Mercutio879: rhiannon: The fact that the US was working on the same technology does not take away from that.

The US wasn't 'working on the same technology.' We had the technology, but couldn't use it because Eisenhower was afraid of an international incident. The USSR put a satellite up first because they weren't worried about it. There was a reason we had the first spy satellite, and the first science performing satellite up there.

As far as I can tell, it was still a work in progress for the US. Then again, when was it not. If you have anything that says the US had a fully capable system that was just sitting around, I'd love to educate myself.

While we argue merits and records the Chinese are going to the moon. (new window)

First the moon then on to Mars!
/red planet = red flag

Musto: Doesn't interplanetary space travel require long term habitation?

General time to Mars = ~130 earth days. Considering Mars is the nearest habitable rock other than the moon, I think we have the data we need, as long as it's not a 'Flags and Footprints'

The next nearest would maybe be a moon of Jupiter (Ganymede or Europa) or Titan of Saturn. Those would be horrifically long trips with current tech, probably not within this century.

rhiannon: As far as I can tell, it was still a work in progress for the US. Then again, when was it not. If you have anything that says the US had a fully capable system that was just sitting around, I'd love to educate myself.

I can't find a link at the moment, but a History Channel documentary said that von Braun and the other rocketeers in Alabama basically built an entire Redstone rocket in secret. They claimed it was for 'Long Term Storage testing.' When the military came to inspect the progress, one of the engineers literally took the satellite off the nose of the rocket and hid it in the trunk of his car. This was about a month before Sputnik. When that went up, the military let the Army (von Braun) and Navy bid for the first satellite launch. The Navy won, but their Vanguard rocket famously blew up on the launch pad. Von Braun then said, 'You know, I just happen to have this rocket in long term storage.'

Nem Wan: Smarshmallow: naptapper: This feat has not been duplicated by any other nation in the history of mankind.

The U.S. duplicated its feat five times (Apollos 12, 14, 15, 16, 17).

I'm aware, but I couldn't liked the simplicity of just crossing something out.

Broadside: Rockstone:

Really? There was an official race with objectives, rules and referees? Who did they send as officials? The Swiss? Did the U.S. win a trophy? Or at least a purple ribbon?



Actually, it was a blue ribbon.

unless you understand what the van allen radiation belts actually consist of...and what effect they have on the earth and human tissue...you have no clue.

you cannot change the laws of physics.

-we never left low earth orbit.

if anyone has any doubts...let's see a modern day 'astronaut' wear his 60's style spacesuit into three mile island or the equivalency.

he would fry like a egg on a skillet.

better yet...let buzz aldrin do it.

this is the lynchpin in the whole affair.

their 'suits' were shiat...and would not protect them from a dental exam.

they know this...some of you do not, obviously.

-everything else aside.

look at the evidence concerning the van allen radiation belts.

they would need lead shielding three feet thick to survive leaving the earths' protective barrier.

i know some of you have strong opinions on this subject...but do yourself a favor and google "the van allen belts".

it may open your eyes to the many lies "your gov't" has told you...in your name, and with your tax dollars.

-flame on.

Bauer: -we never left low earth orbit.

They took a medium level dose of radiation. On a 3.5 day trip to the moon, they would have been in and out of the van allen belts in a matter of hours. Source Badastronomy.com (new window)

The 60's era suits were superb suits. The US had a lot of experience with space suits from the U2 and SR-71 programs.

If they had loitered in the VAs for a few days, sure, but the craft, their suits and their speed protected them.

Bauer: -flame on.

You idiotic gum flapping baboon.

What if Russia had made it to the moon, decided to press on even though the US was there first. They land near one of our faked landing sites, and..... nothing there. The US would have been the laughing stock of the world. We would have lost face with everybody, gone from a superpower to a superdork. The loss of political power would have been crushing. After an embarrassment like that, it's doubtful we would have been able to win the Cold War.

Bauer: unless you understand what the van allen radiation belts actually consist of...and what effect they have on the earth and human tissue...you have no clue.

you cannot change the laws of physics.

-we never left low earth orbit.



If you knew anything about the Van Allen radiation belts, you'd know that the majority of the radiation can be stopped with a fairly thin sheet of plastic. Don't let facts stop your wild conspiracy fantasy fulfillment, though.

Uh-oh, Bauer's back at it again.

Bauer: unless you understand

Big words from someone who obviously didn't do well in physics. Go back to class, retard.

Dr. Mojo PhD: I'm not knocking the moon landings, but seriously. They won.

If you view the whole thing as a game, then we won. The Russians led the with the offensive line for first three quarters, then we came in with a game winning field goal, banged the homecoming queen, and pissed on the mascot just because we could.

