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187-490: The compact Comet shared a naming convention associated with the ongoing Space Race of the early 1960s with the Mercury Meteor , which was introduced as the base-trim full-size Mercury sedan. The Comet was initially based on the compact Ford Falcon , then on the intermediate Ford Fairlane , and finally on the compact Ford Maverick . As a Mercury, early Comets received better-grade interior trim than concurrent Falcons, and

374-608: A ballistic re-entry capsule launched on a derivative Atlas missile , and selecting a group of nine candidate pilots. After NASA's creation, the program was transferred over to the civilian agency's Space Task Group and renamed Project Mercury on November 26, 1958. The Mercury spacecraft was designed by the STG's chief engineer Maxime Faget . NASA selected a new group of astronaut (from the Greek for "star sailor") candidates from Navy , Air Force and Marine test pilots, and narrowed this down to

561-446: A 3.56 in (90.4 mm) bore. It was replaced by the 188 cu in (3.1 L) from 1969. Power was rated at 116 hp (87 kW). The 200.0 cu in (3.3 L; 3,278 cc) inline-six model was introduced in the middle of 1963 with 3.685 by 3.126 in (93.6 by 79.4 mm) bore and stroke, and shared the four main bearing design of the 170. Early 200s can be identified by three core plugs. Beginning in 1965,

748-446: A 79.30 mm (3.122 in) stroke and a swept volume of 3,157 cubic centimetres (193 cu in). The larger engine, dubbed 3.9 litre, shared the 99.31 mm (3.910 in) stroke of the previous 4.1 litre engine for a swept volume of 3,949 cubic centimetres (241 cu in). Electronic fuel injection was now used across with range, with the 90 kW (121 hp) 3.2 litre engine equipped with throttle body injection, and

935-464: A Ford small block V8 six bolt bell housing. There were concurrent high-mount starter 200 blocks made till 1983 model year, and they are more common than low-mount starter 200s. When Ford launched the third-generation Fox body Mustang in 1979, the original engine lineup included the Cologne V6 . The same engine was also offered in the hugely successful Ford of Europe Capri Mk II. The 2.8 L V6 engine

1122-534: A Mercury Comet until the 1962 model year. This was similar to Ford's treatment of the Meteor and Frontenac of Canada, sold through Meteor-Mercury-Frontenac dealers. Introduced in March 1960, initial body styles were two- and four-door sedans and two- and four-door station wagons . Two trim levels were available, standard and "Custom", with the latter including badging, additional chrome trim, and all-vinyl interiors. In 1960,

1309-823: A Soviet cosmonaut crew and joint development of an international docking standard APAS-75 . Being considered as the final act of the Space Race, the competition was only gradually replaced with cooperation. The collapse of the Soviet Union eventually allowed the US and the newly founded Russian Federation to end their Cold War competition also in space, by agreeing in 1993 on the Shuttle– Mir and International Space Station programs . Although Germans, Americans and Soviets experimented with small liquid-fuel rockets before World War II, launching satellites and humans into space required

1496-401: A Weber two-barrel carburettor which further increased power outputs to 90 kW (120 hp) and 105 kW (141 hp) respectively, and improved fuel consumption over the single-barrel carburettor. The updated engine was designated Alloy Head II. In March 1983, direct-port fuel injection using Bosch Jetronic LE was offered as an option on the 4.1 L engine. With the release of

1683-444: A dual resonance intake manifold aimed at providing greater low-speed torque, branding the system Computer Torque Control. While the torque peak of the standard engine increased by only 9 N⋅m (7 lbf⋅ft) to 357 N⋅m (263 lbf⋅ft), Ford claimed that mid-range torque was now as much as 28 N⋅m (21 lbf⋅ft) higher. Power increased to 157 kW (211 hp) for the standard engine, and 164 kW (220 hp) for

1870-484: A few minutes later. This "fellow traveler", as the name is translated in English, was a small, beeping ball, less than two feet in diameter and weighing less than 200 pounds. But the celebrations were muted at the launch control center until the down-range far east tracking station at Kamchatka received the first distinctive beep ... beep ... beep sounds from Sputnik 1 ' s radio transmitters, indicating that it

2057-486: A four-cylinder engine. A cast-iron high-swirl cylinder head was developed, and the new 2.3 L engine was designated the HSC to differentiate it from the same displacement 2.3 L OHC design. This engine shared many common parts with the 200, and it is common for persons rebuilding their 200 engines to use the 2.3 L HSC pistons as a cheap replacement. Applications: The 250 cu in (4.1 L) inline-six engine

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2244-522: A group of seven for the program. Capsule design and astronaut training began immediately, working toward preliminary suborbital flights on the Redstone missile , followed by orbital flights on the Atlas. Each flight series would first start unpiloted, then carry a non-human primate, then finally humans. The Mercury spacecraft's principal designer was Maxime Faget , who started research for human spaceflight during

2431-606: A marque in its own right, it was a badge-engineered version of the Ford Falcon with only minor trim differences to distinguish it from the Falcon. The Frontenac was produced for only one year. The Comet was introduced to the Canadian market for the 1961 model year and replaced the Frontenac as the compact offering by Meteor-Mercury dealers. In response to complaints about the low performance of

2618-601: A micrometeorite gauge and a Geiger-Müller tube . It passed in and out of the Earth-encompassing radiation belt with its 194-by-1,368-nautical-mile (360 by 2,534 km) orbit, therefore saturating the tube's capacity and proving what Dr. James Van Allen , a space scientist at the University of Iowa , had theorized. The belt, named the Van Allen radiation belt , is a doughnut-shaped zone of high-level radiation intensity around

2805-526: A modified cylinder head and camshaft developed by Tickford Vehicle Engineering , was introduced. Fitted to the sports-oriented Falcon S-XR6 (renamed Falcon XR6 with the updated ED Falcon in 1993) it developed 161 kW (216 hp), only 4 kW (5 hp) less than the optional 5.0 litre V8 also offered with the EB and ED Falcon. In conjunction with the release of the EF Falcon range in 1994, Ford introduced

2992-542: A moment that America would be successful". On January 31, 1958, nearly four months after the launch of Sputnik 1 , von Braun and the United States successfully launched its first satellite on a four-stage Juno I rocket derived from the US Army's Redstone missile, at Cape Canaveral. The satellite Explorer 1 was 30.66 pounds (13.91 kg) in mass. The payload of Explorer 1 weighed 18.35 pounds (8.32 kg). It carried

3179-567: A multitude of other pieces of equipment, such as ski lifts, power generators, wood chippers, tractors, and, until they converted to diesel engines, most UPS trucks. In stationary service (generators and pumps) fueled with LPG or natural gas, this engine is known as the CSG-649. Applications: With local production of the Ford Falcon starting in 1960, Ford Australia began to offer the same inline-six engines as offered in North America. In Australia,

3366-577: A mysterious barrier between the space program and the Soviet populace. The program's nature embodied ambiguous messages concerning its goals, successes, and values. The program itself was so secret that a regular Soviet citizen could never achieve a concrete image of it, but rather a superficial picture of its history, present activities, or future endeavors. Launchings were not announced until they took place. Cosmonaut names were not released until they flew. Mission details were sparse. Outside observers did not know

3553-455: A name with the Merc-O-Matic installed in other Mercurys). Ford had purchased the name "Comet" from Comet Coach Company, a professional car manufacturer in which the term belonged to a line of funeral coaches, mainly Oldsmobiles. The coach company then was renamed Cotner-Bevington. In Canada, for the 1960 model year, Meteor-Mercury dealers sold a compact car called the "Frontenac". Considered

3740-725: A national hero of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc, and a worldwide celebrity. Moscow and other cities in the USSR held mass demonstrations, the scale of which was second only to the World War II Victory Parade of 1945 . April 12 was declared Cosmonautics Day in the USSR, and is celebrated today in Russia as one of the official "Commemorative Dates of Russia." In 2011, it was declared the International Day of Human Space Flight by

3927-562: A revised camshaft for increased low-speed performance with the introduction of the XP Falcon . The 144 remained in production until the late 1966 introduction of the larger, second generation XR Falcon . In 1968, coinciding with the release of the XT Falcon , the deck height of the design was increased to make room for increased crankshaft stroke, resulting in displacements of 188 and 221 cu in (badged 3.1 and 3.6 litres). These engines featured

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4114-606: A second satellite was sent into orbit with augmented cosmic ray instruments. On April 2, 1958, President Eisenhower reacted to the Soviet space lead in launching the first satellite by recommending to the US Congress that a civilian agency be established to direct nonmilitary space activities. Congress, led by Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson , responded by passing the National Aeronautics and Space Act , which Eisenhower signed into law on July 29, 1958. This law turned

4301-696: A seven-bearing crankshaft and shared a common 3.68 in (93.5 mm) bore, with strokes of 2.94 or 3.46 in (74.7 or 87.9 mm) respectively. They superseded the 170 and 200 engines in the Australian Falcon lineup. The 188 and 221 also powered the Argentine Falcon range from 1970 to 1991. In 1970 , in conjunction with the release of the XY Falcon , Ford Australia enlarged capacities to 200 and 250 cu in., reverting to imperial cubic inch measurements for identification. Bore and stroke dimensions for

