All About the United States Space of the 1960s

All About the United States Space of the 1960s In 1961, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed to a Joint Session of Congress that â€Å"this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.† Thus began the Space Race that would lead us to achieve his goal and be the first to have a person walk on the moon. Historical Background At the conclusion World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union were decidedly the world’s major superpowers.  In addition to being engaged in a Cold War, they competed against each other in other ways.  The Space Race was a competition between the U.S. and the Soviets for the exploration of space using satellites and manned spacecraft.  It was also a race to see which superpower could reach the moon first. On May 25, 1961, in requesting between $7 billion and $9 billion for the space program, President Kennedy told Congress that he felt a national goal should be that of sending someone to the moon and getting him back home safely. When President Kennedy requested this additional funding for the space program, the Soviet Union was well ahead of the United States. Many viewed their achievements as a coup not only for the USSR but also for communism. Kennedy knew that he had to restore confidence in the American public and stated that Everything we do and ought to do should be tied in to getting on to the Moon ahead of the Russians... we hope to beat the USSR to demonstrate that instead of being behind by a couple of years, by God, we passed them.† NASA and Project Mercury The United States space program began on October 7, 1958, just six days after the formation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), when its administrator, T. Keith Glennan, announced that they were starting a manned spacecraft program. Its first stepping stone to manned flight, Project Mercury, began that same year and was completed in 1963.  It was the United States first program designed to put men in space and made six manned flights between 1961 and 1963.  The main objectives of Project Mercury were to have an individual orbit around the Earth in a spacecraft, explore a person’s function ability in space, and determine safe recovery techniques of both an astronaut and a spacecraft. On February 28, 1959, NASA launched the United States’ first spy satellite, the Discover 1; and then on August 7, 1959, the Explorer 6 was launched and provided the very first photographs of the Earth from space.  On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he made a 15-minute suborbital flight aboard Freedom 7. On February 20, 1962, John Glenn made the first U.S. orbital flight aboard the Mercury 6. Program Gemini The major objective of Program Gemini was to develop some very specific spacecraft and in-flight capabilities in support of the upcoming Apollo Program.  The Gemini program consisted of 12 two-man spacecraft that were designed to orbit the Earth. They were launched between 1964 and 1966, with 10 of the flights being manned.  Gemini was designed to experiment with and test the astronaut’s ability to manually maneuver the spacecraft.  Gemini proved very useful by developing the techniques for orbital docking that would later be crucial for the Apollo series and their lunar landing. In an unmanned flight, NASA launched its first two-seat spacecraft, the Gemini 1, on April 8, 1964. On March 23, 1965, the first two-person crew launched in the Gemini 3 with astronaut Gus Grissom becoming the first man to make two flights in space.  Ed White became the first American astronaut to walk in space on June 3, 1965, aboard the Gemini 4. White maneuvered outside his spacecraft for approximately 20 minutes, which demonstrated an astronaut’s ability to perform necessary tasks while in space. On August 21, 1965, the Gemini 5 launched on an eight-day mission, the longest lasting at the time.  This mission was vital because it proved that both humans and spacecraft were able to endure spaceflight for the amount of time required for a Moon landing and up to a maximum of two weeks in space. Then, on December 15, 1965, the Gemini 6 performed a rendezvous with the Gemini 7.  In March 1966, the Gemini 8, commanded by Neil Armstrong, docked with an Agena rocket, making it the first docking of two spacecraft while on orbit. On November 11, 1966, Gemini 12, piloted by Edwin â€Å"Buzz† Aldrin, became the first manned spacecraft to make a re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere that was automatically controlled. The Gemini program was a success and moved the United States ahead of the Soviet Union in Space Race. Apollo Moon Landing Program The Apollo program resulted in 11 space flights and 12 astronauts walking on the moon.  The astronauts studied the lunar surface and collected moon rocks that could be scientifically studied on Earth.  The first four Apollo Program flights tested the equipment that would be used to successfully land on the moon. Surveyor 1 made the first U.S. soft landing on the Moon on June 2, 1966.  It was an unmanned lunar landing craft that took pictures and gathered data about the moon in order to help prepare NASA for the manned lunar landing. The Soviet Union had actually beat the Americans with this by landing their own unmanned craft on the moon, Luna 9, four months earlier. Tragedy struck on January 27, 1967, when the entire crew of three astronauts, Gus Grissom, Edward H. White, and Roger B. Chaffee, for the Apollo 1 mission suffocated to death from smoke inhalation during a cabin fire while in a launch pad test.  A review board report released on April 5, 1967, identified a number of problems with the Apollo spacecraft, including the use of flammable material and the need for the door latch to be easier to open from the inside. It took until October 9, 1968 to complete the necessary modifications. Two days later, Apollo 7 became the first manned Apollo mission as well as the first time that astronauts were telecast live from space during an 11-day orbit around the Earth.   In December 1968, the Apollo 8 became the first manned spacecraft to orbit the Moon.  Frank Borman and James Lovell (both veterans of the Gemini Project), along with rookie astronaut William Anders, made 10 lunar orbits in a 20-hour time period. On Christmas Eve, they transmitted televised images of the Moon’s lunar surface. In March 1969, the Apollo 9 tested the lunar module and rendezvous and docking while orbiting the Earth. In addition, they tested the full lunar spacewalk suit with its Portable Life Support System outside the Lunar Module. On May 22, 1969, Apollo 10’s Lunar Module, named Snoopy, flew within 8.6 miles of the surface of the Moon.   History was made on July 20, 1969, when the Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin landed at the â€Å"Sea of Tranquility†. As Armstrong became the first human to step foot on the Moon, he proclaimed Thats one small step for a man. One giant leap for mankind. Apollo 11 spent a total of 21 hours, 36 minutes on the lunar surface, with 2 hours, 31 minutes spent outside the spacecraft. Astronauts walked on the lunar surface, took photographs, and collected samples from the surface.  The entire time Apollo 11 was on the Moon, there was a continuous feed of black-and-white television back to Earth. On July 24, 1969, President Kennedy’s goal of landing a man on the moon and a safe return to Earth before the end of the decade was realized, but unfortunately, Kennedy was unable to see his dream fulfilled, as he had been assassinated nearly six years earlier.   The crew of the Apollo 11 landed in the Central Pacific Ocean aboard command module Columbia, landing a mere 15 miles from the recovery ship. When the astronauts arrived on the USS Hornet, President Richard M. Nixon was waiting to greet them on their successful return. Manned space missions did not end once this mission was fulfilled. Memorably, the command module of Apollo 13 was ruptured by an explosion on April 13, 1970. The astronauts climbed into the lunar module and saved their lives by doing a slingshot around the Moon in order to speed up their return to Earth. Apollo 15 launched on July 26, 1971, carrying a Lunar Roving Vehicle and enhanced life support to enable the astronauts to better explore the Moon. On December 19, 1972, Apollo 17 returned to Earth after the United States last mission to the Moon. On January 5, 1972, President Richard Nixon announced the birth of the Space Shuttle program â€Å"designed to help transform the space frontier of the 1970s into familiar territory, easily accessible for human endeavor in the 1980s and 90s. This would lead to a new era that would include 135 Space Shuttle missions, ending with the last flight of the Space Shuttle Atlantis on July 21, 2011.

