SPACE: THE UNCLAIMED FRONTIER

1038 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Arms race and space race cold war

The Cold War, a time of political opposition, was the key cause that generated the race to space. For years the US and the USSR competed to be number one in rocketry and spaceflight. Although they battled mainly for land, space became a precarious area to dominate. It was serious to get ahead, and in October of 1957, Russia launched Sputnik 1 into space. To America, it was a time of fear. The Space Race had started and Russia was in the lead. Immediately, America began to launch missiles and fire rockets, not only to catch up, but to stay in the lead. When Russia launched its sensational satellite, the Cold War was basically at its peak. The US and the USSR were undoubtedly the most powerful countries after World War II. Their influence and superiority to be the best world leader dominated many countries. However, there was one vast slice of territory unclaimed, space.

With Russia in the lead, America needed a victory. In the first phase of the Space Race, they focused on rocket system development. Ironically, the enemy of the United States in WW II (the Germans) was their key source in rocket development. During WWII, the pioneers of science were actually Germans. Wernher von Braun, a member of the Nazi Party, was the cause of many deaths-a credit to Hitler. He designed numerous explosive-tipped rockets, known as the V-2. These incredible rockets could travel at the speed of sound and hit their targets three minutes after they were launched. While von Braun’s invention was the cause of many civilian deaths, the US and USSR required his help immediately. But only one country got the benefit-the Americans. They pursued von Braun and his assistants, and when found, were shipped to the US in a job called Operation Paperclip. Accord...

... middle of paper ...

...e Moon Landing through Soviet Eyes: A Q&A with Sergei Khrushchev, son of former premier Nikita Khrushchev.” Scientific American Web Site. Scientific American, a Division of Nature America, Inc. July 2009. Web. 12 March 2014. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/apollo-moon-khrushchev/

Lambert, Tim. “A Brief History of Space Exploration.” Local Histories Web Site. History Department Marquette University. 2013. Web. 17 March 2014.

Schwab, Allison. “To Infinity and Beyond: The Space Race” Academic.mu.edu Web Site. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). October 2013. Web. 11 March 2014.

Tikhonravov, Mikhail Klavdievich. “The Space Race.” Russian Space Web, Web Site. October 2012. Web. 9 March 2014. < http://www.russianspaceweb.com/tikhonravov.html#top>

Show More
Related

  • Sputnik's Effects

    1414 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Soviet’s were responsible for putting man on the moon, rovers on Mars, and launching the Hubble Space Telescope. Indeed, it was the United States’ foes that drove the U.S. to accomplish perhaps the greatest feats of the twentieth century. Following the defeat of Germany and Japan in World War II, tensions between former allies, the United States and the Soviet Union, began to grow. In the following decades, the two superpowers would duke it out in competitions and tremendous shows of nationalism. They formed unmatchable rivalries in politics, economics, sciences, and sports. These rivalries would become clear when two countries competed in the space race, a competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union concerning achievements in the field of space exploration. The Soviet’s took the early lead as they put the first satellite, Sputnik 1, into space. The launch of Sputnik 1 established a sense of fear into the American Public, resulting in the creation of NASA in the late 1950’s which opened the door for space exploration today and for future generations.

    Read More

  • Space Race: A Reflection of the Cold War Rivalry

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    At the end of WWII in 1945, the USA and the Soviet Union emerged as the world’s superpowers. This was a time of great tension, rivalry and distrust between the United States and the Soviet Union. It was a time of political, diplomatic, military and economic rivalry where both nations wanted to emerge as the world’s new superpower. Hence, the Cold War would be of profound significance in the development of the space race as the space race was a key element in the rivalry of political, economic and social dominance.

    Read More

  • Why John F. Kennedy Did More for America than Lyndon B. Johnson

    754 Words  | 2 Pages

    The United Space endured a long, competitive, tumultuous, and primed-to-explode relationship with the Soviet Union since its inception. The Space Race was perhaps the greatest spectacle of scientific engineering in the first 5.755 millennia. The U.S. had to reclaim its superior status after the Soviets launched Sputnick I into orbit on October, 4, 1957, and launched Yuri Gagarin into space on April 12, 1961 as the first human in space. Kennedy knew that the American people wanted a victory in the space race, and realized that, being so far away, the United Space could achieve it. Then, on September 12, 1962, President Kennedy gave the “Address at Rice University on the Nation's Space Effort”. This address is best known by this paragraph:

    Read More

  • Nationalism During the Space Race

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    Eberhart, Jonathan. “Space Race Pace Quickens” The Science News-Letter (1965): 387, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3948639 (accessed April 16, 2014). (Primary Source)

    Read More

  • The Space Race

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    After World War II both the United States and the Soviet Union realized how important rocket research would be to the military. So they each hired the top rocket scientists from Germany to help with their research. After they hired them both sides were making a lot of progress. The Space Race began in 1955 when the Americans announced that they would start launching satellites into orbit. The Soviets took the US announcement as a challenge and established a group whose goal was to beat the US in putting a satellite into orbit. Even though the United States started the competition the Soviets still won because they launched the first successful satellite into orbit, put a dog into outer space and also put the first man into outer space. Some might say that the United States won because they put the first man on the moon, which was a huge feat made by the Americans. So for winning many missions against the U.S. the Soviets won the Space Race.

