Cold War: The Space Race

The American and Soviet Union space programs were in a race to space during the cold war. This space race reflected many political, social, and economic aspects of the cold war. The fact that both countries were in the middle of a cold war didn’t help.

In addition to initiating a space race between the two current superpowers, the Sputnik spacecraft launch also had alarming military implications. The Sputnik satellites used intercontinental ballistic missiles that were initially used for their thrust capabilities but could theatrically be capable of flying from the Soviet Union to United States military targets in less than an hour—cutting the flight time to a fraction of a conventional bomber aircraft. In response to the launch of Sputnik, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958. The act created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) . To prevent the rise of Soviet dominance in military matters, Eisenhower also established the Advanced Research Projects Agency, a division of the U.S. Department of Defense. This was symbolic of a serious revelation of the standing of the scientific and technological capabilities of America in comparison to other countries, and also led to President Eisenhower issuing a proclamation to increase funding for education in America in science and engineering to combat this widening deficit. The quick Soviet lead in the newly emerging space race caused much panic, which shaped American foreign policy for the following decade(Document E). An example is avoiding “an all-out war with China” for fear of having to combat communism on two fronts.(Document

As a consequence of the tensions between the superpowers, "NASA's birth was directly related to the pressures of national defense." (Garber and Launius, 2005). The launch of the Soviet spacecraft created an idea in the United States that the Soviets were far more technologically advanced. To counter this thinking, the US government created NASA and it marked the beginning of the space race. The reasons for the formation of NASA listed in the National Aeronautics and Space Act differ from the primary reason listed above. In the bill, it states the space program will contribute to the following objectives: "The expansion of human knowledge of phenomena in the atmosphere and space; The improvement of the usefulness, performance, speed, safety, and efficiency of aeronautical and space vehicles; The development and operation of vehicles capable of carrying instruments, equipment, supplies and living organisms through space; The establishment of long-range studies of the potential benefits to be gained from, the opportunities for, and the problems involved in the utilization of aeronautical and space activities for peaceful and scientific purposes." (National Aeronautics and Space Act, 1958). Though these reasons differed from the primary force behind the creation of the agency, all were factors to decide upon its formation.

The period after World War Two, known as the Cold War, was a period of brinkmanship between the world superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States. This conflict was fought across the world as these two powers tried to advance their ideologies while blocking the others through military battles and by social prestige. Among the arms race between these powers, a technological battle unfolded, called the Space Race. This race sent humans into space as the two sides took huge risks to outperform the other, giving humanity some of its greatest achievements. This paper will look at the events and outcome surrounding the space race and answer three main questions. First, what led up the Space Race and the Soviet Union’s early victories? Second, how did the United States respond? Fourth, how did the Space Race affect the Cold War? Fourth, what made the United States Space Program more successful compared to the Soviet Union’s?

Starting after World War ll, both America and the Soviet Union had an unfortunate assumption that the other was trying to take over the world and spread their governmental policies, Democracy and Communism. This lead to hate and fear, and the overall goal of destroying those ideals. Both sides thought that their political systems were superior and tried to expand their reach on the world, steering themselves down a road paved with bitter rivalries and childish contests. One such contest, and probably the most famous, being the Space Race. Both sides were reaching out towards the unknown, but Americans believed they were far more ahead than the Russians so when the Soviet Union launched the world’s first satellite, “Sputnik-1” On October 4, 1957, they were awed, scared, and offended.The Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik created a new era in American society and influenced many pivotal aspects of daily life, including the government, education, culture, and thought process.

I argue one of the most significant outcomes of post WWII era was the Space Race during the 1950’s of The Cold War. The outcome of the Space Race saw advancements in technology that allowed humans to reach the outer depths of the universe. This is a major contribution to the 21st century; however, I assert that one of the most fundamental and perhaps ignored redefining impact of the Space Race was that it improved the educational system and put more emphasis on learning and research in all disciplines.

During the Cold War, the United States and Russia had a severe space race between one another. Every time one country would be a step ahead of the other, and somehow one of the countries would catch up to the more advanced country at the time. During the early years of the space race, success was measured by what nation did what first: To the alarm of the United States, each of the early adventures were achieved by the Soviet Union. And all of those events triggered the United States to drive and catch up with to surpass the Soviet Union. This sort of see-saw method happen throughout the space race. Throughout this paper, there will be a discussion on the space race between the United Stated and

“A direct result of the Sputnik crisis, NASA began operations on October 1, 1958, absorbing into itself the earlier National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics intact: its 8,000 employees, an annual budget of $100 million, three major research laboratories-Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, and Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory-and two smaller test facilities.”(Steve Ganer) This was because the start of the space race, although it had sent fear through so many, many more people had gotten jobs because of this. Although both Russia and the US had created new technologies, along with gaining new skills, there was only one winner of this Space Race. The winner was the ones who put in so much effort to keep their citizens safe, which was the US.

During the Cold War, political and military tension ensued between the United States and the Soviet Union. The rivalry lead to proxy wars, massive propaganda, and events like the Space Race. The Space Race, lasting from 1955 to 1972, was a technological competition between the United States and the Soviet Union for spaceflight discovery and capability. Both countries strived to construct spacecraft to execute a certain task, from a weather satellite to sending animals into space. Although frequently viewed as a leap in science and technology, the Space Race was a useless and selfish attempt for the United States or the Soviet Union to help prove themselves the most dominant technological superpower because of the high expenses and minimal benefits

The space race was a race to see who could make it to space first. It began in nineteen fifty-seven and it was a Cold War competition between America and the Soviet Union that developed aerospace capabilities. The race into space changed the course of history and captivated the world in various ways.

During the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union endeavored to demonstrate their power. The space race served as an opportunity for the two nations to showcase their scientific and technological capabilities. Amidst propaganda, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. competed for superiority in space as they constantly tried to top each other.

Since the launch of Sputnik 1, Russia and America continually compete against one another in the exploration of space. The idea of exploring a new frontier intrigued the citizens of both countries. The race to achieve the first successful launch into space created the institution of two independent space programs, the Soviet Space Program and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Since their origins, the agencies contrasted in mission procedures, construction, and view of space’s applications. Though the two programs ultimately amalgamated to further exploration and elevate productivity, Russia proves the victor as it dominates the gateway to space. The current application for Russia occurs with the retirement of the

The powerful impact of President Kennedy's speech at Rice Stadium on the controversial decision to direct money of the United States towards building a preeminent space program lies in the eloquence and universality with which he weaves his appeal. Through analogies as well as acknowledging and addressing the concerns of those dubious towards the idea of space exploration, Kennedy crafts a persuasive argument, solidified by references to prior explorations and details of economic incentives.

The October 1957 launch of Sputnik alarmed the nation and the western world. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was founded the following year in July 1958 by congressional mandate (National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, 1958/2012). A belief romanticized by pop culture and the media, is that NASA was formed solely to compete with the Soviet Union. NASA was a cold war response in a time when any amount of money would be spent to remain dominate in an escalating cold war with Moscow. While this is true to some extent, a more objective analysis shows NASAs foundation also resulted from a need to coordinate U.S. research interests, eliminate redundancies, and effectively share information in

The Space Race was a war of firsts between the United States of America and the Union Soviet Socialist Republics. But it was also the culmination of the dreams of man for many millennia and the team who worked on the space programs were able to discover what so many of the people that came before and after them could only dream of. It was an endeavor that all of humanity was invested in at the time. It was a testament to the power of the human spirit and it showed how nothing was impossible if we persevered and strived to be better.