Five Tips for Writing a Great Speech

Five Tips for Writing a Great Speech Five Tips for Writing a Great Speech Five Tips for Writing a Great Speech By Guest Author As the founder of a speech writing firm, Inkwell Strategies, Ive gotten used to drawing a certain amount of interest from new friends and acquaintances when asked what Ido for a living. After working in this somewhat niche profession for a number of years, I have come to expect questions about what the job entails, and even more frequently, inquiries about how to write a strong speech. There are a lot of different ways to answer that question, but after crafting remarks for leaders in government, nonprofits, and the private sector, I’ve learned that there are essentially five rules that all writers should follow in order to write a winning speech: 1. Read your speech out loud Unlike almost all other forms of writing, speechwriting is designed for listeners. So, when reviewing your text, read it to yourself, and pay attention to how the words sound and feel. Do they flow off the tongue, or are they clunky and awkward? If your phrases make you stumble, they are guaranteed to make your boss stumble as well. Just remember that good writing is not necessarily good speech writing. 2. Simple phrases are your friend Keep your sentences short and sweet. Compound phrases with multiple clauses may look great on paper, but are likely to confuse your audience and decrease the effectiveness of your speech. Limit yourself to one or two ideas per sentence, and express them as clearly and powerfully as possible. 3. Do your research Before beginning a speech, make sure to familiarize yourself with the subject, so that you can write about it with confidence and authority. The creative aspects of speech writing are only effective when backed by a strong foundation of knowledge by acredible speaker. The audience must trust your words in order for their meaning to sink in. If you’re well-prepared, it will show. 4. Mind the time A man once said that the key to crafting a great speech is writing a good beginning and a good ending, and making the two as close together as possible. That might not always be true, but consider this: Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address,arguably the most famous speech in American history, lasted less than three minutes. Compare that to the two-hour speech given directly before Lincoln by Edward Everett. If I gave you four-score and seven guesses, could you tell me what he said? 5. Know your audience Your listeners should be a strong determining factor of the content, tone and style of your speech. Before drafting remarks, think about who you’re speaking to, the venue you’re speaking at and the timing of your speech. There’s a time and a place for every type of remarks. It’s your job to figure out when and where you are. These are just a few tips to get you started, but there is alot more to speech writing than that. If you’re interested in learning more, make sure to check out my website for commentary and analysis about the world of speech writing today. This is a guest post by David Meadvin, President of Inkwell Strategies, a professional speech writing and strategic communications firm located in Washington, DC. He was chief speech writer to the U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Senate Majority Leader. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Classes and Types of PhrasesAwoken or Awakened?40 Words Beginning with "Para-"

