History In A Nutshell The 1950's was simultaneously a prosperous and strenuous time for America.

The United States was in the midst of a Cold War with the Soviet Union.

While the Cold War was not an actual physical war, where Americans and Soviets met each other in open combat...

It was more of a battle for supremacy competing for superior political, economic, and military influence in the world.

Both sides were trying to outdo one another in almost every way, including scientific advancements, technological breakthroughs, and setting records.

This is illustrated with scientists and test pilots on both sides working together to build craft which can go higher, farther, and faster than ever before.

One of the greatest forefathers of test-flying is former United States Air Force pilot Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager.

Yeager is most widely known for breaking the sound barrier in the rocket-powered plane the X-1 in October, 1947.

With pilots like Yeager, the United States arguably dominated the skies in the 1950's.

But that would all change one October evening in 1957.

On October 4th, 1957, the Soviet Union completely caught the United States off guard by broaching the new frontier: Outer space.

A 184 pound aluminum satellite named "Sputnik" was launched into a low Earth orbit where it remained in operation for around three weeks.

It could be seen with the naked eye, and its signal could be picked up on any ordinary radio.

The U.S. was on high alert as a result.

Not only did the Russians beat the U.S. by making it to space first, but there were growing fears that the Soviets could put something much more deadly than a metal sphere into orbit.

The Eisenhower administration had to act, and consulted with engineers and scientists one of whom was Doctor Wernher von Braun, who would later go on to design the Saturn series of rockets, which carried astronauts to the moon.

After a failed attempt with Vanguard 1, the United States succeeded with Explorer 1, in January, 1958.

These are the beginnings of what would become known as the "Space Race."

America's space agency at the time was the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, or NACA.

President Dwight Eisenhower decided that the agency should be civilian controlled instead of military.

The NACA became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, on October 1st, 1958.

The next big leap in this race would be to put a man into space, and the United States considered several methods for doing just that.

The United States Air Force had its own program called "Man In Space Soonest," which relied more on rocket-powered aircraft... such as the X-15.

However with the formation of NASA's Project Mercury, the "Man In Space Soonest" program was deemed redundant, and ultimately scrapped.

Same goal in mind but different approaches.

NASA's Project Mercury would put a man into space by using booster rockets.

These rockets, originally designed to carry nuclear warheads... were modified to carry spacecraft instead.

This then begs the question: Who was the United States going to get to ride these rockets?

Some considered the concept of strapping a man on top of a rocket to be not only dangerous but crazy.

So crazy that even stuntmen and circus performers were once considered for the job of "astronaut."

But President Eisenhower remained firm on who he believed should take on this task: test pilots.

Over 100 men tried out for Project Mercury, but few were selected.

The people selected would be introduced as the "Mercury 7" in April of 1959.

These seven individuals were considered the greatest pilots in America.

Though They would have their work cut out for them since the next few years were devoted to training, testing, and getting ready for their trips to space.

The first few missions would be suborbital flights, then followed by orbital ones.

But the first being to ride in Mercury would not be one of the seven.

Instead, it was decided that a final test was needed before sending a human into space.

A chimpanzee named "Ham" would be the first to go up in January of 1961.

The Mercury Seven were thrilled about that... especially Alan Shepard who was selected to be the first man to go up.

All the monkey jokes aside... the test flight was a success, but ended up delaying the flight schedule.

This would cost the United States as the Soviets struck again by sending cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into space in April of 1961.

The Soviets killed two birds with one stone.

Not only were they the first into space, but orbited the earth as well.

This would lead to a series of the Russians getting ahead, and America's playing catch-up.

America would get its next step in the space race in May of 1961 with Alan Shepard on board "Freedom 7."

"Roger, liftoff and the clock has started!"

While Gagarin's mission lasted about an hour and a half, Shepard's flight was merely a 15-minute suborbital flight.

Moved by the success of its first manned space mission, then President John F. Kennedy declared to Congress that America would beat the Russians to the moon, and get there by the end of the decade.

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal... before this decade is out of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.

No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind or more important for the long-range exploration of space."

After a second suborbital flight with Gus Grissom in "Liberty Bell 7," it was decided to replace the old redstone booster with a more powerful Atlas rocket because the Redstone simply was not powerful enough to push a spacecraft into orbit.

America would finally put a man into orbit the following year.

"We're under way!"

"Loud and clear."

"Roger, we're programming and roll okay."

"God speed, John Glenn."

In February, 1962, John Glenn successfully orbited the earth in "Friendship 7."

"Roger, zero gee and I feel fine.

Capsule is turning around... oh that view is tremendous!"

Even though his mission was cut short due to a faulty sensor switch, John Glenn became an instant American icon.

The three following flights were all successful, and Mercury ended with Leroy "Gordo" Cooper in 1963, paving the way for phase two of America's race to the moon: Project Gemini.

A fresh batch of astronauts called "The New Nine" were chosen to help America get to the moon.

Some of these names may sound familiar: Neil Armstrong John Young Jim Lovell Pete Conrad And Ed White.

With a brand new spacecraft, Project Gemini would be the bridge between Mercury and Apollo.

