1. The Final Frontier in the Cold War
Space Race!
The Final Frontier in the Cold War

2. Origins
 The story begins in 1952, when the International Council of Scientific Unions decided to establish July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958, as the International Geophysical Year (IGY) because the scientists knew that the cycles of solar activity would be at a high point then. In October 1954, the council adopted a resolution calling for artificial satellites to be launched during the IGY to map the Earth's surface. 

3. US Plans
In July 1955, the White House announced plans to launch an Earth-orbiting satellite for the IGY and solicited proposals from various Government research agencies to undertake development. In September 1955, the Naval Research Laboratory's Vanguard proposal was chosen to represent the U.S. during the IGY. 

4. The Soviets beat the US to Space
History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball (58 cm.or 22.8 inches in diameter), weighed only 83.6 kg. or pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. That launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments. While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R space race.

5. The race is on!
Explorer-I, officially known as Satellite 1958 Alpha, was the first United States earth satellite and was sent aloft as part of the United States program for the International Geophysical Year It was designed and built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the California Institute of Technology under the direction of Dr. William H. Pickering. The satellite instrumentation of Explorer-I was designed and built by Dr. James Van Allen of the State University of Iowa.

6. Kennedy’s Vision
We have a long way to go in the space race. We started late. But this is the new ocean, and I believe the United States must sail on it and be in a position second to none – John F. Kennedy, 1962

7. Notable Firsts 1957- Sputnik- 1st artificial satellite
1958- Explorer 1- 1st US satellite
1958- Soviets lauch Laika, a dog into space
April, Yuri Gagarin first human in space
May, Alan Shepard first American in space
1962- John Glenn 1st American to orbit Earth
1969- Neil Armstrong- first person to step foot on the moon

8. US Space Programs
Mercury

9. Gemini

10. Apollo