Seattle contributions to the space race 26

2022 will be the 60th anniversary of the 1962 World’s Fair and the opening of Seattle’s iconic Space Needle.

The timing of the World’s Fair came as the Space Race between the USA and the USSR was reaching a pivotal point. Five years after the launch of the first artificial satellite by the Soviets, 1962 saw a ramping up of American efforts to reach space — most prominently the launch of the Apollo rocket program and President John F. Kennedy’s famous “We choose to go to the Moon” speech.

The Seattle World’s Fair heavily emphasized the themes of space, science and the future. The federal government invested over $10 million in the U.S. Science Pavillion — now the Pacific Science Center, which included a simulated “space flight.” Meanwhile, the first manned U.S. spacecraft — a Mercury capsule piloted by John Glenn — was prominently displayed in the fairgrounds, and the Space Needle itself was opened under the motto “Living in the Space Age.”

The exhibition — custom designed to emphasize the importance of the Space Race to the American public — was a roaring success, with over 10 million visitors. President Kennedy himself had arranged to visit the event in October, but the Cuban Missile Crisis meant he had to stay in Washington D.C. For all its success in enthusing the public about space, the World’s Fair was by no means Seattle’s only contribution to the Space Race.

At that time, the city’s economy was dominated by the Boeing Company, which not only helped sponsor the space-themed World’s Fair, but actively participated in the USA’s efforts to win the Space Race. As a leading company in the defense industry, Boeing had worked with the military and federal government for years to develop missile systems and advanced military aircraft. By the early 1960s, it was seen by government experts as a natural fit for working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration — better known as NASA.

The company contributed more than 2,000 engineers to NASA programs and was considered so integral to the national effort to reach space that a state-of-the-art communications system was built, spanning the nation from Boeing’s headquarters in Seattle to NASA’s launch sites in Florida, ensuring that Boeing experts could be easily contacted by NASA teams on the ground. For their part, Boeing’s top leadership were thrilled to be taking part. At the time, company president William Allen declared, “We’ll help the nation in any way NASA wants!”

The help that Boeing provided the Space Program was significant. The company helped build the Lunar Rover, the Lunar Orbiter and — perhaps most critically — the Saturn V rocket that carried Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon, decisively winning the Space Race between the USA and the Soviet Union.

After the moon landings, Boeing continued to work with NASA to improve the USA’s space technology. The company has built numerous satellites, space probes and worked with partners to build the International Space Station. According to Boeing’s website, the company has “support[ed] every U.S. endeavor to escape Earth’s gravity.”

The innovation and investment spurred by the Space Race is still impacting Seattle’s economy. Boeing, as one of the key players in the Space Race, benefited greatly from government contracts and the positive publicity of partnering with NASA. As Boeing grew, hundreds of companies sprang up in the Puget Sound area to supply and contract for the aerospace giant. Many of modern Seattle’s successful tech companies were started by entrepreneurs who gained experience and expertise at Boeing.

When people look at Seattle’s skyline, from the skyscrapers housing countless high-tech companies to the Space Needle, still iconic after 60 years, there are many reminders of when Seattle was “Living in the Space Age.”

Photo courtesy MOHAI This photo, circa 1961, provides an aerial view of the Space Needle and fairgrounds during construction from southeast prior to the Seattle World’s Fair.

Seattle has long history of hockey before Seattle Kraken

By Jessica Keller

1917

STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS

The Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association defeated the National Hockey Association’s Montreal Canadiens to become the first United States based team to win the Stanley Cup.