The "Space Race"

Growing up in the 1960’s, I have lots of vivid memories of the Space Race between the US and The Soviet Union; the disbelief at the Apollo 7 launch pad fire, Frank Borman reading from Genesis as Apollo 8 orbited the moon at Christmas 1968, first moon landings, the drama of Apollo 13, etc. But of course there as never much real, genuine information around in those days about the Soviet space programme and much of what I gleaned was from free booklets sent out by the Novosti Press Agency in London; hardly the most truthful or unbiased source. As such I had no idea, for example that the Voshkod craft acclaimed as the world’s first 3 man spacecraft was little more than a Vostok with 3 poor souls crammed in so tight they couldn’t even wear proper space suits. But the story of Vladimir Komarov and Soyuz 1 perhaps says most about the state of the Soviet programme and the true heroism of that generation.

I should point out that this site (link below) contains a photo that some may find disturbing–

http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/05/02/134597833/cosmonaut-crashed-into-earth-crying-in-rage?ft=1&f=1026

Also rather chilling to see that NASA had a prepared statement ready in case Armstrong and Aldrin never made it back from the moon.