Mercury proved man can survive in space... but Gemini would test if a man can work in space.

If tasks like rendezvous, docking, extra-vehicular activity, or staying in space for long periods of time couldn't be done, the United States could forget landing on the moon.

After the first manned Gemini flight with Gemini 3, the next big task would be EVA.

The Russians, again, achieved that first, with cosmonaut Alexey Leonov, 101 00:07:57,343 --> 00:08:00,313 but America got its first successful space walk with Ed White on Gemini 4, in 1965.

"Separating from the spacecraft."

"Okay, separating from the spacecraft."

106 00:08:10,923 --> 00:08:15,094 "Okay, I think I've exhausted my air now."

Geminis 6 and 7 tackled rendezvous, and long duration space flight.

Astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell orbited the earth for two weeks inside a Gemini spacecraft!

Imagine being cramped inside a phone booth for two weeks with one other person.

It was about like that.

Gemini faced some problems with a few of its later missions.

After connecting with an AGENA docking target, a stuck thruster caused Gemini 8 to spin out of control, and the mission was cut short.

"Yes, sir."

"Undock."

Neil Armstrong and Dave Scott made it out okay, though!

The next three flights all experienced another challenge: working in space.

Even though Ed White on Gemini 4 successfully "walked" in space, he did not do much outside of float around.

Astronauts on Geminis 9, 10, and 11 were exhausting themselves trying to work in space, due to Isaac Newton's third law of motion: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

Astronaut Gene Cernan recalled on his Gemini 9 flight that instead of turning, say, a valve, unless he was held in place by something, he would turn instead and start floating away.

This problem stalled progress, until astronaut Buzz Aldrin found a solution by taking a completely new approach to space walks.

He figured out that one can simulate the conditions of working in space using a swimming pool!

After modifying the Gemini spacecraft with special handles, footholds, and strapping, Buzz Aldrin made working in space look easy.

And he knew it, too!

All of Gemini's objectives had been accomplished, and the stage was set for Apollo.

In 1967, America was feeling "Go Fever," which means there was an overall mindset to rush and get things done while overlooking potential problems or errors.

America would feel the consequences of "Go Fever" with the tragic loss of the Apollo 1 crew: Mercury veteran Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee.

A fire broke out during a routine "plugs out" test on the launch pad claiming the lives of the astronauts.

It was concluded that the cause of the fire was due to frayed wiring serving as an ignition source, combined with the 100% pure oxygen environment.

The astronauts died not by burns, but by asphyxiation from toxic smoke.

On the other side, the Soviets had stumbled around the same time as well, with the loss of cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov, when the parachute on his Soyuz spacecraft failed to properly deploy and he crashed.

Apollo's rocky start serves as a reminder that the space business is a hazardous one, leaving no room for error.

Apollo had to put on the brakes, and after a complete overhaul of the command module's design, and several unmanned test flights, Apollo 7 got America back into the race in October 1968.

1968 was a rough year for the U.S., for not only were both Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. assassinated that year, but 1968 also saw the height of the Vietnam War, with the Tet Offensive.

To add insult to injury, there were rumors that the Soviets had planned to send a spacecraft around the moon by the end of that year.

With the brand new launch vehicle called the Saturn V, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built to date, it was time for a morale boost, and America got one with Apollo 8, in December.

Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders circumnavigated the moon and came back safely.

The mission resulted in one of the most iconic photographs ever taken, called "Earthrise."

It was one of those cultural phenomenons which made the entire world stop what it was doing, and look with awe.

The end of the decade was fast approaching, and it was time to fulfill Pres.

Kennedy's vision.

A new vehicle had been specially designed for landing on the moon called the "Lunar Module."

After several successful lunar module tests with Apollos 9 and 10, the United States would get its shot at the moon in July of 1969.

Four days after launch, on July 20th, the "Eagle" had landed.

"Contact light."

"Tranquility base, here, the Eagle has landed."

Neil Armstrong stepped off the lunar module, and upon planting his foot in the lunar soil, this signified America's victory in the space race!

The United States had won.

"That's one small step for man... one giant leap for mankind."

Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin then planted "Old Glory" on the moon, where that very flag remains to this day.

Unfortunately after Apollo 11, public sentiment quickly faded.

Even though the missions after Apollo 11 became more science heavy, and focused on unlocking the mysteries of the moon, a public disinterest towards moon missions, and spaceflight in general set in.

Budget cuts started creeping in, and the moon missions ended after Apollo 17, despite their major scientific breakthroughs.

It is worth noting that a temporary spike in interest came when Apollo 13 suffered an accident on the way to the moon, and when the lives of the astronauts were in jeopardy, everyone came together once more to help the Apollo 13 crew make it back home.

The space program needed a new purpose and there was a shift towards much less ambitious goals, like space stations.

But there was a silver lining in this shift: The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975 was significant because it represented a "warming" of sorts during the Cold War.

For the first time ever, this would be an international flight, where Americans and Soviets met in space, and shook hands.

This ease in tension between the Americans and Soviets would mark the beginning of international efforts in space, where countries would work together to achieve goals.

One can only wonder: Where to next?