Receivables Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Receivables - Coursework Example This is because the accountants after assessing his books of accounts are at a position to make a decision based on the profits or losses made in the year and the amounts of the accounts receivables due for the year. Blair’s recommendation could be biased and uninformed based on the bonuses of the medium sized companies as all managers’ aims are to maximize on profits. Internal controls are logical measure adopted by an organization used in ensuring that their business runs effectively to protect the organization from collapsing, such measures includes reviews and procedures. Detective internal controls which are measures taken after an irregularity has occurred, in this case the managers recommendation for accounting are useful for the future decision making. Some of the useful detective controls include the performance and quality assurance of the company reviews, reconciliations of the books of accounts to aid the manager in making sound decisions, conducting audits on the company’s’ books from different years and comparing inventory records with those of the different years. This way the manager is more knowledgeable and not just profit

Supply Chain Assignment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Supply Chain Assignment - Coursework Example Supply Chain Assignment Supply chains of these products would be thoroughly analyzed in order to understand relative performance of these two organizations. Operations of the two companies will be contrasted and compared to identify the degree to which such processes extend support towards customer service. Coca-Cola Company is the marketer, manufacturer and retailer of multinational beverages, having its headquarters based in Atlanta, Georgia. The flagship product of the firm is Coca-Cola. This organization was a part of beverage industry and was founded in 1886. Franchised distribution system had been adopted by the organization, and its products are distributed across the globe. PepsiCo is Beverage and Food Corporation of America, having its headquarters in New York, United States. The company deals in distribution, manufacturing and marketing of beverages, grain-based snack foods, etc. This firm has its products distributed across 200 countries. On basis of revenue margins, the company is largest bevera ge and food business. The common stages of supply chain process involved in production of Coca Cola are customers, retailers, distributors or wholesalers, manufacturers and raw material suppliers. In supply chain management process of Coca Cola, there is forward flow of materials from suppliers to manufacturer, assembly point, warehouse, retailers and finally to end customers. It can be stated the main objective of any organization is to facilitate maximum utilization of resources and enhance productivity level.