But it's not a game. It's just a steady progression. Everything the Russians and NASA did are just steps for further exploration. The good part about our uneasy truce in the Cold War is that we can share the learned information so we don't turn into a world of farking retards like Bauer.

greycoat: Russia is still pissed that the U.S. was first to land on the moon

Sorry Ruskie. Tough govno. It's only closest in horseshoes. For everyone else. The U.S.A. got there first. Didn't mean squat in the long run, but, we did get there first.

What's my point again?

Channeling the base commander in Dr Strangelove who ordered the first nuke attack on Russia?

/Have you ever seen a Russian drink water?

Dr. Mojo PhD: They designed, built, and proved the viability of the automobile

The Soviet Union didn't even exist until 1917, well after the automobile.

If anyone is interested there is a complete re-enactment of the 1st moon shot/landing 40 years ago to the date happening on this site: WeChooseTheMoon (new window) There is still about 26 hours till the actual landing. They have tons of photos, video, the entire radio feed playing in real time (synched up to 40 years ago to the minute), and more. Click on the pop-up player for the audio feed, I've been listening to it for hours at a time in the background, really freaking cool.

According to the Bauer: what the van allen radiation belts actually consist of

The article you linked to says that a satellite loitering in the VAs with 3mm of aluminum shielding will receive 25,000 rems/year. The Apollos were only in the VAs for about 2 hours. Doing the math means the Astronauts got about 2.7 rems of radiation while in the VAs. You have to get more than 100 to get the slightest illness, or about 200 serious illness to death nearer to 1000.

Bauer: unless you understand what the van allen radiation belts actually consist of...and what effect they have on the earth and human tissue...you have no clue.

you cannot change the laws of physics.

-we never left low earth orbit.

if anyone has any doubts...let's see a modern day 'astronaut' wear his 60's style spacesuit into three mile island or the equivalency.

he would fry like a egg on a skillet.

better yet...let buzz aldrin do it.

this is the lynchpin in the whole affair.

their 'suits' were shiat...and would not protect them from a dental exam.

they know this...some of you do not, obviously.

-everything else aside.

look at the evidence concerning the van allen radiation belts.

they would need lead shielding three feet thick to survive leaving the earths' protective barrier.

i know some of you have strong opinions on this subject...but do yourself a favor and google "the van allen belts".

it may open your eyes to the many lies "your gov't" has told you...in your name, and with your tax dollars.

-flame on.

You commies lost. Get over it.

Bauer: they would need lead shielding three feet thick to survive leaving the earths' protective barrier.

From the wikipedia article that you linked:

A satellite shielded by 3 mm of aluminium in an elliptic orbit passing through the radiation belt will receive about 2,500 rem (25 Sv) per year. Almost all radiation will be received while passing the inner belt.

I don't recall ever reading a paper from any scientific journal (or a real scientist) claiming that traversing the Belts would require enormous amounts of lead shielding. And if it were the case, the Soviets would have been all over that, and would have been the first to scream fraud. The existence of the Van Allen Belts has been known since the Fifties.

frankmanhog: Bauer: unless you understand what the van allen radiation belts actually consist of...and what effect they have on the earth and human tissue...you have no clue.

you cannot change the laws of physics.

-we never left low earth orbit.



If you knew anything about the Van Allen radiation belts, you'd know that the majority of the radiation can be stopped with a fairly thin sheet of plastic. Don't let facts stop your wild conspiracy fantasy fulfillment, though.

The only thing I know about Van Allen is that they sucked after David Lee Roth left.

rhiannon: Uh-oh, Bauer's back at it again.

It was just a matter of time...

A well written piece concerning the Van Allen Belt and the Apollo missions (new window).

Rockstone: Dr. Mojo PhD: Why the hell are they depressed? The Soviet Union won the Space Race. They were the first to put an object in space, the first to put a living being in space, the first to bring a living being back from space, the first to put a man in space (and bring him back). They designed, built, and proved the viability of the automobile, the US just proved that with a good sense of direction acquired from others you could park it at the grocery store, pick up your groceries, and bring them back.

USSR space firsts up until '69:

# 1957: First intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7 Semyorka
# 1957: First satellite, Sputnik 1
# 1957: First animal to enter Earth orbit, the dog Laika on Sputnik 2
# 1959: First firing of a rocket in Earth orbit, first man-made object to escape Earth's orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First data communications, or telemetry, to and from outer space, Luna 1.
# 1959: First man-made object to pass near the Moon, first man-made object in Solar orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First probe to impact the Moon, Luna 2
# 1959: First images of the moon's far side, Luna 3
# 1960: First animals to safely return from Earth orbit, the dogs Belka and Strelka on Sputnik 5.
# 1960: First probe launched to Mars, Marsnik 1
# 1961: First probe launched to Venus, Venera 1
# 1961: First person in space (International definition) and in Earth orbit, Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1, Vostok programme
# 1961: First person to spend over a day in space Gherman Titov, Vostok 2 (also first person to sleep in space).
# 1962: First dual manned spaceflight and approach, Vostok 3 and Vostok 4
# 1963: First woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok 6
# 1964: First multi-man crew (3), Voskhod 1
# 1965: First EVA, by Aleksei Leonov, Voskhod 2
# 1965: First probe to hit another planet (Venus), Venera 3
# 1966: First probe to make a soft landing on and transmit from the surface of the moon, Luna 9
# 1966: First probe in lunar orbit, Luna 10
# 1967: First unmanned rendezvous and docking, Cosmos 186/Cosmos 188. (Until 2006, this had remained the only major space achievement that the US had not duplicated.)
# 1969: First docking between two manned craft in Earth orbit and exchange of crews, Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5

