Who won the Space Race? Community poll

[vetrox]

the USSR won the USA doesn't even have a real space program anymore

The USSR also doesnt USSR anymore

[ArmchairGravy]

USA. We have the first interstellar craft with Voyager. Check and mate.

[Shuttle]

So? It still didn't perform a mission. And, just like the Chinese, it was a ripoff of the American shuttle, meant strictly for military purposes.

Shuttle could take off, fly and land on its own?

Buran also had ejection seats.

I guess you could call this project a rip-off:

But I still don't understand why using someone else's experience is bad.

[metalmouth7]

.... What kind of Shuttle is that last one? It's like a Buran.... but wrong.

[Shuttle]

It is Þá-120 (russian á is american S). Here is an article about it: http://www.buran.ru/htm/os-120.htm

This site is awesome, by the way Can you guess what those red engines on shuttle are?

[metalmouth7]

Those are solid rocket motors, aren't they? I think I remember reading something about this somewhere, I just can't recall the article.

[metalmouth7]

RIIIIGHT. Those are the launch escape rockets.

Now I remember this model of Shuttle! It was a developmental stage of the Buran project, before they tossed out the "American-style" engine configuration.

[Beowolf]

Who won? We did, silly! No space race, no Kerbal Space Program.

//anybody else notice the TED-ED animated Sputnik was in a retrograde orbit?

[M.Wolfy]

The USSR also doesnt USSR anymore

So, Were talking about this again...

Stop bringing that up please, just, no...

If you're not going to take ^ for an answer... take this as an answer...

The current flag of Vladimir Oblast...

Buran also had ejection seats.

Boy, America would of been glad if that was on challenger...

Edited October 4, 2013 by M.Wolfy

[Piwa]

I wonder if somebody knows that energy moon-rocket??? A N-1 was conceived as export of missiles to fly to Mars??? And they did the Soviet Union had not got involved in this race to the moon is possible on Mars would be standing Soviet flag. N-1 of heavy missiles to collect ships to Mars turned into a lunar rocket.

[Shuttle]

RIIIIGHT. Those are the launch escape rockets.

Now I remember this model of Shuttle! It was a developmental stage of the Buran project, before they tossed out the "American-style" engine configuration.

Yes!

Boy, America would of been glad if that was on challenger...

According to this article http://www.buran.ru/htm/katapu.htm, there were only 2 ejection seats, unfortunately.

http://i.imgur.com/xG8LF3Q.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/8aMkEIY.jpg

[Piwa]

So, Were talking about this again...

Stop bringing that up please, just, no...

If you're not going to take ^ for an answer... take this as an answer...

The current flag of Vladimir Oblast...

Boy, America would of been glad if that was on challenger...

Russia is far from the USSR...

[M.Wolfy]

Yes!

According to this article http://www.buran.ru/htm/katapu.htm, there were only 2 ejection seats, unfortunately.

http://i.imgur.com/xG8LF3Q.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/8aMkEIY.jpg

And the USA removed their ejection seats as soon as the Shuttle got functioning...

Because removing safety equipment is safe...

Russia is far from the USSR...

Oh, I know But the USSR doesn't exist part is getting annoying... VERY annoying..

[LtHeckard]

It's really a close call, the U.S.S.R. got a pretty hefty head start, Sputnik and the first Astronaut in space, but then the U.S. had landed Humans on the Moon. I really don't know who won.

[Superluminaut]

I think "space race" is largely and American concept. Kennedy is probably the guy that fired the starting gun and defined the finish as the Moon. It's debatable if the soviets even heard that starting gun, and if they did, did they give a ****? The soviet man on the moon program was never nearly as fanatic as that of the US.

A better name for the space race would probably be the "develop space superiority technology before its too late race". Cause you know, nobody likes to get nuked.

[sjwt]

The space race was won by the whole world, we ended up with space!

[czokletmuss]

I believe I finally found a relevant Polandball comic about the space race:

[M.Wolfy]

I believe I finally found a relevant Polandball comic about the space race:

-snip-

That... is the truth...

(about how the Americans saw it [no offense!])

Also...

Dosen't count, I didn't even started yet...

When It should be:

Dosen't count, I haven't even started yet...

