The Space Race between the US and the USSR had only intensified the Cold War, and the Soviets proved to be well ahead of the Americans. A Senator from Texas pushed for new legislation that would enable the US to compete. The first initiative was to catch up with the USSR by putting a man in space and then to orbit the Earth. The next step was to win the race.

International Geophysical Year - https://www.nasa.gov/history/70-years-ago-scientists-establish-the-international-geophysical-year/

Sputnik - https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/ussr-launches-sputnik/

Sputnik - https://history.state.gov/milestones/1953-1960/sputnik

Baikonur - https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/12/09/russias-cosmos-town-an-isolated-relic-of-soviet-glory-a75772 

Baikonur - https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Baikonur_Cosmodrome 

Yuri - https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/april-1961-first-human-entered-space/#:~:text=Yuri%20Gagarin%20from%20the%20Soviet,not%20land%20inside%20of%20capsule. 

NASA Act 1958 - https://www.senate.gov/general/Features/SpaceLanding_Article_display.htm

NASA Act - https://www.nasa.gov/history/65-years-ago-the-national-aeronautics-and-space-act-of-1958-creates-nasa/#:~:text=President%20Eisenhower%20signed%20the%20National,of%20the%20International%20Geophysical%20Year. 

Mercury program - https://www.nasa.gov/missions/project-mercury/in-the-beginning-project-mercury/

Alan Shepard bio - https://achievement.org/achiever/admiral-alan-shepard-jr/

First flight - https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/shepards-mercury-flight-was-first-step-on-the-long-journey-to-mars/ 

Vanguard - https://www.nasa.gov/history/60-years-ago-vanguard-fails-to-reach-orbit/ 

Mercury Shepard - https://www.nasa.gov/mission/mercury-redstone-3-freedom-7/ 

Alan Shepard ship - https://airandspace.si.edu/explore/stories/alan-shepard

John Glenn - https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/friendship-7-transcript

Glenn bio - https://www.nasa.gov/people/john-glenn/ 

Ranger 8 - https://science.nasa.gov/mission/ranger-8/

JFK Congress - https://www.nasa.gov/history/60-years-ago-president-kennedy-proposes-moon-landing-goal-in-speech-to-congress/

JFK Rice - https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/historic-speeches/address-at-rice-university-on-the-nations-space-effort 

Ranger Program - https://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/past/ranger.html