I'm not knocking the moon landings, but seriously. They won.

The race was to land a man on the moon.

We won.

Anyone play Buzz Aldrin's Race into space?

Yes, that game is impossible. You ever land on the moon before 1969 without cheating?

Bauer seems pretty clueless for someone who claims to know more about radiation than the rest of us.

News flash: High energy protons are easy as hell to shield. A thin layer of plastic will do the trick. Brief exposure to light levels of radiation isn't deadly.

incendi: Smarshmallow: Damn right we did, and it was a significant fact.

And the significance of that fact swings the other way when we're reduced to bumming rides off the Russians.

What's wrong with bumming rides? 50 million per launch is a lot cheaper then keeping the shuttle program going with its 400 to 600 million per launch. That's just counting the launch, we're not even talking about the shuttle program it self.

Having money to spend on a replacement is kind of the way you get anywhere with the replacement you know.

Space_Poet: If anyone is interested there is a complete re-enactment of the 1st moon shot/landing 40 years ago to the date happening on this site: WeChooseTheMoon (new window) There is still about 26 hours till the actual landing. They have tons of photos, video, the entire radio feed playing in real time (synched up to 40 years ago to the minute), and more. Click on the pop-up player for the audio feed, I've been listening to it for hours at a time in the background, really freaking cool.

Thanks. That one's better than the NASA one I've been listening too. I've been following along with the transcripts. I'm hoping to hell that they do the same with Apollo 13, because in all honesty the majority of the 11 mission audio is pretty damn boring. 13 would be pretty cool.

bbfreak: Rockstone: Dr. Mojo PhD: Why the hell are they depressed? The Soviet Union won the Space Race. They were the first to put an object in space, the first to put a living being in space, the first to bring a living being back from space, the first to put a man in space (and bring him back). They designed, built, and proved the viability of the automobile, the US just proved that with a good sense of direction acquired from others you could park it at the grocery store, pick up your groceries, and bring them back.

USSR space firsts up until '69:

# 1957: First intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7 Semyorka
# 1957: First satellite, Sputnik 1
# 1957: First animal to enter Earth orbit, the dog Laika on Sputnik 2
# 1959: First firing of a rocket in Earth orbit, first man-made object to escape Earth's orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First data communications, or telemetry, to and from outer space, Luna 1.
# 1959: First man-made object to pass near the Moon, first man-made object in Solar orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First probe to impact the Moon, Luna 2
# 1959: First images of the moon's far side, Luna 3
# 1960: First animals to safely return from Earth orbit, the dogs Belka and Strelka on Sputnik 5.
# 1960: First probe launched to Mars, Marsnik 1
# 1961: First probe launched to Venus, Venera 1
# 1961: First person in space (International definition) and in Earth orbit, Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1, Vostok programme
# 1961: First person to spend over a day in space Gherman Titov, Vostok 2 (also first person to sleep in space).
# 1962: First dual manned spaceflight and approach, Vostok 3 and Vostok 4
# 1963: First woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok 6
# 1964: First multi-man crew (3), Voskhod 1
# 1965: First EVA, by Aleksei Leonov, Voskhod 2
# 1965: First probe to hit another planet (Venus), Venera 3
# 1966: First probe to make a soft landing on and transmit from the surface of the moon, Luna 9
# 1966: First probe in lunar orbit, Luna 10
# 1967: First unmanned rendezvous and docking, Cosmos 186/Cosmos 188. (Until 2006, this had remained the only major space achievement that the US had not duplicated.)
# 1969: First docking between two manned craft in Earth orbit and exchange of crews, Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5

I'm not knocking the moon landings, but seriously. They won.

The race was to land a man on the moon.

We won.

Anyone play Buzz Aldrin's Race into space?

Yes, that game is impossible. You ever land on the moon before 1969 without cheating?

Yes.

Once.

Dr. Mojo PhD: Why the hell are they depressed? The Soviet Union won the Space Race. They were the first to put an object in space, the first to put a living being in space, the first to bring a living being back from space, the first to put a man in space (and bring him back). They designed, built, and proved the viability of the automobile, the US just proved that with a good sense of direction acquired from others you could park it at the grocery store, pick up your groceries, and bring them back.