4488-399: A simulated hood scoop. In 1972 models, the base 170 cid six was rated at 82 hp (61 kW) at 4400 rpm, the 200 cid six at 91 hp (68 kW), and the 302 cid V8 at 138 hp (103 kW). A new engine option for 1972 was the 250 cid six with a single-barrel carburetor rated at 98 hp (73 kW). For 1973 models, the base 170 cid six was dropped and the 200 cid six became

4675-493: A single, 108-minute orbit around the Earth in a craft called Vostok 1 . They dubbed Gagarin the first cosmonaut , roughly translated from Russian and Greek as "sailor of the universe". Gagarin's capsule was flown in automatic mode, since doctors did not know what would happen to a human in the weightlessness of space; but Gagarin was given an envelope containing the code that would unlock manual control in an emergency. Gagarin became

4862-421: A single-barrel Autolite 1100/1101 (or Carter YF/A) carburetor until the introduction of electronic fuel injection in 1987. With proper gearing, many F-Series trucks and Broncos achieve 20 mpg ‑US (12 l/100 km). This fact was heavily used by Ford's advertising campaign (some television advertisements and written literature even claimed 30 mpg ‑US (8 l/100 km)), since

5049-423: A single-barrel Bendix-Stromberg carburettor. Outputs for the 200 and 250 cu in. engines were rated at 130 hp (97 kW) and 155 hp (116 kW) respectively. From September 1972 both 200 and 250 cu in variants also became available on locally manufactured Ford Cortinas , and by 1974 the 250 was now the standard engine for the locally-assembled Ford F series truck range. As a performance option for

5236-509: A six-bolt bellhousing flange block was introduced. Beginning in 1980, one version of the 200 block was redesigned with a bell housing flange and a low-mount starter very similar to the low-mount starter 250 inline-six. This version is easily identified by starter location down by the oil pan rail and is referred to as the Big Bell 200. The big bell design is uncommon, but sought after by I-6 performance enthusiasts because it can be modified to accept

5423-613: A slightly longer wheelbase. The Comet was originally planned as an Edsel model. Ford announced the end of the Edsel program on November 19, 1959. However, production of 1960 Edsels continued until late November. The Comet was reassigned to the Lincoln-Mercury division to sell at Mercury-Comet dealerships, where it was marketed as a stand-alone product for 1960 and 1961 as the Comet without any Mercury divisional badging. Developed concurrently with

5610-694: A spacecraft he named Freedom 7 . Though he did not achieve orbit like Gagarin, he was the first person to exercise manual control over his spacecraft's attitude and retro-rocket firing. After his successful return, Shepard was celebrated as a national hero, honored with parades in Washington, New York and Los Angeles, and received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal from President John F. Kennedy . Ford Straight-6 engine#170 The Ford Motor Company produced straight-six engines from 1906 until 1908 and from 1941 until 2016. In 1906,

5797-447: A stout engine, it proved to be economical and could get fairly good gas mileage for the time, up to 30 mpg ‑US (8 L/100 km). This small six was the basis for all the Ford "Falcon" straight-six engines. The intake manifold on this series was cast integrally with the cylinder head (this design was also used by Chevrolet with some of their later third-generation inline-sixes,

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5984-503: A stroke of 3.18 in (81 mm). The 300 cu in (4,918 cc) six was first offered in the F-Series for 1965. It is essentially a 240 cu in (3.9 L) with a longer stroke of 3.98 in (101 mm). The two engines are nearly identical; the differences are in the rotating assembly and combustion chamber sizes in the head (the heads are interchangeable). It produced 170 hp (127 kW) (gross). The 300 became

6171-685: A successor to the R-1, the R-2 with an extended frame and a new engine designed by Glushko, which entered service in November, 1951, with a range of 600 kilometres (370 mi), twice that of the R-1. This was followed in 1951 with the development of the R-5 Pobeda , the Soviet Union's first real strategic missile, with a range of 1,200 km (750 mi) and capable of carrying a 1 megaton (mt) thermonuclear warhead. The R-5 entered service in 1955. Scientific versions of

6358-529: A tabloid article about the " Mercury 13 " group of women wanting to become astronauts, and got the mistaken idea that NASA was actually entertaining this. Five months after her flight, Tereshkova married Vostok 3 cosmonaut Andriyan Nikolayev , and they had a daughter. The US Air Force had been developing a program to launch the first man in space, named Man in Space Soonest . This program studied several different types of one-man space vehicles, settling on

6545-444: A three-speed manual or three-speed automatic with either column or floor-mounted shifters. The Comet was available as two- and four-door sedans and in base (1971–1977), and " muscle car " Comet GT series (two-door sedan-only 1971-1975). The GT featured a blacked-out grille, dual body-side tape stripes, high-back bucket seats, wheel trim rings, dual racing mirrors, bright window frames, black instrument panel, deluxe door trim panels, and

6732-413: A two-barrel carburetor, it produced 200 hp (150 kW) at 4400 rpm. The standard transmission continued as a column-shifted, three-speed manual transmission. The optional automatic was changed to a "Merc-O-Matic" three-speed automatic transmission (essentially a Ford C4 ). The 289 V8 was available in three horsepower ratings: base two-barrel 200 hp, four-barrel 225 hp (168 kW), and

6919-611: The Fairmont , which helped reduce costs instead of having to redesign the Mustang for a different engine. The 200 was used in the Ford Maverick and Mercury Comet and continued in the Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr until they were discontinued at the end of the 1983 model year. The 1975–80 Ford Granada and Mercury Monarch offered the 200 inline-six as the standard engine. For 1981–82

7106-752: The Ford Falcon (BA) of 2002 and also powered the Ford Territory introduced in 2004. In October 2005, alongside the introduction of the Ford Falcon (BF) and Ford Territory (SY) , these outputs rose to 190 kW (250 hp) and 383 N⋅m (282 lb⋅ft). In 2008 the Barra was upgraded a final time, debuting in the Ford Falcon (FG) with power outputs of 195 kW (261 hp) and 391 N⋅m (288 lb⋅ft). Turbocharged versions were also manufactured. The initial version, known as Barra 240T with 240 kW (322 hp) and 450 N⋅m (330 lb⋅ft) of torque

7293-521: The National Academy of Sciences in Washington D.C., with a paper titled "Satellite Over the Planet", on October 6, 1957. Korolev anticipated that von Braun might launch a Jupiter-C with a satellite payload on or around October 4 or 5, in conjunction with the paper. He hastened the launch, moving it to October 4. The launch vehicle for PS-1 was a modified R-7 – vehicle 8K71PS number M1-PS – without much of

7480-576: The National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It also created a Civilian-Military Liaison Committee, appointed by the President, responsible for coordinating the nation's civilian and military space programs. On October 21, 1959, Eisenhower approved the transfer of the Army's remaining space-related activities to NASA. On July 1, 1960,

7667-590: The RS-82 and RS-132 missiles , which became the basis for the Katyusha multiple rocket launcher , During the 1930s Soviet rocket technology was comparable to Germany's, but Joseph Stalin 's Great Purge from 1936 to 1938 severely damaged its progress. In 1945 the Soviets captured several key Nazi German A-4 ( V-2 ) rocket production facilities, and also gained the services of some German scientists and engineers related to

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7854-596: The Soviet Union , to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the ballistic missile -based nuclear arms race between the two nations following World War II and had its peak with the more particular Moon Race to land on the Moon between the US moonshot and Soviet moonshot programs. The technological advantage demonstrated by spaceflight achievement was seen as necessary for national security and became part of

8041-513: The United Nations . The USSR demonstrated 24-hour launch pad turnaround and launched two piloted spacecraft, Vostok 3 and Vostok 4 , in essentially identical orbits, on August 11 and 12, 1962. The two spacecraft came within approximately 6.5 kilometers (3.5 nautical miles) of one another, close enough for radio communication, but then drifted as far apart as 2,850 kilometers (1,540 nautical miles). The Vostok had no maneuvering rockets to keep

8228-515: The XC Falcon , engine displacements remained 200 and 250 cu in, but were now badged 3.3 and 4.1 litres, respectively, and power and torque outputs were expressed in metric units. While quoted power outputs dropped from 130 to 107 horsepower (97 to 80 kW) for the 3.3, and from 155 to 123 horsepower (116 to 92 kW) for the 4.1, power was now measured using the DIN rather than SAE gross method. Ford claimed

8415-508: The XF Falcon the following year, the injected 4.1 was upgraded with Ford's EEC-IV engine management system with Multi Point Electronic Fuel Injection (MP-EFI). Changes to the carburettor-based engine were made to accommodate the EFI system. The cylinder head intake ports had been modified to provide clearance for the injectors, and a new intake manifold was designed and many other changes were made in

