life.com — 1959 was a dark moment in the Cold War: Not only had the Soviets launched the very first satellite into orbit in 1957, but they were well on the way to getting the first man into orbit (which they did in 1961). But America was hard at work playing catchup and in 1959 announced the Mercury program - here are the photos that tell the story.
Nov 5, 2009 View in Crawl 4
michaelpintoNov 5, 2009Submitter
I think that those of us who came of age after the moon landing forget that there was a time when America was way behind in the space race. This wasn't just about space exploration but reflected a larger basic lack of investment in science education. In fact the one positive thing about the Soviets beating us is that the investment in science education is helping us decades later. However I fear that America will slip back into complacency again as we watch China and then India return to the moon. If you're a fan of NASA (doesn't matter if you're a Dem, Rep. or indie) I beg you to email your congressperson and the White House to support NASA.
jjohnstnNov 6, 2009
Recommended reading for anyone interested in the space program: the autobiography "Flight" by Chris Kraft (former Mercury/Gemini flight director) is an insightful look into the early days of the space program, up through Apollo. Lots of background information on why certain decisions were made and details NASA would never have wanted made public during the space race.
awwzmNov 6, 2009
Men with "The Right Stuff"
daddynewtNov 6, 2009
Great images! Especially the big "60's" portraits.