The United States’ space exploration journey began in the late 1950s with the construction of the nation’s first operational spaceport at Cape Canaveral, Florida. This effort was part of the US’s attempts to counter the Soviet Union’s advancements in space during the Cold War.
Early Setbacks and Milestones
A Dec. 6, 1957, Vanguard rocket explosion marked an early setback for the US, while the Soviet Union achieved several milestones, including launching the first satellite and sending the first man and woman into space.
President John F. Kennedy famously declared, ‘We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.’ The Mercury missions from 1959 to 1963 paved the way, with Alan Shepard becoming the first American in space on May 5, 1961.
Apollo and Artemis Programs
The Apollo program culminated in the historic Apollo 11 mission, with Neil Armstrong’s iconic words: ‘One small step for man … one giant leap for mankind.’ The Artemis program now aims to take America’s lunar ambitions further, with plans to build a permanent base on the moon’s surface.
Original reporting: KOAT Albuquerque — read the source article.
