The space race, Sputnik and space flight

What was theorised when it came to the arms race?

It was theorised that the ability to build a satellite would give the developer superiority in the arms race.

What was the Soviet Union’s first victory in the technological arms race?

Sputnik - the first satellite to orbit the earth

When was Sputnik launched?

On the 4th October 1957

When was Sputnik II launched?

November 1957

How did the USA react to Sputnik and Sputnik II? (2 points)

• These developments in Soviet technology alarmed the USA, as it appeared that Soviet space technology had surpassed theirs.

• Sputnik II convinced the USA that the USSR had the technology to launch nuclear missiles against it, and that this possibility would rapidly become a reality.

Why did the USA believe the Sputnik programme had been developed?

There was no known defence against what was perceived as the start of a new era of nuclear missile attacks from space.

Why did Eisenhower’s Republican administration come under increasing pressure from Democrats?

Democrats accused Eisenhower’s administration of allowing the Soviet Union to gain the lead in space technology in order to cut costs.

What did Sputnik appear to fundamentally undermine?

Sputnik appeared to fundamentally undermine the effectiveness of the massive retaliation strategy that was so central to the USA’s Cold War nuclear defence programme.

What is massive retaliation?

a military doctrine and nuclear strategy in which a state commits itself to retaliate in much greater force in the event of an attack.

What did the creation of Sputnik lead to? (2 points)

• Sputnik created a sense of urgency for the USA to develop its own space technology programme.

• In September 1958, the government authorised $1 billion for technological development in this field.

Why was the USA’s initial response to Sputnik a disaster?

• On 6 December 1957, the US Navy’s Vanguard rocket crashed on its take-off from Cape Canaveral. It was cynically referred to as ‘Flopnik’.

Who led the Soviet space program?

Sergei P. Korolev

When did the USSR launch the first satellite to successfully orbit the moon?

October 1959

When did the USSR launch the first manned satellite to orbit the earth?

12th April 1961

What was the impact of the USSR’s launch of the first manned satellite?

Soviet Gagarin became the first man to enter outer space

Give one piece of evidence which suggests that the USA rapidly caught up to the Soviets in the space race.

By 1962, the USA had successfully launched 63 space missions compared to the USSR’s 15 missions.

What did the US Discoverer satellite programme do? (2 points)

• From August 1960, the US Discoverer satellite programme was providing long-range intelligence gathering photos from space, and had rendered the U-2 flights semi-obsolete.

• This enabled the USA to gain more coverage in one capsule than the combined four years of U-2 coverage.

What did US leaders believe about space?

There was a strong belief among US leaders that space was all-important to US security, and that control of space would lead to global control.

When did Eisenhower establish NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)?

1958