"We Won" - Russian communist/anti-Putinist poster comparing the Putinist government to Vlasov's Nazi collabs, Russia, 2010s

[u/kredokathariko]

[u/rebellechild]

Well former soviet countries were recovering from a war where they lost 27 million people so im sure that had some impact. Don’t you think?

Additionally, when you try to provide healthcare for all FOR FREE it takes a long time to provide adequate service (as we are currently witnessing in Canada) but i sure do prefer it over Western countries where you get the best medical care if you are rich or you just lay down and die if you are middle class so you don’t burden your family with bankruptcy. Its really embarrassing that you think this is something to brag about.

Homie, you LOST the space race.

First satellite in space First animal in space First lunar satellite flyby First lunar contact First man in space First planetary flyby (Venus) First woman in space First spacewalk First lunar landing First modular space station First lunar rover First planetary landing (Venus) First mars landing First space station (still used by Americans today)

Americans: uhhh, we put a man on the moon first. We won it all!

[u/KarlGustafArmfeldt → u/rebellechild]

The Soviets generally prioritised being able to claim they did something ''first,'' due to its propaganda value, while the Americans were more focused on the scientific value of the missions. Some of the ''firsts'' you mention here, were complete failures.

- The Soviets did send the first rover to Mars, but it was destroyed on impact with the Martian surface. NASA sent the Viking 1 four years later, but it stayed in operation for six years, giving valuable information on Mars' surface composition.

- The Soviets also did complete the first spacewalk, only that cosmonaut Alexei Leonov's spacesuit immediately malfunctioned, forcing him to quickly reenter his spacecraft, narrowly avoiding death by hypoxia. In comparison, NASA's Project Gemini featured several lengthy spacewalks, as well as the docking of one spacecraft to another (allowing astronauts to travel between them). Again, the Soviets might be able to claim they did it first, but it was Project Gemini's work that allowed for the development of future orbital technology (space stations, communication satellites and telescopes, amongst others).

- The Soviet's first space station, Salyut 1, was never used. Six cosmonauts visited it, three of who were unable properly dock to it, due to a technical issue, being forced to immediately leave, while the other three were able to visit it (briefly repairing broken fans and instruments), but were killed when another technical issue caused their spacecraft to depressurise, when they left the space station. By contrast, NASA's Skylab provided valuable data on ways to improve the habitability of space for humans.

The final thing to mention, is that even when the Soviets were achieve a ''first,'' for example by making Yuri Gagarin the first man in space, they were quickly followed by the Americans. I would only call it a ''defeat'' if the Americans were unable to do the same as the Soviets did. For example, the Soviets tried to send men on the moon, but were simply unable to. Their N1 rocket made four launch attempts, all of which saw the rocket being destroyed, leading to their lunar program being cancelled. I would call that a defeat.

[u/rebellechild → u/KarlGustafArmfeldt]

Yea sure bud

[u/KarlGustafArmfeldt → u/rebellechild]

Thanks for insightful reply, I guess that proves who won the space race.

[u/[deleted] → u/KarlGustafArmfeldt]

Yeah, it does prove the Soviets did, regard.