Sounds more like they won the first 75 meters of a hundred-meter sprint. No medals for that.

Dr. Mojo PhD: Why the hell are they depressed? The Soviet Union won the Space Race. They were the first to put an object in space, the first to put a living being in space, the first to bring a living being back from space, the first to put a man in space (and bring him back). They designed, built, and proved the viability of the automobile, the US just proved that with a good sense of direction acquired from others you could park it at the grocery store, pick up your groceries, and bring them back.

USSR space firsts up until '69:

# 1957: First intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7 Semyorka
# 1957: First satellite, Sputnik 1
# 1957: First animal to enter Earth orbit, the dog Laika on Sputnik 2
# 1959: First firing of a rocket in Earth orbit, first man-made object to escape Earth's orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First data communications, or telemetry, to and from outer space, Luna 1.
# 1959: First man-made object to pass near the Moon, first man-made object in Solar orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First probe to impact the Moon, Luna 2
# 1959: First images of the moon's far side, Luna 3
# 1960: First animals to safely return from Earth orbit, the dogs Belka and Strelka on Sputnik 5.
# 1960: First probe launched to Mars, Marsnik 1
# 1961: First probe launched to Venus, Venera 1
# 1961: First person in space (International definition) and in Earth orbit, Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1, Vostok programme
# 1961: First person to spend over a day in space Gherman Titov, Vostok 2 (also first person to sleep in space).
# 1962: First dual manned spaceflight and approach, Vostok 3 and Vostok 4
# 1963: First woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok 6
# 1964: First multi-man crew (3), Voskhod 1
# 1965: First EVA, by Aleksei Leonov, Voskhod 2
# 1965: First probe to hit another planet (Venus), Venera 3
# 1966: First probe to make a soft landing on and transmit from the surface of the moon, Luna 9
# 1966: First probe in lunar orbit, Luna 10
# 1967: First unmanned rendezvous and docking, Cosmos 186/Cosmos 188. (Until 2006, this had remained the only major space achievement that the US had not duplicated.)
# 1969: First docking between two manned craft in Earth orbit and exchange of crews, Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5

I'm not knocking the moon landings, but seriously. They won.

They won eh? I don't see it that way. The goal wasn't so much to land on the moon but show ones technological superiority and the US did that in spades. The Russians tried till 1972 to get their moon rocket working, it just wouldn't and if you don't believe they lost I don't know what to tell you.

The Soviets could never A: Successfully land on Mars (Something only the folks that JPL have done). B: Never had consistent success. In many cases its like they just blasted stuff up there and hoped it stick. While the US meanwhile consistency in launch probes and men into orbit gradually improved over time.

Then once the Soviet Union collapsed, the Russians fell even further behind. Their first planetary probe being as miserable failure, and they haven't done science beyond earth since the Soviet Union. Though they do have an upcoming mission with the Chinese this fall.

NASA has put more humans into space, more hardware into space, more successful missions then anyone else and nobody is even close to the United States capability. Not even Russia, and they're the closest.

Rockstone: bbfreak: Rockstone: Dr. Mojo PhD: Why the hell are they depressed? The Soviet Union won the Space Race. They were the first to put an object in space, the first to put a living being in space, the first to bring a living being back from space, the first to put a man in space (and bring him back). They designed, built, and proved the viability of the automobile, the US just proved that with a good sense of direction acquired from others you could park it at the grocery store, pick up your groceries, and bring them back.

USSR space firsts up until '69:

# 1957: First intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7 Semyorka
# 1957: First satellite, Sputnik 1
# 1957: First animal to enter Earth orbit, the dog Laika on Sputnik 2
# 1959: First firing of a rocket in Earth orbit, first man-made object to escape Earth's orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First data communications, or telemetry, to and from outer space, Luna 1.
# 1959: First man-made object to pass near the Moon, first man-made object in Solar orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First probe to impact the Moon, Luna 2
# 1959: First images of the moon's far side, Luna 3
# 1960: First animals to safely return from Earth orbit, the dogs Belka and Strelka on Sputnik 5.
# 1960: First probe launched to Mars, Marsnik 1
# 1961: First probe launched to Venus, Venera 1
# 1961: First person in space (International definition) and in Earth orbit, Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1, Vostok programme
# 1961: First person to spend over a day in space Gherman Titov, Vostok 2 (also first person to sleep in space).
# 1962: First dual manned spaceflight and approach, Vostok 3 and Vostok 4
# 1963: First woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok 6
# 1964: First multi-man crew (3), Voskhod 1
# 1965: First EVA, by Aleksei Leonov, Voskhod 2
# 1965: First probe to hit another planet (Venus), Venera 3
# 1966: First probe to make a soft landing on and transmit from the surface of the moon, Luna 9
# 1966: First probe in lunar orbit, Luna 10
# 1967: First unmanned rendezvous and docking, Cosmos 186/Cosmos 188. (Until 2006, this had remained the only major space achievement that the US had not duplicated.)
# 1969: First docking between two manned craft in Earth orbit and exchange of crews, Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5

I'm not knocking the moon landings, but seriously. They won.

