Tag Archives: Space Race

Apollo 8 and Inspiration Mars: Context Matters

Posted on March 21, 2013 by asteitel

We have an amazing ability to selectively read history, and it’s something that happens a lot with the Space Race. We see the inspirational effects of bold missions to the Moon and use them as a benchmark for future exploration. … Continue reading →

Posted in Apollo, Manned Spaceflight, Moon, Soviet | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Psychological Impact of Sputnik

Posted on October 4, 2012 by asteitel

Today marks 55 years since the Soviet Union launched history first artificial satellite, Sputnik. It was, by all accounts, an innocuous satellite; it weighed about 184-pounds and it beeped. It wasn’t broadcasting secret messages or pinpointing the locations of major … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Space Science, Rockets, Soviet, Unmanned Spaceflight | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Plan X; or, Planning White’s Small Step

Posted on May 20, 2012 by asteitel

In 1964, the launch schedule for the Gemini program was set and it was tight. Missions with new objectives would launch every eight to ten weeks taking NASA a step closer to the Moon each time. But hardware setbacks and … Continue reading →

Posted in Gemini, Manned Spaceflight, Soviet | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments