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.