The race was to land a man on the moon.

We won.

Anyone play Buzz Aldrin's Race into space?

Yes, that game is impossible. You ever land on the moon before 1969 without cheating?

Yes.

Once.

Impressive. I wish there were more games like that, and not horribly impossible to boot. :P Oh and anyone who doesn't know. I'm not biatching because the game was hard, I'm biatching because it was impossible. Even when you did everything right, things went to shiat or at the very least you wouldn't make it to the moon before or during 1969.

The long list above carefully omits the entire Gemini program, so here's a short list of its firsts:

Gemini V
August 21-29, 1965
First use of fuel cells for electrical power.

Gemini VII
December 04-18, 1965
13 days, 18 hours, 35 minutes 1 seconds (this was a record at the time) Primary objective was to determine whether humans could live in space for 14 days.

Gemini VI-A
December 15-16, 1965
First space rendezvous accomplished with Gemini VII, station-keeping for over five hours at distances from 0.3 to 90 m (1 to 295 ft).

Gemini VIII
March 16, 1966
Accomplished first docking with another space vehicle, an unmanned Agena stage.

Gemini IX-A
June 03-06, 1966
Three different types of
rendezvous, two hours of EVA. First EVA to actually do something, not just float in space.

Gemini XI
September 12-15, 1966
Manned spaceflight record altitude, 1,189.3 km (739.2 mi) reached using Agena propulsion system after first orbit rendezvous and docking. (Obviously record broken later by Apollo 8.)

I should have added:

First two-man crew in a spacecraft actually designed to carry two.
First three-man crew in a spacecraft actually designed to carry three.

The Voskhod was a Vostok with most of the equipment ripped out so they could cram extra guys in. A dangerous publicity stunt. But hey, it fooled you, right?

Broadside: TheDirtyNacho: Oh, I agree. Space is too complicated and damned expensive for any one nation to get far into. It'll take the efforts of the whole world cooperating to get much farther. All the more reason to continue manned space programs.

You know, on second thought, I think it more likely that the first person on Mars won't plant a American, Russian, or Chinese flag. No, it'll be a corporate logo for Google Spacecorp or something like that.


Unlikely. Private rockets and spacecraft haven't even achieved LEO with a human on board. Do you even realize the hurdles to a mission to Mars? Especially a two way trip with humans on board?

Just because its been done on some level, doesn't mean its easy. Assuming you survive the trip to Mars in the first place or don't go stir crazy.

Technology isn't all mighty and powerful, and capability is only half the battle. Have you ever considered that the first mission to Mars will be a horrible failure?

There is certainly the possibly, like I said in another thread, at the least the moon landing was a calculated risk. You could go there, and come back fairly quickly if you had any problems (as shown by Apollo 13).

On a Mars landing, even if you do everything right things could go to hell easily enough. Remember that crazy astronaut? I'm sure her psyche report said she was perfectly sane.

My goodness,still trying to perpetuate the fairytale of the US moon landing?
Oswald killing JFK ?
The virgin Mary popping Jebus?
The earth is flat?
The Easter bunny?

I figure the 1972 Olympic basketball gold medal would have made up for it.

40 year grudge: That works.

Warchild: They'll get over it

I came in here to say this, and:

STFU, Russia, and GBTW...

And, also:

Tough shiat...now, quit your farking whining. We beat you, fair and square.

# 1957: First intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7 Semyorka
Helped push along the technology but not a space achievement, no points

# 1957: First satellite, Sputnik 1
Win, +2. USSR gets this one because its a first. However the first U.S. Satellite did more than just beep, Explorer 1 studied cosmic rays effect on the Earth and did a lot to dispell the boogieman myth of the Van Allen belt and that it might kill astro/cosmo-nauts.

# 1957: First animal to enter Earth orbit, the dog Laika on Sputnik 2
Laika didn't make it back alive and it really wasnt on the Soviets list of goals, -1


# 1959: First firing of a rocket in Earth orbit, first man-made object to escape Earth's orbit, Luna 1
Win, +1

# 1959: First data communications, or telemetry, to and from outer space, Luna 1.
Win, +1

# 1959: First man-made object to pass near the Moon, first man-made object in Solar orbit, Luna 1
near only counts in hand-grenades and horse shoes, lunar orbit would have counted, no points. Solar orbit does count +1

# 1959: First probe to impact the Moon, Luna 2
There have been theories that Luna 2 was to orbit the moon but went very very wrong, still +1

# 1959: First images of the moon's far side, Luna 3
+1

# 1960: First animals to safely return from Earth orbit, the dogs Belka and Strelka on Sputnik 5.
The primary goal here was human spaceflight and exploration, returning living beings still living should have been higher on the priority list, no points.