8602-418: The " Sputnik crisis ", when the USSR achieved the first successful satellite launch, Sputnik 1 , on October 4, 1957. It gained momentum when the USSR sent the first human, Yuri Gagarin , into space with the orbital flight of Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961. These were followed by a string of other firsts achieved by the Soviets over the next few years. Gagarin's flight led US president John F. Kennedy to raise

8789-409: The "I" referring to "inline") in the passenger cars and Cost Clipper in the trucks. A completely new OHV I-6 was offered for the 1952–53 F-Series. It displaced 215 cu in (3.5 L) and produced 101 hp (75 kW). It was also used in the 1952–53 Ford full-sized cars. The 215 grew to 223 cu in (3.7 L) for the 1954 F-Series. Output was now 115 hp (86 kW) in

8976-406: The "round body" Comets. For 1962 and 1963, the Comet shared a considerable number of body and mechanical parts with the short-lived Fairlane-based Mercury Meteor intermediate. The Comet was initially released without any divisional badging, only "Comet" badges, similar to Valiant, which did not have Plymouth badging at first. It was sold through Lincoln-Mercury-Comet dealers, but was not branded as

9163-447: The 144 cid engine, a 170 cid Thriftpower with a single-barrel Holley carburetor producing 101 hp (75 kW) at 4400 rpm was released for the 1961 model year. A new four-speed manual transmission was also an option (a Dagenham without first-gear synchromesh). The changes to the 1961 Comet were minimal, such as moving the Comet script from the front fender to the rear quarter and a new grille design. The optional S-22 package

9350-401: The 1957–58 International Geophysical Year launches to establish this principle in international law. Eisenhower also feared that he might cause an international incident and be called a "warmonger" if he were to use military missiles as launchers. Therefore, he selected the untried Naval Research Laboratory 's Vanguard rocket , which was a research-only rocket. This meant that von Braun's team

9537-405: The 1960s. They cloaked the program in a shroud of secrecy; public pronouncements were uniformly positive. As far as the public knew, the Soviet space program had never experienced failure. According to historian James Andrews, "With almost no exceptions, coverage of Soviet space exploits, especially in the case of human space missions, omitted reports of failure or trouble". Dominic Phelan says in

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9724-410: The 1978 model year. In July 2010, USA Today reported on a 91-year-old Florida woman, Rachel Veitch, who was still driving her 1964 Comet Caliente daily. The car was purchased new, and Veitch set a record by accumulating over 562,000 documented miles. The car was retired in 2012 after accumulating 576,000 miles, as Veitch had decided to stop driving due to her eyesight becoming too weak. The Cyclone

9911-488: The 200 engine until it was replaced by the 3.8L Essex V6 for 1984. Ford was also having problems meeting demand for its 2.3 L OHC engine, which was used in a multitude of models worldwide. In anticipation of another engine shortage, the Ford engine plant in Lima, Ohio, which was already producing the 2.3-liter OHC engine, decided they could modify the Falcon inline six block casting molds to remove cylinders 4 and 5 to create

10098-444: The 200 inline-six. Power was re-evaluated at 98 hp (73 kW) for 1972 (because of power rating changes) and 88 hp (66 kW) the next year. This engine had seven main bearings, and can be identified by the five core plugs on the side of the block. The block uses a low-mount starter and six bellhousing bolts, sharing its bellhousing pattern with the 302 and 351 Windsor V8s , late (1965–68) 289, early 4.6 L V8 , and

10285-401: The 200s were upgraded to seven main bearings to reduce harmonic vibrations and increase durability. The 1965 and later engines can be identified by four core plugs and the casting code C5DE-H. The 1965 Mustang (August 1964 onward) used this engine as standard, rated at 120 hp (89 kW). The Mustang continued to use the 200 as its base engine until it was dropped in 1971. Starting in 1966,

10472-518: The 240 and 300 inline-six. Production of the 250 ended in 1980. Applications: Produced at the Cleveland Engine plant in Brook Park, Ohio , from 1964 through 1996, the 240 and 300 inline-six engines are well known for their durability. These engines employed seven main bearings and used long-wearing timing gears instead of a chain or belt. Both the 240 and the 300, no matter the application, used

10659-426: The 3.9 litre engine available with a choice of 120 kW (161 hp) throttle body injected or 139 kW (186 hp) multipoint fuel injected variants. The updated design featured camshaft and auxiliary shafts driven by a duplex chain, and chain rive to the distributor and the oil pump shafts. The camshaft was supported on the cylinder head by using 'topless' bearings; bearing liners were not used. The camshaft

10846-574: The Air Force PGM-11 Redstone rocket family at Cape Canaveral. By 1957, a descendant of the Air Force MX-774 received top-priority funding. and evolved into the Atlas-A , the first successful American ICBM. The Atlas made use of a thin stainless steel fuel tank which relied on the internal pressure of the tank for structural integrity, this allowed an overall lighter weight design. WD-40

11033-541: The Army's first operational medium-range ballistic missile, the Redstone rocket , derivatives of which launched both America's first satellite, and the first piloted Mercury space missions. It became the basis for both the Jupiter and Saturn family of rockets . Each of the United States armed services had its own ICBM development program. The Air Force began ICBM research in 1945 with the MX-774 . In 1950, von Braun began testing

11220-470: The Australian engines were identical to their US counterparts of the same capacities, but the structure of the engine was different; both Australian engines shared a common block with the crankshaft positioned lower in the block to accommodate the longer stroke of the 250, whereas the US 250 engines had increased deck height. The head was of similar design to previous models, with an integral intake catering for

11407-559: The Autolite 1100 carburetor with stamping C4TF-E and produced 145 hp (108 kW) with 206 ft-lb of torque, and Mercury Meteor-Monterey in 1961. The 223 was also used in Onan 30EC generator sets and possibly others. A 262 cu in (4.3 L) I-6 version was also produced. The 262 I-6 was built from 1961 to 1964 for use in medium- and heavy-duty Ford trucks. This engine was also used for industrial applications. The third generation

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11594-527: The Comet and Maverick names. Fairly late, though, they decided that the updated versions would be built alongside the original Maverick and the Comet that had originally been introduced for 1971. These would-be replacements, also using the same basic chassis as the Comet and Maverick, became the Mercury Monarch and the American Ford Granada ; these came with more standard and optional equipment than

11781-518: The Comet and Maverick, and were considered to be "luxury compacts", a step up from the Comet and Maverick. Although 1975 was the last year for the Mercury Comet GT, the GT features remained available in 1976 and 1977 with the "Sports Accent" option group. The model was offered with comparatively few changes through the 1977 model year, and was then discontinued to make room for the new Mercury Zephyr for

11968-527: The Comet name was revived on Mercury's version of the Ford Maverick compact. Sharing most of its sheet metal with the Maverick, it used a different grille , taillights , and hood , as well as different badging. The taillight pods were shared with the 1970 and 1971 Montego and Cyclone models. Underneath it all was the same basic chassis that had originally been used for the Ford Falcon, the original Comet, and for

12155-454: The Comet received updated styling front and rear (including stacked headlights, similar to what full-sized Fords , Pontiacs , and Cadillacs would use at the same time). The base six-cylinder engine was increased from 170 to 200 cubic inches (2.8 to 3.3 L); still using a single-barrel carburetor, it produced 120 hp (89 kW) at 4400 rpm. The base V8 engine was increased from 260 to 289 cubic inches (4.3 to 4.7 L) and, using

12342-537: The Council of Ministers to build a Prosteishy Sputnik (PS-1), or simple satellite. The council also decreed that Object D be postponed until April 1958. The new Sputnik was a metallic sphere that would be a much lighter craft, weighing 83.8 kilograms (185 lb) and having a 58-centimeter (23 in) diameter. The satellite would not contain the complex instrumentation that Object D had, but had two radio transmitters operating on different short wave radio frequencies,

12529-580: The Cyclone Spoiler), and a 428 cid V-8 using a four-barrel carburetor generating 335 hp (250 kW) at 5200 rpm (standard on the Cyclone CJ). These new V-8s replaced the previous 390 cid V-8s. After 1969, the use of the Comet name was suspended as the base model for Mercury's intermediate model line became the Montego. The Cyclone name continued to be used through the 1971 model year. For 1971,

12716-403: The Earth above the magnetic equator. Van Allen was also the man who designed and built the satellite instrumentation of Explorer 1 . The satellite measured three phenomena: cosmic ray and radiation levels, the temperature in the spacecraft, and the frequency of collisions with micrometeorites. The satellite had no memory for data storage, therefore it had to transmit continuously. In March 1958

12903-743: The Edsel Ranger series.) While the 1963 model looked almost identical to the earlier models, the chassis and suspension were redesigned to accommodate an optional 260 cid V8 engine (borrowed from the Fairlane) using a two-barrel carburetor and producing 164 hp (122 kW). Two new body styles, a Convertible and hardtop (pillar-less) coupe models were added to the Comet Custom and Comet S-22 lines this year. The front ends of these Comets differed from their Falcon counterparts in that they had four headlights instead of two; similar situations resurfaced in

