Cold War: The Space Race

Two of the sources that were used to support the investigation are an extract of a transcript of Presidential Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House with a topic “Supplemental appropriations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)” and the "Address at Rice University on the Nation's Space Effort", better known as the "We choose to go to the moon" speech, delivered by U.S. President John F. Kennedy. The assessment of both sources in terms of their origins, purposes, values and limitations is provided as the investigation progresses.

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

Russia launched Sputnik, a satellite to orbit the earth, into outer space on October 4th, 1957. With tensions already running high in the Cold War, Americans panicked at the thought of the Russians building space and nuclear energy, fearing it could be used on them. The conflict now called the Space Race resulted in Americans creating NASA and pushing the sciences in school.

This investigation will explore the question: How did the Space Race impact the Cold War? The years 1957 to 1969 will be the focus of the investigation, to analyze the Space Race during the Cold War, as well as how the USSR and NASA both reacted to it.

on May 25, 1961, he stood before congress to deliver a special message on “urgent national needs.” He asked for an additional $7 billion dollar to $9 billion dollar over the next five years for the space program, proclaiming that “this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.” President Kennedy settled upon this dramatic goal as a means of focusing and mobilizing the nation’s lagging space efforts. Skeptics questioned the ability of the NASA to meet the President’s timetable. Within a year, however, Alan Shepard Gus Grissom became the first two Americans to travel into

On May 25, 1961 President John F. Kennedy paved the way for the world’s first lunar landing when he announced the US’s ambitious goal to place an American on the moon before the end of the decade. This historic announcement was fueled by desires to beat the Soviet Union, and show the United State’s dominance, the need for a uniting cause among the American people, and a desire to lead the world in the scientific field.

Nasa was found in 1957 of July 29. The United States and Russia were in the midst of the Cold War after World War II. The exchange of ideas of space exploration occurred coining the space race. President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved scientific studies of the International Geophysical Year (July 1st, 1957- December 31st, 1958) of the earth. The Soviet Union heard of this and quickly geared up their own studies. The Naval Research Lab produced the Vanguard Project to help the International Geophysical Year. It was chosen to support

This was it, America's chance to win the space race. The Apollo Lunar Program was then formed. On December 21, 1968 Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders began the first manned journey from the earth to the moon on the Apollo 8. They orbited the moon and returned safely. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11's lunar module landed on the moon. Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, and said the iconic words "that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" and placed the American flag on the moon. The Soviet union canceled their lunar program, and the space race was over.

For my research paper I chose to do the impact that the Space Race had on the Cold War. I am choosing to do this topic because the Cold War is a huge part of this world’s history. This period of time has had a lot of impact on how we live today. In my paper I want to answer question of what the Space Race was and how it impacted the Cold War and also our World today. I also want to learn more about the lasting impacts it has had on the world.

Space has always been an unknown to the humanity, and therefore humanity has in insatiable desire to know as much as possible about the area beyond the Earth's atmosphere. Exploring space can lead to many new and exciting discoveries such as (see hubble, planets, kepler, moon rocks etc). When the United States first entered the realm of space in the [1960s], NASA had much funding. However, the motivation of this funding was not for science – it was political, as the government was determined to beat Russia in the Cold War Space Race. Today, as there is no political motivator as great as the Cold War, NASA is faced with a lack of funding and must make hard decisions. They must decide between the adventure and excitement of sending manned missions

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

In 1961, the United States of America was embroiled in the Cold War with the Soviet Union. This confrontation was taking place not only on land, sea and air, but in space as well. On May 25th, 1961 recently elected US President John F. Kennedy addressed a joint session of Congress, during which he outlined his now famous Man on the Moon challenge. It was through this ambitious dream that the creation of the National Aeronautical Space Administration (NASA) came about, which President Kennedy challenged to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Although he didn't live to see the achievement of his dreams, the United States successfully landed Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin on the moon on July 20, 1969 and

The Space Race was a series of events and technological advancements relating to space exploration and travel, made by the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War Era to prove their superiority over the other. The period in history that the Space Race falls in is from 1957 to 1975, right in the middle of the Cold War, which lasted over 40 years. During a time of fears of nuclear war, the spread of communism, and being blown up without a moment’s notice, the Space Race gave the entire world something to ogle about that didn’t directly involve complete world destruction and domination.

JFK's call for human exploration of the moon turned NASA’s spaceflight efforts toward the goal of a lunar landing. What many thought as an impossible goal was achieved eight years later on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon’s surface.

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project...will be more exciting, or more impressive to mankind, or more important...and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish” -John F. Kennedy, May 25, 1961