The Space Race
The Soviet launch of Sputnik in the 1950s and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's outer space journey in 1961 shifted everyone's attention to mastering space technology before the Russians did. NASA had already been created, but Kennedy poured funding into the agency for research and space exploration.
Project Mercury recruited seven brave pilots to become the first astronauts, and soon launched Alan Shepard as the first American in space, followed by John Glenn's 1962 achievement as the first American to orbit Earth. The Telstar 1 satellite became the first telephone and television satellite as well.
The Apollo program carried on this tradition of achievement. On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong and “Buzz” Aldrin realized Kennedy's dream. Crewman Michael Collins watched as his fellow astronauts landed on and explored the lunar surface.
“That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” said Armstrong as he set foot on the moon, to a television audience watching in amazement at this great human achievement.
Stats
Test pilot and U.S. Air Force officer Chuck Yeager was the first aviator to fly faster than the speed of sound, maneuvering his plane (the Glamorous Glennis) through the shock waves produced as the plane neared the speed of Mach 1.
Ten more astronauts explored the moon before the Apollo program ended in 1972. Space exploration turned to sending unmanned missions to other planets, a joint Soviet-American venture in space, and the manned space shuttle missions.