# 1960: First probe launched to Mars, Marsnik 1
+1

# 1961: First probe launched to Venus, Venera 1
+2, extra points for being the first space craft to be able to make mid course corrections, very important to human spaceflight

# 1961: First person in space (International definition) and in Earth orbit, Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1, Vostok programme
+5

# 1961: First person to spend over a day in space Gherman Titov, Vostok 2 (also first person to sleep in space).
no points, interesting but did little to advance the program

# 1962: First dual manned spaceflight and approach, Vostok 3 and Vostok 4
+2

# 1963: First woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok 6

no points, interesting but did little to advance the program

# 1964: First multi-man crew (3), Voskhod 1
+1

# 1965: First EVA, by Aleksei Leonov, Voskhod 2
+10

# 1965: First probe to hit another planet (Venus), Venera 3
advanced the program no more than Venera or Marsnik did. no points

# 1966: First probe to make a soft landing on and transmit from the surface of the moon, Luna 9
+5, they could do this but they couldn't get a man there?

# 1966: First probe in lunar orbit, Luna 10
+2

# 1967: First unmanned rendezvous and docking, Cosmos 186/Cosmos 188. (Until 2006, this had remained the only major space achievement that the US had not duplicated.)
Shows differing priorities. The US was all about manned spaceflight, the USSR was happy to focus on other things.

# 1969: First docking between two manned craft in Earth orbit and exchange of crews, Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5
+5


US Achievements
1969: The brass ring. Man walked on the freaking moon, nuf said.
+1000

1970: Apollo 13
+1, Some called it a failure but those astronauts made it back alive, thats a success. If those were Russians in that capsule and behind those ground controllers, would they have made it back? We'll never know but the Americans proved that they could solve tough engineering problems on the fly.

1972: Pioneer 10, first probe to Jupiter
+1

1982: first reusable spacecraft
+100, the Buran was a dismal failure. flew only once, unmanned, and it was 7 years after STS-1. The one and only vehicle produced was destroyed in a building collapse.

1990: the Hubble Space Telescope
+50, first optical telescope outside of earths atmosphere. So much science has come out of this. Already kept in service about twice as long as originally planned.

1995: GPS
+100, you're welcome world. Yeah it's an Air Force project but this is a jingoistic list so it stays.

1996: Pathfinder
+1 first mobile probe to land on another planet

USSR: 34
USA: 1152

Almost forgot 2 of the USSR's achievements


1961: first astro/cosmo-nauts to die in a launch

1972: first astro/cosmo-nauts to die in space

The US followed shortly with the Apollo 1 tragedy killing 3 astronauts and has lost a total of 14 in shuttle accidents but the USSR is still the only program to lose an astro/cosmo-naut in space.

Bauer,
I see that you are the man with all the answers. Something's been bothering me about that whole "Van Allen" thing and maybe you can help me sort it out.
All of the astronauts that NASA claims to have sent through the Van Allen belt now have cataracts.
What kind of radiation were they exposed to to create that effect, a hopped-up x-ray machine or some nuclear waste? I'm thinkin' an x-ray machine...

itsfullofstars: Laika didn't make it back alive and it really wasnt on the Soviets list of goals, -1

itsfullofstars: The primary goal here was human spaceflight and exploration, returning living beings still living should have been higher on the priority list, no points.

I have to disagree, I think these were some of the more important developments in space exploration. The viability of living in space was proved with Laika, and Belka and Strelka demonstrated that a living thing could also survive re-entry. In hindsight that seems pretty obvious, but it needed to be done, especially after they euthanized Laika.

Whatever happened with that copy of the Space Shuttle they built?

simpsonfan: Whatever happened with that copy of the Space Shuttle they built?

Did you miss it?

itsfullofstars:...1982: first reusable spacecraft
+100, the Buran was a dismal failure. flew only once, unmanned, and it was 7 years after STS-1. The one and only vehicle produced was destroyed in a building collapse.

You're welcome

simpsonfan: Whatever happened with that copy of the Space Shuttle they built?

There were reports that they were considering pulling it out of retirement before it was destroyed. It's lifter could put twice the tonnage into LEO than the Shuttle could. Buran was interesting, but it didn't have any real use, sadly.

Dr. Mojo PhD:
# 1969: First docking between two manned ....

GIS for docking turned up interesting results.

bown: Dr. Mojo PhD:
# 1969: First docking between two manned ....

GIS for docking turned up interesting results.

Doesn't it though? Don't search for navigation terms like "docking" or "sounding" with safe search off.