13090-411: The Edsel prototype, were used and carried the "E" (Edsel) part number on them. While the short-lived 1960 Edsels used elliptical-shaped taillights, the lenses used on both cars differed in length and width. Certain other parts from the 1959 Edsel parts bin, including the parking lights and dashboard knobs, were used on the first-year Comet. Keys for the 1960 and 1961 Comets were shaped like Edsel keys, with

13277-521: The Falcon inline six have upgraded their engines with the higher-performance cylinder head. From 1 July 1976 , new emission standards came into effect with Australian Design Rule 27A , which set limits for the emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen. To meet the new requirements, compression ratios were dropped, and the engines now featured an exhaust gas recirculation valve and positive crankcase ventilation . In an effort to maintain horsepower outputs, Ford Australia updated

13464-430: The Ford Falcon, early preproduction photographs of the sedan show a car remarkably close to the Comet that emerged, but with a split grille following the pattern established by Edsel models. Early Ford styling mules for the station wagon model carried the Edsel name, as well. At their debut, the split grille was replaced by one more in keeping with Mercury's design themes, but the canted elliptical taillights, first seen on

13651-562: The Ford Granada was redesigned and common with an expanded line of Mercury Cougars which used the 200 inline-six as the standard engine. From mid-year 1980 through 1982 the Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar XR-7 used the 200 inline-six as the standard engine. The Ford LTD and Mercury Marquis , introduced in 1983 as the successors to the Granada and Cougar (non-XR7 models), carried over

13838-638: The Mazda M5OD, ZF S5-42 and S5-47, 5-speed manual transmissions, and the Borg-Warner T18, Tremec RTS, and New Process NP435 4-speed manual transmissions. Race car driver Scott Donohue raced a rally truck with a Ford 300 inline-six in it and won the Baja 1000 three times. This engine is also used by Stewart & Stevenson in the MA Baggage Tow Tractor, and Harlan in their standard tow tractors, as well as

14025-486: The Mercury look. This is the first year the car carried Mercury badging. The S-22 had six bullet-shaped taillights, while regular Comets had four oval with two optional flat reverse lights. A Comet Villager station wagon, basically a Comet Custom four-door station wagon with simulated woodgrain side panels, was added to the lineup. (The Villager name had previously been used to denote the four-door, steel-sided station wagon in

14212-531: The Moon. The 730-pound (330 kg) Ranger 4 became the first US spacecraft to reach the Moon, but its solar panels and navigational system failed near the Moon and it impacted the far side without returning any scientific data. Ranger 5 ran out of power and missed the Moon by 725 kilometers (391 nmi) on October 21, 1962. The first successful Ranger mission was the 806-pound (366 kg) Block III Ranger 7 which impacted on July 31, 1964. Ranger had three successful impactors out of nine attempts. In 1963,

14399-487: The Moon. The fifth attempt on June 18 also failed at launch. The 390-kilogram (860 lb) Luna 2 successfully impacted the Moon on September 14, 1959. The 278.5-kilogram (614 lb) Luna 3 successfully flew by the Moon and sent back pictures of its far side on October 7, 1959. The US first embarked on the Pioneer program in 1958 by launching the first probe , albeit ending in failure. A subsequent probe named Pioneer 1

14586-459: The R-1, R-2 and R-5 undertook various experiments between 1949 and 1958, including flights with space dogs . Design work began in 1953 on the R-7 Semyorka with the requirement for a missile with a launch mass of 170 to 200 tons, range of 8,500 km and carrying a 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) nuclear warhead, powerful enough to launch a nuclear warhead against the United States. In late 1953

14773-728: The Redstone Arsenal became NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center , with von Braun as its first director. Development of the Saturn rocket family , which when mature gave the US parity with the Soviets in terms of lifting capability, was thus transferred to NASA. In 1958, Korolev upgraded the R-7 to be able to launch a 400-kilogram (880 lb) payload to the Moon. The Luna program began with three failed secret 1958 attempts to launch Luna E-1 -class impactor probes. The fourth attempt, Luna 1 , launched successfully on January 2, 1959, but missed

14960-475: The Soviet Union's "2nd Generation" Luna programme was less successful, Luna 4 , Luna 5 , Luna 6 , Luna 7 , and Luna 8 were all met with mission failures. However, in 1966 Luna 9 achieved the first soft-landing on the Moon, and successfully transmitted photography from the surface. Luna 10 marked the first man-made object to establish an orbit around the Moon, followed by Luna 11 , Luna 12 , and Luna 14 which also successfully established orbits. Luna 12

15147-549: The Soviet embassy of his country's intention to launch a satellite as well, in the "near future". On August 30, 1955, Korolev managed to get the Soviet Academy of Sciences to create a commission whose purpose was to beat the Americans into Earth orbit: this was the de facto start date for the Space Race. The Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union began a policy of treating development of its space program as top-secret. When

15334-510: The Sputnik project was first approved, one of the immediate courses of action the Politburo took was to consider what to announce to the world regarding their event. The Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS) established precedents for all official announcements on the Soviet space program. The information eventually released did not offer details on who built and launched the satellite or why it

15521-419: The U.S. In August 1949, the Soviet Union became the second nuclear power after the United States with the successful RDS-1 nuclear weapon test. In October 1957, the Soviet Union conducted the world’s first successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), this was the R-7 Semyorka (also known as SS-6 by NATO) and was seen as capable of striking U.S. territory with a nuclear payload. Fears in

15708-665: The US due to this perceived threat became known as the Missile gap . The first American ICBM, the Atlas missile , was tested in late 1958. ICBMs presented the ability to strike targets on the other side of the globe in a very short amount of time and in a manner which was impervious to air interception such as bombers might have been. The value which ICBMs presented in a nuclear standoff were very substantial, and this fact greatly accelerated efforts to develop rocket and rocket interception technology. The first Soviet development of artillery rockets

15895-477: The USSR but did not take him seriously. The Soviet success raised a great deal of concern in the United States. For example, economist Bernard Baruch wrote in an open letter titled "The Lessons of Defeat" to the New York Herald Tribune : "While we devote our industrial and technological power to producing new model automobiles and more gadgets, the Soviet Union is conquering space. ... It is Russia, not

16082-422: The USSR had achieved a leading advantage in rocket technology. The dumbfounded CIA estimated the launch weight at 500 metric tons requiring an initial thrust of more than 1,000 tons and supposed the use of a three-stage rocket. In a secret report, it concluded that ″the launching of two earth satellites must have been a stupendous scientific achievement. ... Launching of these satellites does indicate, however, that

16269-500: The USSR has perfected an ICBM which they can put on any desired target with accuracy." In reality, the launch weight of the Soviet rocket was 267 metric tons with an initial thrust of 410 tons with one and a half stages. The CIA's misjudgement was caused by extrapolating the parameters of the US Atlas rocket developed at the same time (launch weight 82 tons, initial thrust 135 tones, maximum payload of 70 kg for low Earth orbit ). In part,

16456-489: The USSR sent animals into space to determine the safety of the environment before sending the first humans. The USSR used dogs for this purpose, and the US used monkeys and apes . The first mammal in space was Albert II , a rhesus monkey launched by the US on a sub-orbital flight on June 14, 1949, who died on landing due to a parachute malfunction. The USSR sent the dog Laika into orbit on Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957, for an intended ten-day flight. They did not yet have

16643-475: The United States announced its intent to launch artificial satellites for the International Geophysical Year . Four days later, the Soviet Union responded by declaring they would also launch a satellite "in the near future". The launching of satellites was enabled by developments in ballistic missile capabilities since the end of World War II. The competition gained Western public attention with

16830-465: The United States, who has had the imagination to hitch its wagon to the stars and the skill to reach for the moon and all but grasp it. America is worried. It should be." Eisenhower ordered project Vanguard to move up its timetable and launch its satellite much sooner than originally planned. The December 6, 1957 Project Vanguard launch failure occurred at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. It

17017-471: The V8 engines in these trucks rarely achieved over 14 mpg ‑US (17 L/100 km). The fuel economy of the 300 makes the engine a popular choice among truck enthusiasts that want both power and economy. The addition of performance parts (such as intake and exhaust manifolds with a four-barrel carburetor ) place the engine power output near the same levels as the stock "HO" (High Output) version of

17204-463: The Vostok program was over. The craft consisted of a spherical descent module with a mass of 2.46 tonnes (5,400 lb) and a diameter of 2.3 meters (7.5 ft), with a cylindrical inner cabin housing the cosmonaut, instruments, and escape system; and a biconic instrument module with a mass of 2.27 tonnes (5,000 lb), 2.25 meters (7.4 ft) long and 2.43 meters (8.0 ft) in diameter, containing

17391-465: The XY Falcon and subsequent XA Falcon , Ford developed the 2V (two-venturi) variant of the 250 cu in. engine. The cylinder head, which in all respects was similar to the previous integral "log head" intake, with the exception of a removable aluminium intake which mounted a Bendix-Stromberg WW two-barrel carburettor. To take advantage of the much improved breathing ability that the removable intake brought to

