Vocabulary Preview
Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.
1. accomplish
a. a well-done job; an accomplishment
2. achievement
b. the aim; the result that is hoped for
3. beat
c. to send up or send away, usually with great speed
4. goal
d. to win over another, as in a race
5. launch
e. something sent to collect information
6. probe
f. to do; to complete
Pre-Reading Questions
Think about the following questions.
1. What country was the first man in space from?
2. What countries were involved in the race for space?
3. Who was the first man to walk on the moon?
The Space
Race
S p a c e & E x p l o r a t i o n 1
U N
I
T
8
90
The Space Race
5
10
15
20
25
T
he space race occurred during the 1960s, as
the United States and the Soviet Union
competed for new achievements in space. Both
countries improved their technology and made new
scientific discoveries. Their astronauts also showed
great heroism. Though the space race began as
national
and political competition, it remains one of
the great moments of history.
The space race had no clear goals at first. Each
country wanted to show the world that it could do more
than the other. At first, the Soviet Union seemed to be
winning.
Besides sending the first artificial satellite into
orbit, Sergei P. Korolev---the person in charge of the Soviet space program---also had
many other successes. The Soviet space program sent the first unmanned spacecraft
to the moon. In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space, and later the
same year, Gherman Titov
spent the first whole day in orbit around the Earth. In
1963, the Soviets accomplished the first long-term mission, spending five days in
orbit. Moreover, in the same year, the
first woman went into space, Valentina
Tereshkova. The Vokshod 1 mission was in 1964 and carried three astronauts. This
was the first time a single spacecraft had carried more than one person. In addition,
the first spacewalk was conducted in 1965 by Alexi Leonov. Also during this time,
the Soviets sent many unmanned space probes to the moon and elsewhere.
The American space agency used
modified missiles at first. The US
attempted to launch its first satellite in 1957, but the rocket
exploded. Then in
1958,
a satellite, Explorer 1, was successfully launched. On May 5, 1961, Alan
Shepard became the first American in space. Twenty days later, President John
12
artificial --- not natural; man-made
16
orbit --- a circular path
in space around a planet
23
modify --- to change
24
explode --- to burst into pieces
