THE COMPETITION FOR SPACE THEN AND NOW

1. THE COMPETITION FOR SPACETHEN AND NOW Major David L. Rogers Senior Aerospace Science Instructor, NC-031

2. SOVIET UNION—NOW RUSSIA • VOSTOK WAS EQUAL TO MERCURY • Vostok meant East—emphasis on East –v- West • Man was to orbit Earth and return • YURI GAGARIN • First man to orbit the Earth • Difference: he did not control the capsule • Parachuted to earth after re-entry • Died in 1968 in MiG 15 crash training for second mission • US trained astronauts to be pilots not passengers • Gagarin had a vocation education background as opposed to NASA wanting engineers and pilots • 10 months behind Soviets

3. VALENTINA TERESHKOVA • FIRST WOMAN IN SPACE • A Textile worker • Went into space on Vostok 6 in June 1963 • Made 48 circuits around the Earth—twice as many as Mercury’s longest flight • Still alive—76 as of March 2013 • American Women would have to wait • June 1983—Sally Ride—Mission Specialist on STS-7—Challenger • PhD and Professor of Physics at Stanford • Died July 2012 of pancreatic cancer

4. THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE • Biggest differences were not skills, landing on dry land, or technology • It was government and a battle of ideas and values • SERGEI KOROLEV: • Rocket Designer in 1930s • Political Prisoner in 1940s • Key Designer of Sputnik 1 in 1950s • Communism DID NOT AND DOES NOT WORK • Political leaders persecute those who are not 100% on board or who pose a threat • Smart people can pose a threat

5. VOSHKOD PROJECT • VOSHKOD MEANS—DAWN • Equal to Gemini • Designed to carry more than one person • Gemini was a total redesign—Voshkod was a modification of Vostok capsules • Voshkod I was a success • 3 men—including the capsule designer and a doctor • Began to perform experiments—physical, technical and even some medical—first blood samples • Space suits were shed—not enough room in the capsule

6. VOSHKOD II • ALEXEI LEONOV • Made the first space walk March 1965 • Two man crew: Pilot PavelBelyayev • Technological Advance • Extendable air lock—allowed Leonov to close the door behind him and not drain oxygen from the main capsule • Had problems getting back into capsule—minor panic • Retro-rockets malfunctioned—landed hundreds of miles off course

7. SOYUZ1967-1987 • SOYUZ MEANS—UNION • Equal to our Apollo mission • Soviets claimed it was designed to experiment with designing a space station • US scientists concluded it was to race to the moon • Political leadership in the Soviet Union changed and turmoil led to a slowing of the program • Scientists changed as well • First Soyuz was a disaster similar to Apollo 1 • Parachute didn’t deploy, killing the one Cosmonaut

8. SOYUZ SUCCESSES • DOCKING IN SPACE • Soyuz 2 (computer controlled) and Soyuz 3 piloted by a cosmonaut failed to dock • Pravda reported it was just a practice • Yeah right—just joking • Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 succeed • Soyuz 4—one cosmonaut • Soyuz 5—two cosmonauts • A successful winter launch and recovery of Soyuz 4 with all three cosmonauts aboard

9. APOLLO-SOYUZ • JULY 1975 • American moon walks were over • Different programs came together • Technical challenges were huge • Metric and US sizing • Air mixtures • Languages • Mistrust—Technology leaks • Soyuz 19 launched first and Apollo 7 hours later • Deek Slayton and Alexei Leonov were among the crew of 2cosmonauts and 3 astronauts • Paved the way for the future ISS • US astronauts were on MIR • Russians flew on the space shuttle