17578-458: The ability to detect if a meteoroid were to penetrate its pressure hull, and the ability to detect the density of the Earth's thermosphere . Korolev was buoyed by the first successful launches of the R-7 rocket in August and September, which paved the way for the launch of Sputnik . Word came that the US was planning to announce a major breakthrough at an International Geophysical Year conference at

17765-475: The base F-Series engine in 1978 at 114 hp (85 kW) (horsepower number changes due to Ford switching to net power ratings in 1971). Power outputs were increased to roughly 122 hp (91 kW) during the early 1980s, before fuel injection was introduced. This became the primary engine of the line, eclipsing the 240. Unlike the Falcon engine, it featured separate intake and exhaust manifolds, which could be easily replaced with aftermarket manifolds offering

17952-414: The base engine. Horsepower ratings would fluctuate slightly up or down through the years the Comet would remain in production, but not by very much. A new, larger front bumper to meet federal standards was added to all models in 1973. A new Custom decor package featuring vinyl roof, body-colored wheel covers, wide vinyl-insert body-side moldings, vinyl bucket seats, luxury carpeting, and extra sound insulation

18139-554: The basic Comet 202, through the Capri , Caliente , Cyclone , and Cyclone GT models, as well as steel-sided Voyager and simulated wood-paneled Villager station wagon models, which were comparable to the Capri. In 1968, Mercury's mid-sized models again received new sheet metal and styling that resembled the full-sized Mercury models and shared their chassis and many parts with Ford's mid-sized Fairlane and Torino models. The mid-sized base model

18326-447: The basis for the R-7 family which includes Sputnik , Luna , Molniya , Vostok , and Voskhod space launchers , as well as later Soyuz variants. Several versions are still in use and it has become the world's most reliable space launcher. Although American rocket pioneer Robert H. Goddard developed, patented, and flew small liquid-propellant rockets as early as 1914, the United States

18513-586: The bold dream of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky will be realized within the next 10 to 15 years." From March 1952 to April 1954, the US Collier's magazine reacted with a series of seven articles Man Will Conquer Space Soon! detailing Wernher von Braun 's plans for crewed spaceflight. In March 1955, Disneyland's animated episode " Man in Space " in the US television with an audience of about 40 million people eventually fired

18700-522: The book Cold War Space Sleuths (Springer-Praxis 2013): "The USSR was famously described by Winston Churchill as 'a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma' and nothing signified this more than the search for the truth behind its space program during the Cold War. Although the Space Race was literally played out above our heads, it was often obscured by a figurative 'space curtain' that took much effort to see through". Initially, President Eisenhower

18887-508: The capsule was just large enough for a single astronaut. The first suborbital spacecraft weighed 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg); the heaviest, Mercury-Atlas 9, weighed 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) fully loaded. On reentry, the astronaut would stay in the craft through splashdown by parachute in the Atlantic Ocean. On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space, launching in a ballistic trajectory on Mercury-Redstone 3 , in

19074-533: The captured V-2s and began a program of launching them and instructing American engineers in their operation. These tests led to the first photos of Earth from space , and the first two-stage rocket, the WAC Corporal - V-2 combination, in 1949. The German rocket team was moved from Fort Bliss to the Army's new Redstone Arsenal , located in Huntsville, Alabama , in 1950. From here, von Braun and his team developed

19261-513: The carburetted 3.3 and 4.1 litre engines fell to 88 kW (118 hp) and 97.5 kW (130.7 hp), although maximum power output from the 4.1 EFI engine increased slightly to 121 kW (162 hp). While the OHV six-cylinder engines were replaced by OHC variants across the Ford Australia passenger car range in 1988, the carburetted 4.1 litre engine remained in production until 1993 along with

19448-499: The center bar of the "E" removed to form a "C". The "Comet" name was trademarked to Cotner-Bevington as the Comet Coach Company, building ambulance and hearse commercial vehicles. Ford bought the name in 1959. From 1960–1965, the Comet was based on the Ford Falcon platform (stretched 5 in (130 mm) for sedans, but not for wagons). The 1960–1963 Comets share a similar basic shape. These are sometimes referred to as

19635-516: The closure of the Australian engine plant, Ford no longer produces a straight-six gasoline engine. The first-generation Ford six-cylinder engines were all flatheads . They were the G- and H-series engines of 226 cu in (3.7 L) used in cars and trucks and the M-series of 254 cu in (4.2 L) used in larger Ford trucks and for industrial applications. Introduced for the 1941 model year,

19822-474: The crossflow design with a new aluminium head casting developed in conjunction with Honda , and introduced electronic ignition. Dubbed Alloy Head and introduced as part of a mid-life update of the XD Falcon, the revised engines featured a high-swirl, lean-burn combustion chamber design that enabled higher compression ratios to be used while still meeting emissions requirements. The use of aluminium alloy meant that

20009-506: The development of larger ballistic missiles such as Wernher von Braun 's Aggregat-4 (A-4) , which became known as the Vergeltungswaffe 2 (V-2) developed by Nazi Germany to bomb the Allies in the war. After the war, both the US and USSR acquired custody of German rocket development assets which they used to leverage the development of their own missiles. Public interest in space flight

20196-428: The engine bay to accommodate the new fuel system. In response to Australian Design Rule 37, which required all new cars sold after 1 January 1986 to operate with unleaded petrol, Falcon engines were modified for running on regular grade 91 RON unleaded fuel and equipped with catalytic converters . Despite revisions that included a higher-lift camshaft and revised combustion chamber shape, power and torque outputs for

20383-484: The engine system and propellant. After reentry, the cosmonaut would eject at about 7,000 meters (23,000 ft) over the USSR and descend via parachute, while the capsule would land separately, because the descent module made an extremely rough landing that could have left a cosmonaut seriously injured. The "Vostok spaceship" was first displayed at the July 1961 Tushino air show , mounted on its launch vehicle's third stage, with

20570-462: The engine underwent a significant upgrade receiving dual overhead cams (DOHC) with variable cam timing and coil-on-plug ignition. The engine gained the nickname "Barra", named after the " Barramundi " code name used during the development of the Ford Falcon (BA) , and a numerical suffix was used to identify the engine variant by its output in kilowatts. Producing 182 kW (244 hp) and 380 N⋅m (280 lb⋅ft) in Barra 182 form, it debuted in

20757-407: The engine underwent significant updates to its design over the following decades, including a move to a crossflow layout, electronic ignition, alloy cylinder heads, fuel injection, overhead camshaft and later multi-valve double overhead camshaft design, variable intake runners, variable valve timing, and ultimately turbocharging. It remained in production for 56 years, retaining the same bore centres of

20944-525: The engines were 22.4 kilograms (49 lb) lighter, and had improved warm-up time. Power outputs for the 3.3 and 4.1 litre engines now raised to 84 kW (113 hp) and 94 kW (126 hp) respectively, with reductions in fuel consumption of seven to ten per cent. Until 1982, the engines were fitted with a single-barrel Bendix-Stromberg carburettor, but with the introduction of the XE Falcon from March 1982, both 3.3 and 4.1 litre engines were fitted with

21131-544: The engines with a new cast-iron crossflow head design with larger, canted valves, and an aluminium water-heated intake manifold to improve gas flow and warm-up. Only the block, crankshaft, pistons and conrods were carried over from the old engine. Whereas the previous integral "log head" engine borrowed from the Ford FE engine family design, the new crossflow engine borrowed from the Ford Cleveland engine family. Introduced with

21318-468: The engines would be constantly working in the 3,000–4,000 rpm range. Due to their high-flowing design, enthusiasts often seek these manifolds out because they allow turbochargers to be easily retrofitted to the engine. Beginning in 1978, the engine displacement was advertised in metric, becoming "4.9 L." Fuel injection and other changes in 1987 increased output to 150 horsepower (112 kW) with an 8.8:1 compression ratio. Even though this engine

21505-592: The far side of the moon. In late 1966, Luna 13 became the third spacecraft to make a soft-landing on the Moon, with the American Surveyor 1 having now taken second. Later on, to aid the Apollo missions, the Surveyor program was conducted by NASA, with five successful soft landings out of seven attempts from 1966 to 1968. The Lunar Orbiter program had five successes out of five attempts in 1966–1967. The US and

21692-544: The favourable data of the Soviet launcher was based on concepts proposed by the German rocket scientists headed by Helmut Gröttrup on Gorodomlya Island , such as, among other things, the rigorous weight saving, the control of the residual fuel quantities and a reduced thrust to weight relation of 1.4 instead of usual factor 2. The CIA had heard about such details already in January 1954 when it interrogated Göttrup after his return from

21879-463: The first space station program, and the first landings on Venus and on Mars . Meanwhile, the US landed five more Apollo crews on the Moon and continued exploration of other extraterrestrial bodies robotically. A period of détente followed with the April 1972 agreement on a cooperative Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (ASTP), resulting in the July 1975 rendezvous in Earth orbit of a US astronaut crew with

