Sputnik's Effect On The Space Race

After the Second World War, the United States and the Soviet Union became embroiled in what is now known as the Cold War, this was both an international competition between two countries, and an ideological confrontation between capitalism and communism. This led to direct and indirect competition on many fronts, such as proxy wars and police actions, the Olympics, the Nuclear Arms Race, and the Space Race. (Citation).

The news came as an ugly surprise to the Americans, who were not expecting the Soviets to beat them to space, but the United States responded quickly with a project of their own. Less than a year after Sputnik’s launch into space the US launched their own satellite, Explorer 1 into the atmosphere. Later that year, on the 29th of July, president Eisenhower signed off on the creation of National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA. For the years following the launch of Explorer 1 the Soviets and Americans would send many satellites and probes into space, each more impressive than the last. On May 25th, 1962, President John F. Kennedy addressed congress, attempting to boost the funding for NASA.

This began as the United States secretly built atomic bombs. Initially, the United States believed that they were the only country with nuclear weapons. Because of this, United States President Harry Truman told secrets about the nuclear weapons to all it’s World War II allies, except Russia. According to the New York Times article “The Rosenberg Trial” by Sam Roberts, in 1949 a United States spy plane cruiser flying off Siberia detected abnormally high levels of radioactivity. This showed that the Soviets were now a part of the nuclear arms race. Later that month, it was found out that Soviets had infiltrated the secret American atomic bomb program. Both countries proceeded to build up their supply of nuclear weapons to intimidate the other. This escalated into the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. The New York Times article “The Cuban Missile Crisis” by Anthony DePalma states that this clash began when it was found out that Soviet leader, Nikita Kruschev, was secretly shipping nuclear missiles into communist Cuba and pointing them at American cities. This was done in retaliation to the missiles that the United States had stationed in Turkey, which were pointed at Soviet cities. This feud almost led to physical combat in the war. However, both President Kennedy and Kruschev were able to avoid physical fighting. The nuclear arms race led to increased hostility between the two superpowers, which led to the cycle of the two countries trying to provoke fear in the other, which was based upon fear that the other had instilled in

In September of 1957, the Soviet Union began testing intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBM’s, due to the Cold War and to show their technological advances leasing to the Space Race. The United States knew that the Soviets had the capability of building these missiles, but didn’t think they actually could (Barbree). Then on October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first man-made satellite known by the name of Sputnik, and sent the United States into a frenzy. Sputnik impacted the United States socially, politically, and economically.

During the Cold War, the political tension between the United States and the Soviet Union extended to a race of space exploration between the two countries. The Space Race began after the launch of Sputnik I in 1957, sending the United States in a state of panic. Americans felt threatened by the Soviet Union’s technological advancements and they feared that if they lost their status as the world’s dominate military power it would open them up to attacks from space. Almost everyone agreed that space exploration needed to be made a priority, but after failed attempts to launch their satellite, questions arose to whether or not space exploration deserved more federal attention. After much debate over the control of space research, the Department

After WWII, the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies engaged in a series of political, economic, military and technological competitions collectively known as the Cold War, which ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. One product of the Cold War, in particular, is of unique interest: the Space Race. Initially, the Space Race seemed to be extensions of U.S. and Soviet military programs; it then transformed into a technological and political competition between the two aforementioned countries; eventually, the Space Race transcended the concept of competition, and became an international effort of space exploration, and especially, a means for the U.S. and USSR to make amends to their broken relationships.

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.

