The Space Race and Russia

With the 40^th anniversary of the USA’s arrival on the Moon, and accepting that such history is not a manufactured fact, several plays in international social communication appear about the 'defeat' of the USSR’s space program. More nonsense.

Photo: The Space Race and Russia

Speaking of the "loss of supremacy" in space is absurd, since the United States has relied on the Russians to reach the International Space Station after the accidents going to-and-fro. And talk of the "defeat" of the Soviet space program, when the race in space was a peace-loving and scientific race, for the good of humanity, seems to be a political policy area not to serve again, but to be used for anti-Russian purposes and to create a negative scenario in international public opinion. And after 2010, who is going to keep on taking men and cargo to the ISS?

If there was a race to space, it was won by the Soviet Union with the first satellite (Sputnik, 1957) or the first launch of an ICBM (R7 Semyorka, 1957). Or the first animal in space, Laika (1957). Or the first rocket into orbit, Luna 1 in 1959.

The first transmission of telemetry from space in 1959. In the same year, the first rocket to pass the moon and the first object to enter into solar orbit (Luna 1). In the same year, the first photos of the dark side of the Moon (Luna 3).

1960, two dogs, Belka and Strelka, returning to Earth after being in orbit (Sputnik 5). The first probe to Mars (1960, Marsnik 1). The following year, the first probe to reach Venus (Venera 1)

Or the first man, Yuri Gagarin (Vostok 1, 1961). Gherman Titov in the same year was the first man to spend a day in space and sleep in space. Or the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova (1963). Or the first walk in space (Aleksei Leonov, 1965). Or the first arrival to the moon in 1959 (Luna 2). First object on the surface of Venus, 1965 (Venera 3). 1966, Luna 9 was the first object to make contact with the moon and make a transfer. First lunar orbit, 1966.

First docking in space, unmanned (Cosmos 186/188) in 1967. The U.S. only managed to imitate this achievement in 2006. 1969, the first manned docking and exchange of crews. First samples of the Moon sent by Luna 16 in 1970. First robot on the moon in 1970 (Lunokhod 1). The following year, first data received from the surface of another planet, Venus.

Or the first station in space (Salyut 1, 1971). Or the records constantly set by the Mir space station. 1971, the first probe to reach the surface of Mars (Mars 2). 1975, first pictures of the surface of Venus. 1984, first woman to walk in space, Sveltana Savitskaya.

1986, first crew to visit two (Russian) space stations, Salyut and Mir.

Hundreds of launches were made in recent years of satellites and rocket payloads. Many foreigners were taken to space from Russian territory. Russia today does not look to the Moon but to Mars. In Moscow a simulator is to prepare cosmonauts for the trip.

And do the Americans have a big party about a flag on the moon, floating in the wind? And then "discovered" a video proving that it actually happened 40 years later?

Then be happy with that, congratulations!

Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey

Translated from the Portuguese version by
Lisa Karpova