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Yuri Gagarin's single orbit around Earth, on April 12, 1961, demonstrated
that the Soviets were ahead in the space race with the U. S.
The
Mercury 7 & Shepard's Launch
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The U.S. space program answered the Soviet challenge with Project Mercury's
seven astronauts and Alan Shepard's sub-orbital flight, May 5, 1961.
(12 sec.) MPEG (881K)
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On May 25, 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy called upon the nation
to send astronauts to the Moon.
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Extravehicular activities (spacewalks) are needed to construct and repair
space stations. Both the Soviets and the Americans conducted their first
EVAs in the spring of 1965.
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Two spacecraft meeting in orbit require exact launch times and careful
maneuvering. Gemini capsules 6 and 7 came within 30 centimeters of each
other on Dec. 15, 1965. Frank Borman and James Lovell spent more than
13 days onboard Gemini 7, to set a record for long-duration flight.
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In July 1969, the "Eagle" lunar lander set two American astronauts on
the Moon. Afterwards, the Soviets turned their main attention to long-duration
flights. NASA sent ten more astronauts to the surface of the Moon, then
began to develop a reusable space vehicle: the Space Shuttle.
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In 1973, NASA converted a Saturn rocket upper stage into a large space
laboratory. Three 3-man crews spent a total of 171 days in long-duration
spaceflight.
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The 1975 docking of the American Apollo and Soviet Soyuz vehicles showed
that the two space programs could work together.
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Astronaut Norm Thagard was the only American to launch in a Russian Soyuz
and the first American to spend a residency on the Mir Space Station,
completing 115 days in orbit, in 1995.
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(43 sec.) MPEG (3.2M) (Full Audio)
STS-71
Undocking and Fly-around
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The Shuttle-Mir Program's first docking and crew transfer occurred in
June 1995. Mir crew members Norm Thagard, Vladimir Dezhurov, and Gennady
Strekalov returned to Earth aboard the Space Shuttle.
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This silent "flying tour" of Mir and the Shuttle gives a good sense of
the size and complexity of the two docked spacecraft in November 1995.
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Astronaut Shannon Lucid narrates a tour of the Mir Space Station where
she set an American record of 188 days in orbit in 1996.
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Mir Astronaut Jerry Linenger describes the fire that took place during
his residency in February 1997.
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Mir Astronaut Mike Foale comments on the event and the consequences of
the Progress supply vehicle's collision with Mir in June 1997.
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Mir Astronaut David Wolf discusses the lessons of the Shuttle-Mir Program.
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The final Shuttle flight to Mir brought back the last Mir Astronaut, Andy
Thomas, after he spent 130 days in orbit in 1998.
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This CNN footage features the final moments of Mir as it approaches the
Pacific Ocean.