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."- Neil Armstrong. On October 4, 1957, 7:28 PM life changed in the United States and Russia because of the launch of sputnik the first man-made object to orbit the earth. The space race wasn't just a race to space, but a Continuum of the Cold War and a competition to see who the better country was really was. The US always felt that their technology exceeded everyone else’s, but on the day of October 4, they were proven wrong; the Soviets were on top. The launch of Sputnik was a huge success, but Dwight Eisenhower would try to downplay it to avoid accepting defeat. The United States would put 400,000 people to work on the project. This is the first time the US had embarked on such on

The Soviets began quickly on creating new technology as a way to show their military power. On October 4, 1957 they successfully launched a satellite called Sputnik Ⅰ, it was about the size of a beach ball, and became the first satellite to orbit the earth. Soon after Sputnik Ⅰ, Sputnik Ⅱ was launched in November 3, 1957, this is considered the first time life from earth went into space because in that shuttle a dog named Laika boarded. After two successful launches from the Soviets United States became a little frightened, they came to the conclusion that if the Soviet Union had the ability to launch a satellite they could also launch a nuclear missile. Since this era was during the Cold War the thought of the Soviets having greater military power frightened the United States. As a result in January 1958 the United states decided to launch their first satellite called Explorer Ⅰ. Explorer Ⅰ carried scientific equipment that then led to that discovery of the Van Allen radiation belt, but this launch was not enough. After many more satellites being sent to space and the Soviets setting many records such as the first dual man flight, the first space walk, and the first women in space, the United States decided that they needed to go above and beyond just sending a satellite to space to be able to prove that they were

During 1947 and 1991 the United States and the USSR were at war with each other, not really a bloodshed fight but more of political arguments, nuclear threat, and seeing which country was more advanced than the other. This is why the war was dubbed the “Cold War” cause there really wasn’t any fighting but more to see who could gain more international prestige. On October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union launched a satellite gaining a huge lead in what was known as the “Space Race”. The Space Race was between the Soviets and America basically seeing who had the better technology and reach the stars before the other could, but the satellite the Soviets launched was named Sputnik 1. Sputnik is the world’s first artificial satellite to be launched into

The Sputnik satellite traveling through Earth’s lower orbit shocked America that October day in 1957. Many reactions ranged from anxious and hysteric to indifferent or even unsatisfied about the situation as a whole, but the event did raise valid questions. The general consensus became why did the Soviet Union launch a satellite into orbit before the United States? Many believed the U.S. was the dominant superpower in the technology arena but were caught off guard when the Soviet Union beat the U.S. to the chase. Americans questioned the intentions and potential uses of satellites and what this new technology could bring for the future.

The space race occurred right after the Cold war. The Cold War was between two of the most powerful nations, The United States and the USSR. Both nations competed in a universal endeavor countering a democratic society against communism. “Space was a crucial arena for this rivalry” (The Space Race). Both the United States and the USSR [Soviet Union] desired to manifest its preeminence through impressive exploits in rocketry and spaceflight. It wasn’t until the end of the Cold War that US and Russia came together to build a space station. This station was called the International Space Station.

During the 1950’s and 60’s the US was involved in the cold war a cultural conflict between the Soviet union and other communists nations. In October 1957 Soviet union launched Sputnik 1 first artificial satellite to orbit the earth. Meaning that marked the beginning of a space race meaning an informal competition between the superpowers to see

Five, Four, Three, Two, One, We have lift off of the Sputnik I, on January 4, 1958 the Soviet Union launched a program called Sputnik. Sputnik launched the start of the space age. The launch intimidated other countries especially the U.S. because of the rising tensions with the cold war and they wanted to be smarter, make more advancements, and discoveries; they also realised that if they could launch a satellite they could definitely launch an atomic bomb.

To begin with, the Space Race began all because of the Soviet Union and they kept pushing on to create and carry out with their objectives, meanwhile the United States was doing nothing. In an article, “United States-Soviet Cooperation during the Cold War” nasa.gov. Erika Vick, May 28, 2008. Web. , it says, “History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I.” In the late 1950’s they launched Sputnik I, which created the Space Race and it continued into the 1960’s, where the Soviet Union and the United States tried beating each other. If the Soviet Union started it, they should earn a little credit for giving the space science a tremendous advancement. For example, in an article by Global Security website, it says, “When communists were pressing for joint action in 1963, what it had meant was Soviet commitment to the policy of