Abstract
1960s were the years of space exploration. During the entire decade, the USSR and the United States of America were competing in exploring the space. In the first part of the decade, it seemed that the USSR had the benefit. However, the second part of the decade changed everything. In 1969, the first men landed on the Moon – the Earth satellite.
However, this is only an episode in the United States Moon exploration program. In 1966 – 1967, there have been launched several lunar orbit satellites. The satellites were exploring landing sites, detecting the frequency of meteorites coming near the orbit, gravity, physical properties of the Moon, as well as its radiation peculiarities. These were the first steps to land a human being on the Moon. The next step was taken the next year. In 1968, Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders on the board of the Apollo 8 were the first men who entered the orbit of the satellite and saw the far side of the Moon. There has been a long road to sending a person to the Moon. It has been a lot of work done. However, the NASA managed to send a starship with men on it rather early, regarding the amount of time given for this task.
Evaluation
Although, in the first half of the decade, it seemed that the USSR had a benefit. The USSR launched the first satellite, as well as they sent the first man to the Earth orbit. However, the second decade changed everything. When researching this issue, it seemed that patriotism and love to the country and the nation helped scientists and engineers develop the spaceship, which brought the first Americans to the Moon. In the beginning of the decade, in 1961, President Kennedy held a speech, where he asked to do everything possible and impossible to send a man to the Moon until the end of the 1960s.
Most of the people know only about the man landing on the Moon. However, the exploration program of the Moon started several years before the landing. It is interesting to know all the steps and stages that were taken before the Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. stepped the Moon. The research of the issue helped me realize that Americans have always been proud of the nation, and done everything they could to make the country the leading in the world.
Resources:
n.a. (1959). Project Apollo: Americans to the Moon. Document II-1. NASA
n.a. (1985). Lunar Base Concept. Lunar and Planetary Institute
Ruffner C., ed. (1995) America’s first satellite program. History Staff. Center for the study of intelligence. CIA.
