The Final Frontier!

Space

During the Cold War, advances in technology pitted America and the Soviet Union in a contest to prove which was better in a variety of fields.

The one area where the Soviets consistently won was the Space Race.

The Soviets launched Sputnik in 1957.

What was Sputnik?

Advances in Technology…..

This led to a shift in education to focus on math and science in America.

America began its own space program which culminated with a lunar landing in 1969.

Math and Science……Really?

These two events led to a veritable Cold War in space in which America and the Soviet Union both tried to do more in space.

The Soviets launched a space station called Mir (Peace) and the Americans had Skylab (which crashed).

The Cold War in Space

The International Space Station (ISS) was a joint venture launched in 1998 by sixteen nations to create a working laboratory for experimentation in space.

It is still up there today.

Astronauts are sent up for months at a time.

I.S.S.

NASA eventually developed space shuttles which could be reused for trips to outer space.

Recently, the US government cut much of NASA’s funding which means we no longer use them.

Two exploded: Challenger and Columbia.

These are the voyages…..