Boy... I'm being a grammar nazi

Edited October 4, 2013 by M.Wolfy

[magnemoe]

I think "space race" is largely and American concept. Kennedy is probably the guy that fired the starting gun and defined the finish as the Moon. It's debatable if the soviets even heard that starting gun, and if they did, did they give a ****? The soviet man on the moon program was never nearly as fanatic as that of the US.

A better name for the space race would probably be the "develop space superiority technology before its too late race". Cause you know, nobody likes to get nuked.

The USSR space program was probably more based on publicity stunt style milestones than the US, best example was launching three man in an pod to counter Gemini, it was not room for space suits.

Main difference was was any failure was an military secret. The USSR did not have an official moon program, it had an secret one who was pretty major.

However it did not really get off the ground as the moon rocked did not work. After the US won the race to the moon they wanted to remove any trace of the USSR moon program, however someone hide parts like over 100 engines who has been used after the USSR fell.

[Wahgineer]

The reason that the shuttle lacked safety equipment was because it added more complexity to an already complex machine. Also it was a case of 'if something bad happens there really is no safe and quick way to save them' as well as the fact that they designed it to succeed (Which it did 134.5 times(Challenger exploded=-1. Columbia was incinerated but had completed its mission=-0.5. By completed mission, I mean it did everything it was supposed to do in space, and all it had left to do was return.)). Another thing is that some safety measures might have added risk. Ex: ejection seat covers on fuselage rip away during reentry, cabin is subjected to explosive decompression, heatshield/tiles are breached and shuttle is incinerated. So much for a saftey feature.

[mrfox]

The only winners in this race are those who keep running, keep dreaming.

Those who think they have "won", have truly lost.

[Wahgineer]

The only winners in this race are those who keep running, keep dreaming.

Those who think they have "won", have truly lost.

Problem is, the ones who think they have won are the only ones who are still running, still dreaming.

So, technically, your statement is contradictory and invalidates the very point it's trying to make.

[asmi]

I think if there is winner at all - it's science. There has never been a period in history when science had expanded so rapidly.

Regarding the Moon race - Soviets didn't make it to the Moon, but engines they've built for it are unsurpassed even today in terms of advances in technology. Just think about it for a moment - Antares flew twice propelled by engines built over 40 years ago - before most of us were even born!

[-Velocity-]

I think the question is kinda silly. Everyone won the Space Race. The US and Soviet/Russian space programs have both proven invaluable, and both went a long ways to expanding our knowledge of the cosmos. The ESA is contributing large volumes of science too, and now even the Japanese, Chinese, and Indians are getting on board.

[Piwa]

... Preliminary calculations carried out in 1959 showed that the implementation of manned space flights in the space around the Sun , that is, for a set speed 11.2 km / c, need a rocket launch mass of which must be an order of magnitude greater than that of the R- 7 ... These are the basis for the study of the preparation and release of June 23, 1960 Resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the USSR Council of Ministers â„– 715 - 296 on the performance of work in order to create a " new integrated missile system with a starting weight of about 1000-2000 tons RN providing orbiting around heavy Earth interplanetary spacecraft weighing 60-80 tons " ...

In the spring of 1962 Korolev approved the preliminary design for a rocket N1, and by this time on his instructions were agreed offices Tikhonravova Kryukov and requirements for H1 -largest rocket into orbit payload mass , which amounted to 75 tons. As a part of this mass assumed a heavy spaceship TMK weighing 15 tons and 60 -ton missile unit to disperse TMK to escape velocity ...

Selected characteristics of the rocket [ H1 ] : starting weight - 2200 tons [ P3 project for later increased to 2,735 tons ] , the weight of the cargo displayed on a circular orbit - 75 tons [ increased to 95 tons ] ... " Testing TMK planned in flights to the Moon.

In the future, the project evolved into a full Martian expedition.

The complex mass of 400-500 tons was collected in orbit 4-6 starts H1 (within a year ) . To start to Mars and from Mars to Earth used liquid rocket engines . The Red Planet was carried out aerodynamic drag in the atmosphere . Unfortunately, since 1964 , all the forces were sent into lunar expedition N1-L3 and forget about Mars ...