The entire Presidium of the Soviet Communist Party visits Korolev at his NII-88 compound. There, Korolev demonstrates the new R-7 rocket (which will remain in use well into the 21st century), capable of delivering a thermonuclear warhead to American targets in less than half an hour. Khrushchev is so enthusiastic that he soon drastically cuts the Red Army’s strength and provides enormous funding for Korolev’s missile program. This will lay the foundation for the Soviet space successes of the next half century, for the evolution of the arms race in the second half of the Cold War, and will also create dissent among Soviet military leaders, which will ultimately lead to Khrushchev’s dismissal.
