Time Magazine: Space Exploration U.S. v. Russia

Magazine, Print and Web
January 19, 1959

This Time Magazine cover shows a portrayal of a pivotal moment in the space race. The Soviet Union launched Luna 1, a satellite, to the moon in January 1959.1 It missed by 5,965 kilometers.2 The image on the newspaper shows a human-faced moon scared of the Luna 1 satellite. The swirly design and cobalt color of the moon likely reflects the public’s interest in the moon’s beauty. The moon’s scared reaction is used to convince the U.S. public that the moon needs protection from Soviet advances. Time Magazine was widely read and was the first magazine to provide a weekly digest.3 Covers are timely and show key events in key moments.

1 “Space Exploration: U.S. vs. Russa,” Time Magazine, vol. 73, no. 3, September 1959.

2 “Luna 1.” Wikipedia, January 20, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_1.

3 ibid.

4 “About TIME.” TIME USA, LLC., April 10, 2023. https://time.com/longform/about-time/#:~:text=Created%20in%201923%2C%20TIME%20began,for%20