How A Sudden Twist Of Fate Altered U.S. History And Secured The Space Race For The Nation

It’s July 20, 1969, and the United States is in a state of euphoria. The nation has just sent men to the Moon, realizing an incredible dream and ultimately overcoming the Soviet Union in the bitter battle for supremacy in space. But things could so easily have worked out differently. Until recently the Soviets had been leading the Space Race, but things quickly started to unravel. And it was all tied to the fate of one man.

Entering The Space Race

Before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took those first steps on the lunar surface, it was the Soviets that set the pace. The U.S.S.R. launched the first satellite, and it sent men and women into space before any other state. America was always trailing behind, so it seemed pretty likely that the first humans to make it to the Moon would be Soviets.

Exploring The Unknown

It goes without saying that mankind’s ambitions to explore space throughout the 20th century were tempered by challenges. There were, of course, many practical issues that needed to be solved. How, for instance, could a rocket be powered? How could such a vessel be safe for passengers, given the inhospitable conditions of space?

Scientific Geniuses

Issues of this nature were considered by several figures around the world. Just some of the most prominent included the German rocket scientist Hermann Oberth, Frenchman Robert Esnault-Pelterie and an American called Robert Goddard. Yet before the western scientists could begin in earnest, a man from Russia was already pioneering the race into space.

Soviet Trailblazer

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was from Moscow, born into the Russian Empire in 1857 but lived to see it transition into the Soviet Union. Tsiolkovsky was a trailblazer, a man who laid the groundwork for future scientists to build upon. His thinking on the subject of space travel, in fact, influenced people all over the world.