You would be pissed, too, if someone broke your attempt at perfect record.

simpsonfan: Whatever happened with that copy of the Space Shuttle they built?

At one time it (or was it a test vehicle for it?) was on Ebay...

/yeah, it didn't fare well in the hanger collapse...

simpsonfan: Whatever happened with that copy of the Space Shuttle they built?



You can make out the cockpit window there at the bottom.

bbfreak: Rockstone: bbfreak: Rockstone: Dr. Mojo PhD: Why the hell are they depressed? The Soviet Union won the Space Race. They were the first to put an object in space, the first to put a living being in space, the first to bring a living being back from space, the first to put a man in space (and bring him back). They designed, built, and proved the viability of the automobile, the US just proved that with a good sense of direction acquired from others you could park it at the grocery store, pick up your groceries, and bring them back.

USSR space firsts up until '69:

# 1957: First intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7 Semyorka
# 1957: First satellite, Sputnik 1
# 1957: First animal to enter Earth orbit, the dog Laika on Sputnik 2
# 1959: First firing of a rocket in Earth orbit, first man-made object to escape Earth's orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First data communications, or telemetry, to and from outer space, Luna 1.
# 1959: First man-made object to pass near the Moon, first man-made object in Solar orbit, Luna 1
# 1959: First probe to impact the Moon, Luna 2
# 1959: First images of the moon's far side, Luna 3
# 1960: First animals to safely return from Earth orbit, the dogs Belka and Strelka on Sputnik 5.
# 1960: First probe launched to Mars, Marsnik 1
# 1961: First probe launched to Venus, Venera 1
# 1961: First person in space (International definition) and in Earth orbit, Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1, Vostok programme
# 1961: First person to spend over a day in space Gherman Titov, Vostok 2 (also first person to sleep in space).
# 1962: First dual manned spaceflight and approach, Vostok 3 and Vostok 4
# 1963: First woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok 6
# 1964: First multi-man crew (3), Voskhod 1
# 1965: First EVA, by Aleksei Leonov, Voskhod 2
# 1965: First probe to hit another planet (Venus), Venera 3
# 1966: First probe to make a soft landing on and transmit from the surface of the moon, Luna 9
# 1966: First probe in lunar orbit, Luna 10
# 1967: First unmanned rendezvous and docking, Cosmos 186/Cosmos 188. (Until 2006, this had remained the only major space achievement that the US had not duplicated.)
# 1969: First docking between two manned craft in Earth orbit and exchange of crews, Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5

I'm not knocking the moon landings, but seriously. They won.

The race was to land a man on the moon.

We won.

Anyone play Buzz Aldrin's Race into space?

Yes, that game is impossible. You ever land on the moon before 1969 without cheating?

Yes.

Once.

Impressive. I wish there were more games like that, and not horribly impossible to boot. :P Oh and anyone who doesn't know. I'm not biatching because the game was hard, I'm biatching because it was impossible. Even when you did everything right, things went to shiat or at the very least you wouldn't make it to the moon before or during 1969.

http://www.raceintospace.org/

TADA! Freeware Version!

Btw- http://www.raceintospace.org/ is the free, windows compatible version of the game.

Bestbank Tiger: Dr. Mojo PhD: They designed, built, and proved the viability of the automobile

The Soviet Union didn't even exist until 1917, well after the automobile.

Analogies just sort of go right over your head, don't they?

belowner: If you view the whole thing as a game, then we won. The Russians led the with the offensive line for first three quarters, then we came in with a game winning field goal, banged the homecoming queen, and pissed on the mascot just because we could.

Depends what you consider victory. From my standpoint, flashy propaganda is irrelevant. It was the Soviets who took all the major, actual steps (including putting something down on a heavenly body) before the United States. Again, from my point of view, they did all the major work. Anybody biatching about failures and whatever -- not relevant. It may have been more elegant to do it with efficiency or grace, but that's not the purpose or the metric.

I'm not as impressed by the moon landings as most people. In terms of successes and test cases it proved nothing that couldn't already be demonstrated by deduction from existing test cases. In terms of propaganda, on the other hand, great success, equal to the fear Sputnik caused.

But it's not a game. It's just a steady progression. Everything the Russians and NASA did are just steps for further exploration. The good part about our uneasy truce in the Cold War is that we can share the learned information so we don't turn into a world of farking retards like Bauer.

Indeed. Never much understood the hoaxers. The viability of this has long since been proven. But hey, some people just want to be retarded.

When Neil Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the moon, it was a first for the Soviet Union - the first time the U.S. had beaten the U.S.S.R in the space race.

These guys disagree. (new window)

/U.S. Americans are the only ones to have left Earth orbit
//like, such as

bullwinkl: HowlingFrog: Cue the Old Negro Space Program.