22066-548: The first Ford L-6 (designated G-series) displaced 226 cu in (3.7 L) and produced 90 hp (67 kW), the same as the Flathead V-8 that year. Like the V-8, it was also a flathead or L-head engine. In 1948, Ford raised the compression of the flathead six or L-6 (designated H-series or Rouge 226) so that it generated 95 hp (71 kW) and 180 lb⋅ft (244 N⋅m) of torque. The G- and H-series engines were used in

22253-593: The first Ford straight-six was introduced in the Model K . The next was introduced in the 1941 Ford . Ford continued producing straight-six engines for use in its North American vehicles until 1996, when they were discontinued in favor of more compact V6 designs. Ford Australia also manufactured straight-six engines in Australia for the Falcon and Territory models until 2016, when both vehicle lines were discontinued. Following

22440-888: The full-sized Ford cars and trucks to replace the smaller 136 cu in (2.2 L) Flathead V8 that was used in the 1937 Ford . Ford discontinued production of the H-series engine for the 1951 model year. A 254 cu in (4.2 L) version of the L-6 (designated the M-series or Rouge 254) was used from 1950 to 1953 in F6-series Ford trucks ( COE , dump, truck-tractor, etc.), and small Ford school buses. The M-series engine produced 115 hp (86 kW) and 212 lb⋅ft (287 N⋅m) of torque. They were also used in miscellaneous industrial applications, e.g., to power water pumps for irrigation purposes and within vineyards to manage risk by powering giant frost-control propellers on stands in

22627-403: The go-ahead to launch their Jupiter-C rocket as soon as they could. In Britain, the US's Western Cold War ally, the reaction was mixed: some celebrated the fact that the Soviets had reached space first, while others feared the destructive potential that military uses of spacecraft might bring. The Daily Express predicted that the US would catch up to and pass the USSR in space; "never doubt for

22814-514: The high-output XR6 variant. The engine management system was upgraded to Ford's EEC V, and the distributor was replaced by a three-coil ignition system with each coil firing two spark plugs. However, the subsequent EL Falcon reverted to a distributor/coil ignition setup. Ford Australia redesigned the I-6 again, naming it the Intech, in 1998 alongside the introduction of the Ford Falcon (AU) , and increased

23001-530: The high-performance 271 hp (202 kW) version from the Ford Mustang , paired with a four-speed manual transmission. Beginning in 1966, the Comet grew from a compact to become a mid-sized car. It was now based on the same chassis as the Ford Fairlane intermediate (and the previous Mercury Meteor intermediate, which was only offered in 1962–1963). These intermediate-sized cars used the same basic chassis as

23188-574: The late 1970s, with the Ford Thunderbird /Mercury Cougar and the Ford Fairmont/Mercury Zephyr . The 1964 Comet was redesigned with a much more square shape, though it was still built on the same unibody as the 1963 model. Its basic lines were shared with the new Falcon, but the front grille used styling similar to that of the Lincoln Continental . Along with the redesign, the model designations were changed. The performance version

23375-500: The lineup. A 250 cid inline-six using a single-barrel carburetor and generating 155 hp (116 kW) at 4000 rpm replaced the previous 200 cid 6 as standard. New engine options included a 302 cid V-8 engine using a four-barrel carburetor and generating 220 hp (160 kW) at 4400 rpm (standard on the Cyclone), a 351 cid V-8 using a four-barrel carburetor generating 290 hp (220 kW) at 5200 rpm (standard on

23562-503: The main bearing size and added a ladder style main stud girdle integral with the oil pan to increase low end rigidity. The engine also received variable camshaft timing technology in some XR6 models, Fairlane/LTD models and the Fairmont Ghia which allowed the ECU to advance or retard camshaft timing depending on engine speed, which results in a broader power band. The Composite Headgasket from

23749-515: The major U.S. manufacturers. The 1966 Comet received distinct outer body panels. The Comet Capri replaced the previous Comet 404 and the Comet Voyager four-door station wagon replaced the previous Comet 404 station wagon. The Voyager name had previously been used to designate a full-sized Mercury station wagon that was positioned between the base Commuter and the top-of-the-line Colony Park station wagon models. The Comet 202 four-door station wagon

23936-421: The mid-sized Ford Fairlane, Mercury Meteor, and later Mercury Comets. The base engine was the 170 cid inline-six with a single-barrel carburetor producing 100 hp (75 kW) at 4200 rpm. Optional engines were the 200 cid inline-six with a single-barrel carburetor producing 115 hp (86 kW) and a 302 cid V8 with a two-barrel carburetor producing 210 hp (160 kW). Transmissions were either

24123-481: The middle of rows of grapes. The second generation was a newly designed inline-six, produced from 1952 through 1964; it shared many parts with Ford Y-blocks such as the entire valve train and the problems associated with the Y-block's lubrication system. These engines have the exhaust and intake on the driver's side and the distributor on the passenger side. It is referred to as Mileage Maker or I-Block Mileage Maker (with

24310-413: The mission to justify the death of the dog...". On August 19, 1960, the dogs Belka and Strelka were sent into orbit aboard Sputnik 5 and safely returned. The Americans sent the chimpanzee Ham on a suborbital flight of the Mercury capsule on Mercury-Redstone 2 and recovered him safely on January 31, 1961. The chimpanzee Enos was launched on Mercury-Atlas 5 on November 29, 1961, into what

24497-499: The new crossflow engines had a performance gain of approximately ten per cent over their reverse-flow XB Falcon predecessors, which were rated at 95 horsepower (71 kW) and 111 horsepower (83 kW) respectively when tested to the same DIN method. With the introduction of the 1979 XD Falcon , changes to compression ratio, ignition advance and revisions to port design for improved gas flow saw modest increases to power and torque outputs. In June 1980, Ford Australia updated

24684-444: The new head, the 250-2V also featured a better-breathing exhaust manifold. Output was rated at 170 hp (127 kW), and road tests noted a reduction in 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) acceleration time from 14 to 10.7 seconds over a Falcon equipped with the standard single-barrel 250 cu in. engine. For years, the 250-2V cylinder head was very popular for racing and many have been imported to North America, where owners of cars with

24871-424: The nose cone in place concealing the spherical capsule. A tail section with eight fins was added in an apparent attempt to confuse western observers. This also appeared on official commemorative stamps and a documentary. The Soviets finally revealed the true appearance of their Vostok capsule at the April 1965 Moscow Economic Exhibition. On April 12, 1961, the USSR surprised the world by launching Yuri Gagarin into

25058-406: The older engines had separate manifolds); as a result, they could not be easily modified for greater power. This engine had four main bearings and can be identified by the three core plugs on the side of the block. This engine was used in: In 1961, the 170 cu in (2.8 L) became an option for the Falcon and Comet lines. The 170 Special Six was a stroked version of the 144, increasing

25245-477: The only choices. In 1992, in conjunction with a mid-life update of the EB Falcon , the cylinder bore was increased to 92.25 millimetres (3.632 in), increasing swept volume to 3,984 cubic centimetres (243 cu in). Dubbed 4.0 litre and now available only with multipoint fuel injection, the engine was rated at 148 kW (198 hp). During 1992, a high output variant of the 4.0 litre engine, featuring

25432-405: The only engine available was the 144 cid Thriftpower straight-six with a single-barrel Holley carburetor, which produced 90 hp (67 kW) at 4200 rpm. (Some sources list it as producing 85 hp (63 kW) at 4200 rpm.) Transmission options were a column-shifted three-speed manual and a two-speed Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission (unique to the Comet, despite sharing

25619-460: The optional 351 V8, with little or no change in economy. The 240 cu in (3.9 L) inline-six for 1965–1972 full-sized cars (continued to 1974 in fleet models) and 1965–1974 trucks and vans produced 150 hp (112 kW) (gross). In stationary service (generators and pumps) fueled by LPG or natural gas, this engine is known as the CSG-639. The 240 had a bore of 4 in (102 mm) and

25806-640: The original 1960 Falcon engine throughout its evolution. Initially, the 90 hp (67 kW) 144 and 101 hp (75 kW) 170 cu in 'Pursuit' engines were offered. The 121 hp (90 kW) 200 cu in 'Super Pursuit' engine option added in February 1964 with the introduction of the XM Falcon , at which time the 144 and 170 underwent changes to cylinder head, camshaft and exhaust design that increased their outputs to 96 hp (72 kW) and 111 hp (83 kW) respectively. In 1965, all three engines received

25993-484: The original Ford Falcon and Mercury Comet compacts, but were stretched with longer wheelbases. The previous-generation Comet shared its platform with the all-new Ford Mustang in 1964, and when the Comet graduated to the intermediate platform, the Mercury Cougar became the platform shared with the Mustang. The Comet wagon introduced a Dual-Action tailgate, able to both fold down or swing aside, an idea soon copied by all

26180-474: The previous 289 cid V8 midway in the 1968 model year. For the 1969 model year , the grille was modified and the headlight surrounds were removed. The taillights were also slightly restyled. Few changes to Mercury's mid-sized lineup were made for the 1969 model year, the last year that the Comet name graced a mid-sized model. A Comet four-door sedan for 1969 was supposedly planned, but never offered. New top-of-the-line Cyclone Spoiler and Cyclone CJ models joined

