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Episodes Tagged with "Icbm"

Posted on May 2, 2013

On October 4th 1957, the Soviet Union demonstrated that it had to be taken seriously. Only a few years prior they had lagged the US badly in both bombers and Nuclear weapons. Now, there was deep concern that the Soviet’s could launch a nuclear attack...

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NewsPaper1

Posted on May 9, 2013

Sputnik 2 was the second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit and was the first to launch a living creature. The satellite was a 4 meter high cone-shaped capsule with a base diameter of 2 meters. It contained several compartments for radio transmitte...

Sputnik2_vsm

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sputnik-2

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Laika

Laika Stamp

Posted on May 16, 2013

“It seemed as if the gates of hell had opened up.  Brilliant stiletto flames shot out from the side of the rocket near the engine. The vehicle agonizingly hesitated for a moment, quivered again, and in front of our unbelieving eyes, began to topple. ...

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Posted on May 30, 2013

In late March, 1958, President Eisenhower publicly announced the United States’ intention to launch a spacecraft to the Moon.  He assured the nation that  this was not science fiction.  It was an achievable goal presented by leading scientists.  The ...

Vanguard_1

Vanguard_rocket

Pioneer_I_on_the_Launch_Pad_-_GPN-2002-000204

Pioneer_1

Pioneer Satellite Replica

753px-Pioneer_3

Posted on June 6, 2013

The launch vehicle for the Luna E-1 series was a modified R7 named Vostok.  The Vostok had three stages.  The first and second stage were the standard R-7 which we covered in Episode 9.  A 5.1 meter long by 2.4 meter diameter third stage was added to...

Vostok – 8K72K

R-7_(7A)_misil.svg

Luna_1_1

800px-Спутник-3

Posted on March 3, 2016

When we left the Soviet Union they had somewhat successfully landed a probe on Venus and they had completed the automatic docking of two Soyuz 7K-OK spacecrafts.  However they did not reach their goal of a circumlunar flight in time for the 50th anni...

3-ProtonZond

2-Mishin-AganzanovChertok

1-L1-Zond

Posted on June 13, 2013

Candidates were given continuous psychiatric interviews throughout the week, and extensive self-examination through a battery of 13 psychological tests for personality and motivation, and another dozen different tests on intellectual functions and sp...

Cent

gustraining

GPN

Centrifuge

Scott

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gustraining

Posted on August 22, 2013

“We have been plunged into a race for the conquest of outer space. As a reason for this undertaking some look to the new and exciting scientific discoveries which are certain to be made. Others feel the challenge to transport man beyond frontiers he ...

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413px-John_F._Kennedy_speaks_at_Rice_University

Posted on August 29, 2013

Mercury-Redstone 4 was the fourth mission in the Mercury-Redstone series and the second U.S. manned suborbital spaceflight. The mission was essentially a repeat of Alan Shepard’s Freedom 7 flight.   So why was it necessary to launch another sub-orbit...

Liberty_Bell_7_The_Kansas_Cosmosphere_and_Space_Center

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Mercury_4_Hatch

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GusSuitup

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Posted on September 12, 2013

Following the successful suborbital missions of Allan Shepard and Gus Grissom, NASA believed the Mercury capsule was ready for an orbital mission.  But, there was a problem, the Redstone booster did not have the power to place the Mercury capsule int...

Enos-MA-5a

t189

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Mercury-Atlas_5_display

Atlas_D_with_Mercury-Atlas_5_(Nov._29_1961)

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Posted on September 19, 2013

“I am in a big mass of some very small particles, they’re brilliantly lit up like they’re luminescent. I never saw anything like it! They round a little: they’re coming by the capsule and they look like little stars. A whole shower of them coming by....

space rocket history pic21

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Glenn62

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415px-Mercury_6,_John_H_Glenn_Jr

Posted on December 12, 2013

The Space Age had barely begun when Soviet engineers started planning ways to destroy enemy satellites. Some Western analysts have speculated that a design for an anti-satellite weapon system was started at Korolev’s OKB-1 bureau as early as 1956…

space rocket history pic45

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poletdh2

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poletdh1

Posted on January 2, 2014

Premiere Khrushchev was not willing to wait until Soyuz for another space first.  Khrushchev believed, There could be no final victories in the race for space propaganda.  He knew the US was working on project Gemini which would carry two astronauts ...

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Boris Y

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By Dave

Posted on February 6, 2014

On January 3 1962, “Gemini” became the official designation of the Mercury Mark II program. The name had been suggested by Alex  Nagy of NASA Headquarters because the twin stars Castor and Pollux in constellation Gemini (the Twins) seemed to him to s...

