The Nasa Space Program And The Individuals — страница 2

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with the information so it wasn t a surprise that the first man in space was a cosmonaut. The taxing, yet fulfilling job, was given to a young test pilot named Yuri Gagarin. Even being a member of the Soviet empire, young Gagarin managed to affect the United States and the NASA space program. The one man who greatly affected the worlds view of humans exploring space, was born in the small village of Klushino in the western Soviet empire. His Father was a carpenter, but Yuri Gagarin didn t follow in his fathers foot steps. Instead, he completed high school and went on to an industrial training college. Here Gagarin found himself joining an aero club where he gained experience in flight and parachute jumping. From there Gagarin followed his dreams and began flying jets in the air

force. In the Spring of 1960 his application was accepted to be a member of a small group that would be trained as future cosmonauts. (Bond pg. 12-13) After Training for a year, Gagarin was picked among 20 others to perform the first mission. Gagarin s overseers, General Nikolai Kamanin and Chief designer Korolev, praised him, stating that he displayed an analytical mind and rare industriousness. (Bond pg. 13) Now it was only a matter of time until the rocket would be ready for its celestial flight. On April 12, 1961 Gagarin captured the essence of what the mission was meant for in a speech he made right before liftoff. The greatest happiness for man has been to take part in new discoveries. To be the first to enter the cosmos, to engage, single-handed, in an unprecedented duel

with nature .could one dream of more! (Bond pg. 14) Then Gagarin dedicated his mission to the people of a communist society. The only thing left for Gagarin to do was to climb into the tiny Vostok cabin situated atop the rocket. (Bond pg. 14) Gagarin waited in the Vostok capsule for an hour before the mission was ready for launch. Switch to go position roared across the intercom. Soon the arm carrying the power cable swung away. Ignition lift-off! the launch was a success, sending Gagarin to be the first man in space. Little to his knowledge, Gagarin would be known around the world by the time he came back to earth. (Bond pg. 15) News of the Russian triumph of putting a man into space reached the U.S. The already established NASA had plans of putting a man in space also. News

that the Russian had done it first reached President Kennedy. Kennedy, enraged by the news, sent a letter to Vice President Lyndon Johnson in which he said that he was tired of the Russians beating the United States in the space race. Kennedy wrote that it was time to do something to prove that the United States was not second best. Vice President Johnson then passed the request on to NASA. To the surprise of the Russians the U.S. announced its plans to put a man on the moon before the end of the decade. (Walter pg. 88-90) Gagarin started what was to be known as the Space Race. Harmlessly flying his Vostok capsule into space, ignited a desire for the U.S. space program to assert America s conquest of the heavens. NASA s budget jumped from $1 billion to $6 in just one year.

(Walter pg. 90) Kennedy s speeches only added more support in beating the Russians to the moon. Yuri Gagarin s flight to outer space soon was put on the back burner as Russians rushed to try and beat the Americans to the moon. Nevertheless, Yuri Gagarin changed the way Americans looked at space for decades to come. The U.S., now content on beating the Russians to the moon, began to assemble a team to journey to the moon. The shuttle that was to take them on their trip to the moon was to be the Apollo space shuttle. The mission was dubbed Apollo 11. Its crew members consisted of Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and Neil Armstrong. This crew would be the first to land on the moon. Of the three famous men, the most famous is Neil Armstrong. Neil Armstrong took the first step on lunar

soil. The words That s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind (Collins pg. 8) are forever etched into history. The momentous achievement of setting foot upon the moon was a great triumph for the U.S. Space program. Neil Armstrong was one of many astronauts born in the state of Ohio. After graduation from high school, Armstrong attended Prudue University where he acquired a degree in aeronautical engineering. Latter Armstrong completed his Masters of Science degree at the University of Southern California. Armstrong gained aviation skills when he became an aviator in the United States Navy. He later used his aeronautical degree after his service to land jobs with NASA and NACA doing test research. By 1962 Armstrong was selected to become an astronaut for NASA. His