Stupidity Watch 1

Artemis II Was The First Manned Attempt To Cross The Van Allen Belts ​The Soviet Monopoly on Space Flight ​Before the Artemis program, the Soviet Union was the absolute authority on the physics of the solar system. The Soviets systematically occupied every major milestone in the inner solar system, beating America to every real benchmark: ​First Object in Orbit: October 4, 1957 (Sputnik 1) ​First Dog in Orbit: November 3, 1957 (Sputnik 2; Laika) ​First to Reach the Moon’s Vicinity: January 2, 1959 (Luna 1) ​First to Impact the Lunar Surface: September 14, 1959 (Luna 2) ​First to Photograph the Far Side of the Moon: October 7, 1959 (Luna 3) ​First Human in Orbit: April 12, 1961 (Yuri Gagarin in Vostok 1) ​First to Fly By Mars: November 1, 1962 (Mars 1) ​First Soft Landing on the Moon: February 3, 1966 (Luna 9) ​First to Reach Another Planet's Atmosphere: October 18, 1967 (Venera 4) ​First to Orbit the Moon and Return with Living Beings: September 14, 1968 (Zond 5) ​First ...

Artemis II Was the First Manned Moon Mission By Robert Korczynski Wednesday, April 1, 2026 1957–1972: The Era of Deception Starting in 1957, the Soviets dominated actual space engineering, forcing the U.S. into a reactive state where they used Hollywood and aircraft technology to simulate parity. This era of deception lasted until the program was shuttered in 1972. It began in October 1957 with the Soviet Union achieving orbit for the first time with Sputnik. By January 1958, the U.S. matched it with Explorer 1, immediately hitting the Van Allen radiation belts—proving a lethal radioactive environment exists that 1950s technology could not safely shield for humans. 1961–1962: The Soviet Lead and the "Aircraft" Hull On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth, a massive technical victory for the USSR. Exactly one year later, in February 1962, the U.S. finally matched the feat with John Glenn. To catch up, NASA utilized a 1.5-inch aluminum honeycom...