U.S. Nuclear Weapons and Weapon Programs Essay Example for Free

U.S. Nuclear Weapons and Weapon Programs Essay Thesis Statement: Replacing the Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) with the Reliable Replacement Warhead Program (RRW) may alleviate existing issues concerning the long-term reliability, safety, security, and manufacturing of U. S. weapons. However, the RRW has been cancelled due to the overwhelming concern of long-term funds to maintain RRW and Democrats feel as though the RRW is not a proven technology (GlobalSecurity. org). However, the RRW should be used as a motive not to continue nuclear testing. Currently, the SSP consists of worn weapons that are costly to maintain and are subjected to underground testing (Boyer 303). Implementing the RRW will provide cost-efficient and reliable weapons that are manufactured to last with fewer obligations to nuclear underground testing. Implementing the RRW would be a good investment for this reason alone. Overall, replacing the SSP with the RRW will establish new cost-efficient weapons with less maintenance that are less prone to underground nuclear testing; provide state-of-the art technology to protect the U. S. from terrorist’s intrusions – such as hacking and unauthorized usage, and create an efficient method for securing the decreasing stockpile. 1) Long Term Reliability of U. S Weapons. The maintenance of refurbished weapons may become more complicated due to aging. The RRW addresses this issue by implementing new weapons that are cost-efficient and safe thus providing reliable and safe weapons for the U. S. According to the article, A New Nuclear Warhead, â€Å"The RRW is committed to the smallest nuclear stockpile consistent with our security; to safe, secure and reliable weapons; and to the current nuclear testing moratorium. † Refurbished weapons tend to need more maintenance and are subject to nuclear underground testing. 2) The Safety and Security of U. S. Weapons. The SSP may not be sufficient to meet future goals pertaining to the safety and security of U. S Weapons. In the article, Reliable Replacement Warhead, â€Å"RRW aims to make US nuclear weapons safer and more secure against unauthorized use by incorporating state-of-the-art security features that cannot be retrofitted to older weapons. The ultimate goal is to transition to a smaller, more responsive nuclear infrastructure that will enable future administrations to adjust the US nuclear stockpile as geopolitical conditions warrant. † (26) 3) Maintenance of Existing Weapons may become more expensive with the SSP. Refurbished weapons require more maintenance than newer weapons thus requiring additional funds to sustain current conditions of the weapons. According to the Department of Defense news release, Kenneth Krieg states that the implementation of the RRW will reduce stockpile size by permitting new weapons with less maintenance. Newer weapons will need less maintenance and in return will be less applicable to additional funding. Members of the Nuclear Weapons Council are confident that incorporating the RRW will permit a more positive and cost-effective infrastructure by employing improved computational and experimental tools to administer the technical base (U. S. Strategic Command 1). 4) Implementing the New RRW Plan. The RRW intends to implement newer U. S weapons with higher-performance ratings and advance safety and security features while providing a less expensive maintenance plan. After examining the article in Bulletin of Atomic Scientist, the RRW is aimed at accomplishing a more cost effective and efficient method of securing the decreasing stockpile to be more reliable and safe (Drell 48). Incorporating the RRW will provide the tools necessary to ensure that nuclear underground testing is less likely to be required for future designs (A Different Kind of Complex 1). Conclusion: Unfortunately, the RRW has been cancelled due to the overwhelming concerns of long-term funds to maintain RRW and Democrats feel as though the RRW is not a proven technology. However, the RRW should be used as a motive not to continue nuclear testing. Implementing the RRW will alleviate the SSP of existing issues concerning the long-term reliability, safety, security and manufacturing of U. S weapons that are less prone to underground nuclear testing. Overall, RRW will serve as a solution to the ongoing concerns of underground nuclear testing. Works Cited Arm Control Association. â€Å"A Different Kind of Complex: The Future of U. S. Weapons and the Nuclear Weapons Enterprise. †(1997-2009): 3 March 2009 http://www. armscontrol. org/print/3454 A New Nuclear Warhead. (Editorial Desk)(Letter to the editor). The New York Times. (30 Jan 2007): A20(L). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Apollo Library. 3 Mar. 2009 http://find. galegroup. com/ovrc/infomark. do? contentSet=IAC-Documentstype=retrievetabID=T004prodId=OVRCdocId=A158559391source=galeuserGroupName=uphoenixversion=1. 0 Boyer, Paul S. â€Å"Nuclear Weapons. † The Oxford Companion to the United States History. Oxford University Press. (2001): 303 Department of Defense news release. (2March 2007): Reliable Replacement Warhead Design Decision Announced http://find. galegroup. com/itx/start. do? prodId=ITOF Global Security for America. â€Å"U. S. Strategic Commands Supports RRW Strategy. † (2007) 2 March 2007 http://www. stratcom. mil/default. asp? page=newsarticle=14 GlobalSecuirty. org. â€Å"Weapons of Mass Destruction. Reliable Replacement Warhead. † (2009) 11 March 2009 http://www. globalsecurity. org/wmd/systems/rrw. htm Interavia Business and Technology. â€Å"Reliable Replacement Warhead. † (2007): 3 March 2009 http://find. galegroup. com/itx/start. do? prodId=ITOF

