re: re us military spending
The entire US space program was built on german rocket scientists.
Dr. Werner Von Braun was a brilliant German scientist who built on Godddard's work. Dr. Braun was one of the principal scientists who developed the V-2 rockets for the German war machine. Goddard's rockets had all been small rockets. The V-2 was the first large liquid fueled rocket. It was first launched on October 3, 1942 from the island of Usedom, near Peennemunde, Germany. The V-2 was an important development in rocketry. As a weapon, it terrified the English, and caused much destruction and death. But it's more important contribution was its peaceful application as a space delivery vehicle.
Victorious American forces brought Dr. Braun and other scientists to the United States, along with some V-2 rockets. These and other elements of the German rocket program were essential to the development of the X-1 rocket plane in which Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier on October 14, 1947.
The 1950's saw the beginnings of the Cold War, and its twin the Space Race, a period well remembered by most 'Baby Boomers'. The Russians took the lead in this race with the first orbiting satellite, Sputnik I, launched on October 4, 1957. Sputnik II followed on November 3. 1957. Although the United States was well along with this type of technology, the propaganda value of this feat was invaluable, and Americans were terrified. In an age of atomic weapons, the nation that had an effective missile delivery system had a distinct advantage.
The Russian development threw the American space program into a turmoil. X-15 technology would have delivered a 'space plane' in two to three years, but for American politicians, this was too long a time to 'lag behind' the Soviets. The first American satellite, Explorer I, joined Sputniks I and II on January 31, 1958, four months after the initial Soviet launch. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established by Act of Congress on July 29, 1958. The Americans decided to abandon the slower 'space plane' approach to space flight, and follow the quicker 'rocket' approach putting Von Braun in charge.
Manned space flight came a step closer to reality with the establishment of the American Mercury and the Russian Vostok space programs. Again, the Russians won this achievement with the launch of Vostok I, and Yuri Garigan became the first man in space on April 12, 1961. Alan Shephard followed on May 5, 1961 to become the first American in space riding a Mercury Atlas rocket named Freedom 7. John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth in Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962.
