The earliest development this year has been the multi-stage Saturn I SA-5 launch vehicle used by NASA in January. This marks the first successful orbital launch of a multi-stage rocket, surely such technology will be used in the future of rocketry and the study of the cosmos. Late American President John Kennedy stated last year that this rocket puts the United States ahead of the Soviet Union in lifting capacity. During construction, designer Wernher von Braun and President Kennedy met to discuss the impact of such an accomplishment. The initial launch date of January 27 had to be postponed due to a fuelling issue. Saturn I took off on January 29, orbiting around the Earth once every 96 minutes. The craft returned this year, landing in the ocean on April 30.
As the space race continues in full swing, further efforts are made between both the United States and the USSR to continue their search for the cosmos. Earlier this year we saw NASA launch both Ranger 6 and 7, two probes whose aim was to photograph the moon’s surface before crashing into it. With Ranger 6 unfortunately failing to activate its cameras, the images from Ranger 7 were finally transmitted to Earth on July 3. These photos will surely provide an endless bounty of data for NASA’s scientists to trawl through. Assuming the late President Kennedy’s promise of sending Americans to the moon is fulfilled, these pictures will surely aid planners and engineers in the scope and design of the mission and equipment.
On April 8, we saw the launch of the first Gemini-Titan II rocket, and whilst unmanned, this platform will surely pave the way for further exploration. The 150-ton launch vehicle is 100ft (30m) tall and 10ft (9m) wide, providing a staggering 430,000 lbf (1,900 kN) of force in the first stage alone. The first stage was jettisoned after two and a half minutes with the rocket 35 nautical miles (64 km) high and 49 nautical miles (91 km) downrange. The spacecraft later reached a full orbit, soaring 170 nautical miles (320 km) above sea level. Four days later, the spacecraft returned to Earth, crashing over the South Atlantic, having completed 64 orbits. NASA has already stated that the Gemini-Titan II rocket is ‘Man safe’ and plans to launch a second, manned mission sometime next year.
Soviet engineers and designers have also been busy this year, as in October, 3 cosmonauts took to the skies without space suits. Pilot Vladimir Komarov, engineer Konstantin Feoktistov, and Doctor Boris Yegorov all flew aboard Voskhod 1, the seventh crewed Soviet flight. The Soviet designers chose to make use of a Vostok rocket with additional fuel capacity to aid in the de-orbiting of the craft. Using a proven and tested platform has a variety of benefits, including lowering costs, but potentially limiting innovation. Liftoff occurred at 7:30 am local time, with the main mission objective largely dedicated to biomedical research, as well as studying how a multi-disciplinary team could work together in space. Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev spoke to the cosmonauts from Crimea via radio phone, before being summoned to Moscow, and being replaced by Leonid Brezhnev. Such a change in leader for the Soviet Union may indicate that the country could take on a differing policy towards space research.
The next launch is scheduled on November 28 of this year, that of the American Mariner 4. This probe is scheduled to fly past Mars, capturing detailed images of the Martian surface. The craft is expected to reach our red neighbour sometime in 1965. Scientists at NASA have equipped Mariner with a helium magnetometer, to measure the magnetic field, a Geiger counter, to measure the effects of radiation and charged particles, a cosmic dust detector, to analyse what form of matter exists within our solar system and a television camera, allowing for detailed playback of the mission to earth. The electric power is provided by 4 solar cells, each giving out about 77.5 watts each. Designers have also incorporated a large 1200Wh silver-zinc battery, used for manoeuvres and backup. The probe has a small tank of hydrazine for propulsion.
As 1964 draws to a close, the Space Race stands as a testament to human ingenuity and determination. The United States is gaining momentum with groundbreaking lunar imaging and preparations for future interplanetary exploration, while the Soviet Union has cemented its dominance in crewed spaceflight and satellite technology. Each triumph reflects not just technological prowess but the unyielding drive of two superpowers vying for global prestige, leaving the world eagerly anticipating what lies ahead in this race to conquer the cosmos.