    Read More

  • The History And Impact Of The Space Race

    808 Words  | 2 Pages

    On May 25, 1961, just two weeks after the US had successfully got an American into space, John F. Kennedy gave a speech addressing it and exclaimed, "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..." (Kruse). The Space Race became an important event for all of humanity during the 20th century because it improved our knowledge of space, improved and inspired new technology, and improved our education. It sparked a mix of both friendly and non friendly competition between the Capitalist United States and the Communist Russia (USSR) from the launch of Sputnik in 1957, all the way to the Apollo-Soyuz project that ended the race in 1975 .

    Read More

  • Space Race in the 1960's

    1167 Words  | 3 Pages

    The 1960’s were full of questions, and one of the biggest questions the world was pondering about was regarding the Space Race: was the USA going to beat their communist enemy, the Soviet Union? The Space Race was a series of events that helped to symbolize and determine in the worlds’ eyes which form of government was better, communism (Soviets) or democracy (United States)? In the beginning of the race, the Soviets had the lead, and it was not looking good for America. Then the United States picked up the pace and spent well over eight billion dollars funding the space studies. This period of time made many scientists and astronauts heroes in the eyes of Americans. The Space Race was a combination of determination, intelligence, space projects, and American pride, all used to reach our exploration goals and surpass the Soviets.

    Read More

  • Space Exploration: The Space Race

    687 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Space Race began in or around the late-1950s, during the Cold War. The United States and Russia were both anxious to become the country to explore space. Unfortunately for the US, Russia launched the first artificial satellite and man-made object to orbit Earth, Sputnik. The launch of Sputnik surprised the United States, and we rushed to get our own space craft into space, and to beat Russia to anything else space related.

    Read More

  • Innovations Needed for Deep Space Exploration

    2718 Words  | 6 Pages

    It is within man’s blood and nature to explore, and space is our next New World. Man’s first achievement in space travel was the launch of the Sputnik on October 4, 1957. For the next decades, space travel was roaring like a rocket, fueled by man’s desire to explore, man’s desire for knowledge, and man’s desire to beat his enemies. However, these impulses have died out as the well of government funding has been diverted to wars and debts, and the interest of the American people has been diverted to wars and debts. Amidst all these issues it is debated as to whether or not space travel is worth the money and the attention of scientists, particularly since humanity faces so many issues on earth currently. However, because of the past inventions, current services, and future benefits, space travel is indeed worth the money and attention of governments and people. It is within our hands to control man’s advancement, and space travel is the next venue to do so.

    Read More

  • Apollo 11: The Greatest Achievement in Human History

    1305 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anne, Minard,"Apollo 11 at 40: Facts, Myths, Photos, and More." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 20 July 2009. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

  • The Effect of the Moon Landing on America

    919 Words  | 2 Pages

    Neil Armstrong looked at it not only as a great triumph for America, but also for the human race when he said "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" on his first step on the moon (Dunbar). On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech about what he called "urgent national needs" at a stadium at Rice University in Houston, Texas (“NASA Moon Landing”). In that speech, he challenged America to "commit itself to landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth by the end of the decade"(Schlager and Lauer). This became known as Kennedy's challenge and the idea was to outperform the Soviets. While the Soviets were off to a better start with the launch of Sputnik I, we soon rose to the challenge and accomplished our goal only eight years later on June 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin safely landed on the moon. With the great accomplishments of Apollo 11, America had bettered the Soviets and established superiority in space.

    Read More

  • The Kennedy Space Center

    2360 Words  | 5 Pages

    middle of paper ... ... NASA Marshall. Marshall: Launching the Future of Science and Exploration. 15 February 2010 http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/home/index.html>. NASA Public Affairs.

    Read More

  • Iron Curtain Essay

    1154 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1957 the Soviets used a missile to launch a satellite, Sputnik 1, into orbit around the earth. The arms race then became a space race as the United States rushed to launch its own satellites, some for military purposes.

    Read More

  • The Benefits of Space Exploration

    721 Words  | 2 Pages

    Space has always been a pivotal and utmost important subject for many years. In the past, scientists have made monumental advances in this field such as sending people into orbit and landing a man on the moon. Of course, this has only barely been explored and we still have a lot more to see of the ever-vast outer space. One of the most significant topics of all of science has only been touched and there’s still more to come.

    Read More

  • Space Tourism

    945 Words  | 2 Pages

    The modern day space environment is no longer a mystery to humans. Yuri Gagarin of Russia was the first person to experience space adventure in 1961. Since then, technological advances have enabled space exploration, with new discoveries being made from time to time. Scientists have significantly contributed to the development of space tourism. Noteworthy inventions by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have transformed human life through increasing accessibility to space. The agency has made it possible for astronauts to go to the moon and also to walk around planet Mars with robotic automobiles. The invention of the tri-axis control design has had a significant influence on modern space explorations, helping astronauts to effectively focus their satellites on the target. This has been important in increasing efficiency and precision in astronomical discoveries (Birchard, 2003).

    Read More

More about SPACE: THE UNCLAIMED FRONTIER

Open Document