I'm a huge Ken Burns fan...so that makes me howl with laughter every time I watch it...

Link (new window)

Great parody. I laugh each time I watch it.

simpsonfan: Whatever happened with that copy of the Space Shuttle they built?



"Why build one when you can have two at twice the price?"

Depends what you consider victory. From my standpoint, flashy propaganda is irrelevant. It was the Soviets who took all the major, actual steps (including putting something down on a heavenly body) before the United States. Again, from my point of view, they did all the major work.

A lot of what the Soviets did WAS flashy propaganda compared to the technical things that NASA did. The Soviets did do a lot of amazing things, but you seriously underestimate what the U.S.' Nazi scientists did.

Technical firsts for the Soviets were great, but NASA's missions laid a lot more scientific foundation & Apollo 11 was the culmination.

The things that came together for the Moon missions were really that impressive.

bown: Dr. Mojo PhD:
# 1969: First docking between two manned ....

GIS for docking turned up interesting results.



Thank you for not sharing.

No, no, really...*thank you*...

Dr. Mojo PhD: Anybody biatching about failures and whatever -- not relevant. It may have been more elegant to do it with efficiency or grace, but that's not the purpose or the metric.

There's a reason why the Soviets never made it to the moon. What you're defending as "progress" is pretty much that reason. The Soviets weren't progressing their technology with good experimentation. Their rush to get to the moon was doomed from the start. And interesting how you belittle the accomplishments of the US when the Soviets themselves could not even do it.

Oh...the USSR duct taped a dog into an ICBM...that's progress.

Mrbogey: Dr. Mojo PhD: Anybody biatching about failures and whatever -- not relevant. It may have been more elegant to do it with efficiency or grace, but that's not the purpose or the metric.

There's a reason why the Soviets never made it to the moon. What you're defending as "progress" is pretty much that reason. The Soviets weren't progressing their technology with good experimentation. Their rush to get to the moon was doomed from the start. And interesting how you belittle the accomplishments of the US when the Soviets themselves could not even do it.

Oh...the USSR duct taped a dog into an ICBM...that's progress.

And it worked. If the first Turing-complete machine was made of smooth stones on a beach, it would still be the first Turing-complete machine. Cry about the lack of transistors and electricity all you want. It worked.

Lots of people crapping on the Russian's accomplishments here. Strange. It's like the 1980's all over again aka that Family Ties episode where the Russians send a chess champion player to play Alex P. Keaton. I mean cold war is over. We won - remember?

Russians helped a lot on practical technologies - rockets, spacecraft and stations. Their people spent the most time in space, so such data was invaluable.

And so we won the moon space race, and then spent the next 40 years undoing that accomplishment by building a fleet of shuttles to nowhere and NASA budget cuts. So, we won. Big deal.

We landed on the moon? Cool!!!

/Look out for a young musical talent named Michael Jackson he and his brothers have a group called the Jackson 5
//if posting on the internet weren't free I wouldn't have bothered posting this
///can't wait for "free" health care

Yeah, whoopy !
Who cares ?
Even if the US won, what did they do with it ? Nothing...
So they planted a flag and left rubbish here and there and didn't go back for how many decades ?
Should be a thriving base on there by now...
Johnson had the Vison, Kenedy made the speech...
Who will champion the Moon and beyond ??

Dr. Mojo PhD: And it worked.

And it offered little advancement. Again, why bother duct taping dogs to rockets when you're only doing it for the glory of being first? And it offers little real advancement?

Look at it as this, someone posts an article on Fark. Who contributes the most to the thread? The guy who yells out "Boobies" or the guy who takes his time and actually fashions a worthwhile response?

Bauer: unless you understand what the van allen radiation belts actually consist of...and what effect they have on the earth and human tissue...you have no clue.

you cannot change the laws of physics.

-we never left low earth orbit.

if anyone has any doubts...let's see a modern day 'astronaut' wear his 60's style spacesuit into three mile island or the equivalency.

he would fry like a egg on a skillet.

better yet...let buzz aldrin do it.

this is the lynchpin in the whole affair.

their 'suits' were shiat...and would not protect them from a dental exam.

they know this...some of you do not, obviously.

-everything else aside.

look at the evidence concerning the van allen radiation belts.

they would need lead shielding three feet thick to survive leaving the earths' protective barrier.

i know some of you have strong opinions on this subject...but do yourself a favor and google "the van allen belts".

it may open your eyes to the many lies "your gov't" has told you...in your name, and with your tax dollars.

-flame on.


"The recent Fox TV show, which I saw, is an ingenious and entertaining assemblage of nonsense. The claim that radiation exposure during the Apollo missions would have been fatal to the astronauts is only one example of such nonsense." -- Dr. James Van Allen

But hey... what could Dr. James Van friggin Allen possibly know about about the Van Allen belts?