War Poetry :: essays research papers

War has occurred in several occasions throughout history. We've had several important wars in the twentieth century, World War I and World War II, and Vietnam. Each and every war has had an effect on those who lived through it, and those who fought in it. Poets write about what effects, and inspires them. If they were soldiers in war they often times have a strong opinion of war. This comes out in their poetry. Seigfried Sassoon, and Rupert Brooke were English poets who both served in World War I. Sassoon, a true survivor of trench warfare, wrote, 'Everyone Sang'; protecting war. While Brooke, who did not see the trenches, wrote, 'The Soldier';, and a patriotic war-supporting poem. Each man wrote a splendid war poem, but each from different spectrums of war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  'Everyone Sang'; is a two stanza, five-line poem that says so much about the imprisonment of war. The poem was written right after Sassoon's release from the British army. He is so overjoyed to be released that he compares it too, '…prisoned birds must find in freedom Winging wildly across the white Orchards…'; Like many other poets, he is terrified by war and was 'filled with such delight'; to be out. Sassoon witnessed the brutality on war, which hardened him to the idea of patriotism. 'Everyone Sang'; is a rejoice of freedom until the final two lines. '…O, but everyone Was a bird; and the song was wordless; the singing will never be done.'; Sassoon is reflecting on the realities of war. He implies that even though he is 'free'; and will always be rejoicing, he will never be free from the thoughts and memories of war. Let alone the wars to come, and the new soldiers to follow in his path.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rupert Brooke also wrote about war but in a much different light. Brooke did serve in the Navy during World War I but before he made it to the lines he died of blood poisoning. This is obvious when understanding his poems. He has a very positive outlook on war. He has a very strong patriotic love of England. Brooke's wrote, 'The Soldier';, a traditional sonnet. He praises the wonderful land of England. 'Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam, A body of England's breathing English air….'; He is loyal to his country for it has been good to him, and he will honor his country by dying for it.

Drawing Essay

I believe drawing is the single most important skill for any visual artist to acquire, whether they are a painter, illustrator, graphic designer, or fashion designer. It is simply the act of â€Å"seeing† made visual. When one learns how to draw, what they are really learning is the ability to see more clearly and communicate what they see or can imagine. As such, drawing is a tool for study, and communication even before it is a tool for making art. When you draw a picture, do you draw the character in blocks first or what? I just can’t seem to get my characters anatomically right. I saw your booklist on your site. Do you know of any books which teach you to draw the body in blocks? From Christine Lau I don’t draw â€Å"blocks† first when drawing a figure. Usually I’ll do a very loose, light, scribbly â€Å"gesture† drawing instead. If you want to learn the â€Å"blocks† method, try any of the books by George Bridgeman, Andrew Loomis, or the books by Robert Beverly Hale. (all are listed on my site) Avoid books by Burne Hogarth, (one of my old teachers) as they aren’t very accurate and can be very misleading. (note: Glenn Vilppu’s books are also an excellent source!) By far, the best book for anatomy though is the book by Stephen Rogers Peck (also on the site). There is no â€Å"quick fix† for drawing anatomy†¦it just takes a few years of study. Keep it up though, it’s worth it once you get a handle on it!!! p.s. Also, draw from live nude models as much as possible, that’s the best method to learn it. †¦What is the hardest thing to draw? From Everybody! Nothing is really harder or easier to draw in a mechanical sense. If a person can draw one thing, they are perfectly capable of drawing something else with the same degree of accuracy. The problem is in the phrase â€Å"the same degree of accuracy.† If someone says they can draw, for instance, landscapes, but they can’t draw people, what they are really saying is, â€Å"when I draw landscapes, I draw well enough that no one can tell what I’ve drawn incorrectly.† The reason people, and especially faces, are so difficult to draw is not because they themselves are any harder to draw than a tree. What changes is our tolerance as viewers for any degree of inaccuracy. We are so intimately familiar with faces and their associated nuances, that the slightest deviation appears as a gross misproportion. Because of this, I am constantly demanding my students draw people, and especially self-portraits, because they effectively highlight any weak skill areas that need attention. My students erroneously believe it’s because I’m sadistic. †¦What purpose does drawing have for artists today? From Carole (Shropshire, United Kingdom) I think people often misrepresent drawing as a medium, or group of mediums, rather than an activity. I see drawing as the visual equivalent of language. It is simply the way we communicate ideas visually through a series of marks on a ground. So to rephrase the question, it is a little like asking â€Å"What purpose does speaking have for people today?† For both, the answer I would give is the communication of information. This information can take the form of ideas, thoughts, commentary, entertainment, or just literal facts, but for all of these, drawing is just the mode of transmission. How artfully this is done is another, separate, issue. In the case of artists specifically, it is the fastest and most efficient way to represent an idea visually. Far more immediate than any other way of doing it, a quickly drawn sketch or thumbnail is usually the â€Å"first look† an artist has at how they might execute an idea.