In the late 1950s, and throughout the 1960s, the U.S. was in the middle of The Cold War with the Soviet Union. Both sides tried to out-perform one another in every way, including scientific advancements and setting records. The Soviet Union had kicked off the "Space Race" when they launched the first man-made satellite called "Sputnik." In this episode of History In A Nutshell, follow the events leading up to the U.S. landing on the moon; from test pilots and Project Mercury, through Gemini and the Apollo program!
Also included in this episode is a bonus feature! For the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the South Carolina State Museum hosted a special screening of the PBS documentary Chasing The Moon. During this event, Knowitall.org and SCETV got the opportunity to interview two South Carolinians who helped recover Apollo spacecraft after they returned from their journeys to the moon!
Spanish captions are now available.
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This quiz will test your knowledge on the history of the race to the moon, between the United States and the Soviet Union! How much do you know about the Space Race? Find out via the quiz below!