26367-446: The previous models was replaced with a Multi-Layer-Steel (MLS) gasket. Power outputs for the base model Falcon Forte, Fairmont, and the standard XR6 were unchanged from their EL series predecessors, but a new 172 kW (231 hp) XR6 VCT model was offered. The Fairmont Ghia, Fairlane and LTD models were also equipped with a 168 kW (225 hp) variant of the VCT engine. In 2002 ,

26554-607: The project. A-4s were assembled and studied and the experience derived from assembling and launching A4 rockets was directly applied to the Soviet copy, called the R-1 , with NII-88 chief designer Sergei Korolev overseeing the R-1's development., The R-1 entered into service in the Soviet Army on 28 November 1950. By the latter half of 1946, Korolev and rocket engineer Valentin Glushko had, with extensive input from German engineers, outlined

26741-429: The promise of even more power, through the installation of larger carburetors and a higher flowing exhaust system. Also during the late 1960s and early 1970s, the 300 was used in larger vehicles such as dump trucks, many weighing into the 15,000 lb (6,804 kg) to 20,000 lb (9,072 kg) range. These engines were equipped with a higher flow HD (Heavy Duty) exhaust manifold and forged crankshafts and rods, as

26928-430: The proposed US satellites, having a weight of 1,400 kilograms (3,100 lb), of which 300 kilograms (660 lb) would be composed of scientific instruments that would photograph the Earth, take readings on radiation levels, and check on the planet's magnetic field. However, things were not going along well with the design and manufacturing of the satellite, so in February 1957, Korolev sought and received permission from

27115-523: The public enthusiasm for space travel and raised government interest, both in the US and USSR. Soon after the end of World War II, the two former allies became engaged in a state of political conflict and military tension known as the Cold War (1947–1991), which polarized Europe between the Soviet Union's satellite states (often referred to as the Eastern Bloc ) and the states of the Western world allied with

27302-735: The related Ford Thunderbolt . To avoid competing with each other, the Thunderbolts ran in Super Stock on 7 in (180 mm) tires, but the Cyclones were modified to run in A/FX on 10 in (250 mm) tires, where they were as dominant as the Thunderbolts were in Super Stock. Drivers included Ronnie Sox , Don Nicholson , and Wild Bill Shrewsberry in conjunction with Jack Chrisman . Shrewsberry still owns his original 427 Comet in Caliente trim. For 1965,

27489-476: The size or shape of their rockets or cabins or most of their spaceships, except for the first Sputniks, lunar probes, and Venus probe. The Soviet military maintained control over the space program; Korolev's OKB-1 design bureau was subordinated under the Ministry of General Machine Building , tasked with the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles, and continued to give its assets random identifiers into

27676-697: The stage was set for nationalistic competition. On July 29, 1955, James C. Hagerty , President Dwight D. Eisenhower 's press secretary, announced that the United States intended to launch "small Earth circling satellites" between July 1, 1957, and December 31, 1958, as part of the US contribution to the International Geophysical Year (IGY). On August 2, at the Sixth Congress of the International Astronautical Federation in Copenhagen, scientist Leonid I. Sedov told international reporters at

27863-411: The stakes on May 25, 1961, by asking the US Congress to commit to the goal of "landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth" before the end of the decade. Both countries began developing super heavy-lift launch vehicles , with the US successfully deploying the Saturn V , which was large enough to send a three-person orbiter and two-person lander to the Moon. Kennedy's Moon landing goal

28050-407: The stroke from 2.5 to 2.94 in (63.5 to 74.7 mm). The original 1965 Ford Mustang used a 101 hp (75 kW) version from March (production start) through July 1964. The Econoline van and Ford Bronco received a heavier-duty version with mechanical valve lifters . This engine had four main bearings and can be identified by the three core plugs on the side of the block. The 170 Special

28237-475: The symbolism and ideology of the time. The Space Race brought pioneering launches of artificial satellites , robotic space probes to the Moon , Venus , and Mars , and human spaceflight in low Earth orbit and ultimately to the Moon. Public interest in space travel originated in the 1951 publication of a Soviet youth magazine and was promptly picked up by US magazines. The competition began on July 30, 1955, when

28424-506: The technology to return Laika safely to Earth, and the government reported Laika died when the oxygen ran out, but in October 2002 her true cause of death was reported as stress and overheating on the fourth orbit due to failure of the air conditioning system. At a Moscow press conference in 1998 Oleg Gazenko , a senior Soviet scientist involved in the project, stated "The more time passes, the more I'm sorry about it. We did not learn enough from

28611-478: The test equipment and radio gear that was present in the previous launches. It arrived at the Soviet missile base Tyura-Tam in September and was prepared for its mission at launch site number one . The first launch took place on Friday, October 4, 1957, at exactly 10:28:34 pm Moscow time, with the R-7 and the now named Sputnik 1 satellite lifting off the launch pad and placing the artificial "moon" into an orbit

28798-475: The time of the NACA. It consisted of a conical capsule with a cylindrical pack of three solid-fuel retro-rockets strapped over a beryllium or fiberglass heat shield on the blunt end. Base diameter at the blunt end was 6.0 feet (1.8 m) and length was 10.8 feet (3.3 m); with the launch escape system added, the overall length was 25.9 feet (7.9 m). With 100 cubic feet (2.8 m ) of habitable volume,

28985-471: The trucks and 120 hp (89 kW) in the 1954 Ford cars. Power was up to 137 hp (102 kW) in the 1956 trucks. While not the popular engine option, the 223 was the only inline-six offered in the Fairlane (until 1961), Galaxie , and F-Series trucks between 1955 and 1964, causing it to be not quite a rarity, but not easy to come across. The 223 was also used in 1963–1964 Ford trucks, which also used

29172-435: The two craft a controlled distance apart. Vostok 4 also set a record of nearly four days in space. The first woman, Valentina Tereshkova , was launched into space on Vostok 6 on June 16, 1963, as (possibly) a medical experiment. She was the only one to fly of a small group of female parachutist factory workers (unlike the male cosmonauts who were military test pilots), chosen by the head of cosmonaut training because he read

29359-505: The ute and panel van variants of the XF Falcon for which it was the only engine offered. In 1988 , the inline six engines underwent a major redesign for the EA26 Falcon and now featured a new single overhead cam (SOHC) crossflow aluminium head. Two engine sizes were offered, based on a common 91.86 mm (3.617 in) cylinder bore. The smaller engine, dubbed 3.2 litre, featured

29546-445: The warhead's mass was increased to 5.5 to 6 tons to accommodate the then planned theromonuclear bomb . The R-7 was designed in a two-stage configuration, with four boosters that would jettison when empty. On the 21 August 1957 the R-7 flew 6,000 km (3,700 mi), and became the worlds's first intercontinental ballistic missile. Two months later the R-7 launched Sputnik 1 , the first artificial satellite, into orbit, and became

29733-428: Was a monumental failure, exploding a few seconds after launch, and it became an international joke. The satellite appeared in newspapers under the names Flopnik, Stayputnik, Kaputnik, and Dudnik. In the United Nations, the Soviet delegate offered the US representative aid "under the Soviet program of technical assistance to backwards nations." Only in the wake of this very public failure did von Braun's Redstone team get

29920-420: Was a performance model of the Comet, built from 1964–1971 and mirroring the Comet's changes. The 1971 model year was the Cyclone's last, as the muscle car wars wound down, and it was absorbed into the Mercury Montego line. Space Race The Space Race (Russian: Космическая гонка [kɐsˈmʲitɕɪskəjə ˈɡonkə] ) was a 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the United States and

30107-457: Was a popular option for the US Mustang and the European Capri Mk II, and as a result, the Cologne engine plant could not meet the demand for engines for both continents. As a result, the Cologne 2.8 L V6 was dropped from the Mustang's engine lineup in the middle of the 1979 production year and replaced with the 200 Falcon inline-six, which was then referred to as the 3.3 L engine. The engine and front suspension K-member were transferred from

30294-477: Was a popular option. Changes for 1974 included even larger front bumpers and new larger rear bumpers to match due to new federal mandates for safety. They added 2.5 in (64 mm) to the length of the two-door model and 4 in (100 mm) to the length of the four-door model. Ford had originally planned to the replace the Comet and its Ford Maverick counterpart for the 1975 model year with updated and extensively redesigned models that would continue to use

30481-442: Was a satellite mission that failed, expedited plans to get his own satellite in orbit. Since the R-7 was substantially more powerful than any of the US launch vehicles , he made sure to take full advantage of this capability by designing Object D as his primary satellite. It was given the designation 'D', to distinguish it from other R-7 payload designations 'A', 'B', 'V', and 'G' which were nuclear weapon payloads. Object D dwarfed

30668-410: Was able to transmit detailed photography of the surface from orbit. Luna 10, 12, and Luna 14 conducted Gamma ray spectrometry of the Moon, among other tests. The Zond programme was orchestrated alongside the Luna programme with Zond 1 and Zond 2 launching in 1964, intended as flyby missions, however both failed. Zond 3 however was successful, and transmitted high quality photography from

