50 Years ago today - the Space Race began

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Today is the 50 year anniversary of a truly historic day indeed.

Fifty years ago on May 5, 1961 only 23 day after Yuri Gagarin of the then-Soviet Union became the first person in space, NASA astronaut Alan Shepard launched at 9:34 a.m. EDT aboard his Freedom 7 capsule powered by a Redstone booster to become the first American in space. His historic flight lasted 15 minutes, 28 seconds.

Image Credit: NASA

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/image...ture_1939.html

[Ric]

It was a great decade to really kick off space travel and exploration.

I think that's what we need now another decade of concentrated efforts.

[Dennis]

Thanks for the info and link Chris. I remember the days of Mercury, Gemini and especially Apollo. I only wished that I’d have kept my Airfix kit models that I assembled of the Saturn V rocket and the Lunar Excursion Module!

It was thrilling to watch these projects unfold on B&W TV!

Cheers

Dennis

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Dennis & Ric - if there's one regret in my life, it's that i've never had an opportunity to work for NASA in any capacity. I, too, revelled in watching it all happen right there and then on B&W television during the 60's. I had all the models, including a 36" tall Saturn V that took absolute pride of place in my bedroom. If I had my life over again I'd make a beeline to the USA and work for NASA as soon as I left school and university. Sigh...

[avandonk]

I stood next to my father waching Sputnik pass over in 1957. He said that we are starting to see a completely different world. When Newton's hypothetical cannon ball was a reality we have just taken the first step.

Bert

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

That would have been amazing Bert. The significance of the event pretty-well overshadows everything since. Of course it signalled the real beginning of the space race as such, and the Gagarin/Shepard events heralded in the manned aspect of the race.

Beep on 40.002 MHz carrier for 0.3 sec..........Beep on 20.005 MHz carrier for 0.3 sec...........Beep on 40.002 MHz carrier for 0.3 sec..........Beep on 20.005 MHz carrier for 0.3 sec....................

[astroron (Ron)]

Chris,I like Bert watched it go over, as a nearly 15year old living in Hertfordshire England
The masters of the boarding school used to take us outside and show us it as it went over head and the BBC would play the signal sometimes
It was strange to think that the little light going across was the first Man Made object in space
Cheers

[gary]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the heads-up. Wow! 50 years!

They have a Redstone rocket standing upright in Albuquerque.
I always knew it was just a missile and that it was small, but when
I stood beside it, it really struck me how unlikely a manned launch
vehicle it was. The type of thing someone would only dare to go
up in if they were either crazy, fearless or drunk.

[Jen]

Wow 50 years they have learnt so much since then