The general arrangement of liquid rocket systems (OAMS and RCS) in the Gemini spacecraft

Gemini landing gear part of the land landing system along with the paraglider

fig41The B. F. Goodrich partial-wear full-pressure suit being developed for the Gemini program

fig33Figure 33. The emergency parachute recovery system for the half-scale paraglider flight test vehicle for Phase II-A of the development program – Copy

fig27Gemini spacecraft nomenclature – Copy

Agena B

Posted on February 12, 2014

“Blue Gemini” was the tag name for an Air Force manned space flight program to develop rendezvous, docking, and transfer for military purposes, using Gemini-type spacecraft. The concept became firmer in June, when the Air Force Space Systems Division...

fig58 Astronauts after a training session in desert near Stead Air Force Base, Nevada

Goal

fig54 Instrumented mannequin being lowered into a boilerplate Gemini spacecraft in preparation for a dynamic sled test of the Gemini ejection system

fig52 Gemini launch vehicle 1 undergoing tests in the vertical test facility at Martin’s Baltimore plant

fig51 POGO suppression equipment proved out in the Titan II development program

fig48 Proposed deployment sequence for the ballute stabilization device

fig47 Titan II flight N-15 was launched from Cape Canaveral on January 10, 1963

Posted on March 20, 2014

Voskhod 2 was a high risk mission.  It was the final space race victory for the Soviet Union before NASA claimed the lead and ultimately won with the lunar landing of 1969. Voskhod 2 was the peak of the Soviet Space Program.  It nearly killed its two...

ivokhod2

IMAGE-of-berkut-spacesuit

Pavel_Belyayev

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Voskhod_spacecraft_diagram

Posted on March 27, 2014

Leonov opened the airlocks outer hatch He was positioned on his “back” and this orientation revealed the beauty of earth in its entirety.  His heart began to race as he pushed his upper body outside and saw the deep blue vista of the Mediterranean Se...

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Descent module of Voskhod-2 from which Alexey Leonov pioneered extravehicular activity

Leonov and Belyayev in Voskhod-2, 1965

qvok2eva

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cosomonauts

Posted on April 4, 2013

“The Americans have unified their forces into a single thrust, and make no secret of their plans to dominate outer space. But we keep our plans secret even to ourselves…”  Sergei Korolev the Founder of the Soviet Space Program.

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Korolev

Posted on April 11, 2013

It’s important to understand that in the late 1940s within the United States there were three concurrent programs for military rocket development. This was due to continuing inter-service rivalry between the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

WAC_Corporal

Viking

v2Wac Corporal

First U.S.-designed Ballistic Missile

Aerobee

270px-Hermes_A-1_Test_Rockets_-_GPN-2000-000063

Posted on April 18, 2013

By the late 1940’s, it became obvious that Army ballistic missile research activities required more room than what was available at Fort Bliss, Texas. After a long and through search the decision was made to move to the Redstone arsenal at Huntsville...

Jupiter_c_pad

Viking

Loki-dart_display

First_Redstone_Rocket_Firing

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Posted on November 20, 2014

His power, influence, and responsibilities during the 1950s and 60s were all encompassing. Not only was he in charge of all space-related issues, he was also in charge of some of the design of rockets for military purposes as well. He oversaw the des...

Молодой_Королёв

Sergey_Korolyov_boy_1912

Korolyov_in_cockpitof glider

Posted on April 25, 2013

“We had absolute confidence in Comrade Korolev.  We believed him when he told us that his rocket would not only fly, but that is would travel 7000 kilometers.  When he expounded or defended his ideas, you could see passion burning in his eyes, and hi...

GPN-2002-000184

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Posted on November 26, 2014

Sergei Korolev’s life paralleled in many ways the life of Wernher Von Braun. Like Von Braun, as a young man, Sergei Korolev was inspired to dedicate his life to the technology for space exploration after becoming acquainted with the work of a great s...

Korolev

Korolev_Kurchatov_Keldysh

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Posted on December 4, 2014

Around noon on January 14th, Boris Chertok was alone in his office studying a folder of classified mail that had accumulated during the past few days. He had asked not to be disturbed. Suddenly his subordinate ran in and shouted, “Sergey Pavlovich di...

1280px-Soviet_Union-1969-Stamp-0.10._Sergei_Korolev

1024px-S.P.Korolev_monument_in_Baykonur_city_03.2006

640px-RIAN_archive_337493_Monument_to_Sergei_Korolyov_in_Cosmonauts_Alley_in_Moscow

640px-Monument_to_S.P._Korolev_in_Korolyov_city

Posted on June 30, 2016

The Space Age had barely begun when Soviet engineers started planning ways to destroy enemy satellites. Some Western analysts have speculated that a design for an anti-satellite weapon system was started at Korolev’s OKB-1 bureau as early as 1956…

Posted on November 26, 2015

Premiere Khrushchev was not willing to wait until Soyuz for another space first.  Khrushchev believed, There could be no final victories in the race for space propaganda.  He knew the US was working on project Gemini which would carry two astronauts ...