30855-473: Was achieved in July 1969, with the flight of Apollo 11 . The conclusion of Apollo 11 is regarded by most as ending the Space Race with an American victory. This view is contested by some historians, whilst space historian Asif A. Siddiqi proposed a more balanced view. The USSR continued to pursue crewed lunar programs to launch and land on the Moon before the US with its N1 rocket but did not succeed, and eventually canceled it to concentrate on Salyut ,

31042-430: Was available at the beginning of the production run, with the new 289 being available mid-year. Due to the success of the full-sized Ford and Mercury "fastback" roofline introduced in mid-1963, the Falcon and Comet two-door hardtops got a similar roofline with sharper corners. For 1964, Ford produced about 50 ultra-high performance, lightweight Comet Cyclones, equipped with their racing two-carburetor 427 engine, similar to

31229-432: Was carried out in the 1930s by the Group for the Study of Reactive Motion (GIRD), where Soviet rocket pioneers Sergey Korolev , Friedrich Zander , Mikhail Tikhonravov and Leonid Dushkin launched GIRD-X , the first Soviet liquid-fueled rocket in 1933. In 1933 the two design bureaus were combined into the Reactive Scientific Research Institute and produced the RP-318, the USSR's first rocket-powered aircraft and

31416-476: Was developed to prevent rust on the Atlas rockets so that rust protecting paint could be avoided, in order to further reduce weight. A later variant of the Atlas, the Atlas-D , served as a nuclear ICBM and as the orbital launch vehicle for Project Mercury and the remote-controlled Agena Target Vehicle used in Project Gemini . In 1955, with both the United States and the Soviet Union building ballistic missiles that could be used to launch objects into space,

31603-418: Was discontinued. The new top-of-the-line series was the Comet Cyclone GT . New engines available in the Comet for 1966 included a 390 cid V8 engine with a two-barrel carburetor producing 265 hp (198 kW) at 4400 rpm, a 390 cid V8 engine with a four-barrel carburetor producing 275 hp (205 kW), and 390 cid V8 engine that produced 335 hp (250 kW). The 335 hp 390 cid V8 engine

31790-412: Was dropped from production in 1972. As used in the Argentinian-made Ford Falcon from 1962 until 1970, this engine produced 96 hp (72 kW) at 4400 rpm. From 1965 to 1969, Ford Argentina produced a specific 186.7 cu in (3.1 L; 3,060 cc) block similar to the earlier 200 cu in (3.3 L), with four main bearings and a 3.126 in (79.4 mm) stroke) but with

31977-425: Was first aroused in October 1951 when the Soviet rocketry engineer Mikhail Tikhonravov published "Flight to the Moon" in the newspaper Pionerskaya pravda for young readers. He described a two-person interplanetary spaceship of the future and the industrial and technological processes required to create it. He ended the short article with a clear forecast of the future: "We do not have long to wait. We can assume that

32164-423: Was held in position using valve spring pressure, with hydraulic lash adjusters mounted on the rocker arms were used to provide zero valve lash. By late 1988, the 90 kW (121 hp) 3.2 litre engine was no longer competitive against the 125 kW (168 hp) base engine option offered in the newly-released Holden Commodore and was discontinued by the end of that year, leaving the two 3.9 litre engines as

32351-407: Was in 1921 when the Soviet military sanctioned the Gas Dynamics Laboratory , a small research laboratory to explore solid-fuel rockets, led by Nikolai Tikhomirov , who had begun studying solid and liquid-fueled rockets in 1894, and obtained a patent in 1915 for "self-propelled aerial and water-surface mines. The first test-firing of a solid fuel rocket was carried out in 1928. Further development

32538-402: Was known as the Cyclone , replacing the previous S-22. Then in descending order of trim levels were the Caliente , 404 , and 202 , replacing the previous Custom and base models. The two-door station wagon bodystyle was discontinued. The top-of-the-line station wagon continued to be known as the Villager . The 144 inline-six engine was dropped, leaving the 170 as the base engine. The 260 V8

32725-590: Was launched with the intention of orbiting the Moon only to result in a partial mission success when it reached an apogee of 113,800 km before falling back to Earth. The missions of Pioneer 2 and Pioneer 3 failed whereas Pioneer 4 had one partially successful lunar flyby in March 1959. The Ranger program was started in 1959 by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory . The Block I Ranger 1 and Ranger 2 suffered Atlas-Agena launch failures in August and November 1961. The 727-pound (330 kg) Block II Ranger 3 launched successfully on January 26, 1962, but missed

32912-399: Was launched. However, the public release is illuminating in what it does reveal: "there is an abundance of arcane scientific and technical data... as if to overwhelm the reader with mathematics in the absence of even a picture of the object". The Soviet space program's use of secrecy served as both a tool to prevent the leaking of classified information between countries, and also to create

33099-426: Was not allowed to put a satellite into orbit with their Jupiter-C rocket, because of its intended use as a future military vehicle. On September 20, 1956, von Braun and his team did launch a Jupiter-C that was capable of putting a satellite into orbit, but the launch was used only as a suborbital test of reentry vehicle technology. Korolev received word about von Braun's 1956 Jupiter-C test and, mistakenly thinking it

33286-401: Was offered in 1969 in the Mustang, and 1970 in compact Ford cars (Maverick). The 250 was a stroked 200, made by increasing the stroke from 3.126 to 3.91 in (79.4 to 99.3 mm). Output was 155 hp (116 kW) in the Mustang, and the 250 became the base engine in 1971. The Ford Granada and Mercury Monarch offered the 250 inline-six for the 1975–1980 model years, when it was replaced by

33473-427: Was on its way to completing its first orbit. About 95 minutes after launch, the satellite flew over its launch site, and its radio signals were picked up by the engineers and military personnel at Tyura-Tam: that's when Korolev and his team celebrated the first successful artificial satellite placed into Earth-orbit. At the latest, the successful start of Sputnik 2 with its weight of more than 500 kg proved that

33660-431: Was produced at the Lima Engine plant in Lima, Ohio , from 1960 through 1984. Officially dubbed the Thriftpower Six , this engine line is sometimes referred to as the Falcon Six . The 144 cu in (2.4 L) inline-six engine was first introduced in the 1960 Ford Falcon . The 144 was made from 1960 through 1964 and averaged 90 hp (67 kW) during the production run. While not known for being powerful or

33847-418: Was released. Available only on the two-door sedan, it was billed as a "sport" package, although it shared the same mechanicals as regular Comets, with the only changes being S-22 badging, bucket seats, and a center console . Comet was officially made a Mercury model for the 1962 model year, and it received some minor restyling, mainly a redesign of the trunk and taillight area to bring the car more in line with

34034-415: Was renowned for its durability, low-end torque, and ease of service, it was gradually phased out. Production ended in 1996, making it the last inline-six gasoline engine offered in a Ford car or light truck in North America. It was replaced by the 4.2 L Essex V6 for 1997 in the redesigned F-150, as well as the E-150 and E-250. The 300 was mated to the Ford C6, E4OD, and AOD automatic transmissions, and

34221-513: Was standard on the Cyclone GT and optional on other models. The Cyclone GT when equipped with an automatic transmission was referred to as the Cyclone GTA . A Cyclone GT convertible was the pace car for the 1966 Indianapolis 500 . Beginning with the 1967 model year, the Comet name was used only on the base Comet 202 model, available only in two- or four-door sedan body styles. Other models were now referred to by what had previously been their subseries names. Mercury's mid-sized line-up ranged from

34408-405: Was supposed to be a three-orbit flight. However, the mission was aborted after two orbits due to capsule overheating, and a malfunctioning "avoidance conditioning" test subjecting him to 76 electrical shocks. The Soviets designed their first human space capsule using the same spacecraft bus as their Zenit spy satellite , forcing them to keep the details and true appearance secret until after

34595-469: Was the Comet (Mercury dropped the 202 suffix) available only as a two-door coupe. The Capri was replaced by the Montego , and the Caliente by the Montego MX . Also, the more luxurious Montego MX Brougham was basically an option package for the Montego MX. Top-of-the-line, mid-sized models continued to use the Cyclone and Cyclone GT names. A 302 cid V8 engine using a two-barrel carburetor and generating 210 hp (160 kW) at 4600 rpm would replace

34782-418: Was the only one of the three major allied World War II powers to not have its own rocket program, until Von Braun and his engineers were expatriated from Nazi Germany in 1945. The US acquired a large number of V-2 rockets and recruited von Braun and most of his engineering team in Operation Paperclip . The team was sent to the Army's White Sands Proving Ground in New Mexico, in 1945. They set about assembling

34969-423: Was worried that a satellite passing above a nation at over 100 kilometers (62 mi) might be seen as violating that nation's airspace. He was concerned that the Soviet Union would accuse the Americans of an illegal overflight, thereby scoring a propaganda victory at his expense. Eisenhower and his advisors were of the opinion that a nation's airspace sovereignty did not extend past the Kármán line , and they used

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