Essay On The Space Race

On October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite and caught America and the whole world off guard. This was the Soviet's first push in the historical "Space Race." There was great fear surrounding this launch; a certain question was on everyone's minds, could the Soviets send Nuclear weapons with ballistic missiles from Europe to the U.S.? Even before the U.S. could respond the Soviets launched Sputnik II carrying an increased payload and the first dog in space named Laika, it seemed the U.S. space program would never catch up. In order for the U.S. to win the Space Race they would have to succeed in putting a man in earth orbit, but it was on April 12, 1961 just four years after sputnik was launched, Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin went into earth orbit edging out the United States' chance to put the first man in space.

The Soviet Union launched a surprise missile the "Sputnik" on October 4, 1957, to orbit the Earth meanwhile initiating the competition between the two countries. Both countries had a large amount of explorations throughout the race, the history of the space race rivalry started from World War II and which ... ... middle of paper ... .... Kennedy and the Two Faces of the U.S. Space Program, 1961-63. W. D. Kay. Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 28, No.

The political, social, and economic changes impacted the relationship between the two countries. Many of the issues began when they took the fight to space to see who had the best technology, military firepower, and stronger social, political, and economic systems. Politics was the main point, over science, in Americas point of view of the Space Race, but to the Soviets it was Science over everything. The Space Race was a giant step into the United States winning the Cold War.

Even though it happened in 1969, the first moon landing had a lasting effect on the world. Apollo 11 represented the culmination of decades of hard work for NASA. John F. Kennedy's dream of putting a person on the moon seemed foolish to many, but it remains one of the highest achievements of human work and ingenuity. The Space Race began in 1955 when both countries announced that they would soon be launching satellites into orbit. On October 4, 1957 the Russians placed the first successful satellite into orbit and it was called Sputnik I.

Finally in October 1957, the USSR launched Sputnik into space. Thus began years of rivalry for control of outer space called the Space Race. This paper seeks to answer the question of which country won the Space Race. The answer to the question of who won the Space Race might be controversial, and it all depends on who you ask the question.It is an understanding that “mankind’s access to new frontiers has always been a major factor in in the future success of societies that exploited the opportunities when they arose ”(Richardson). The United States was obsessed with space technology flexing its muscles at acquiring more arsenals albeit to expand supremacy.

It was a difficult moment in the late 1950s in America. The Cold Ward was heating up on a political level. Suddenly, that all ended when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957. This was the world’s first artificial satellite to orbit around Earth (Holland 112). As Todd Gitlin puts it, “When the Russians launched the first intercontinental ballistic missile and Sputnik in 1957, they blasted the national pride and stoked a national panic in America” (112).

The Soviets successful launch shocked the whole world, giving the Soviet Union the respect for putting the first man-made object into outer space. The Americans successfully launched their first satellite four months after Sputnik I, called the Explorer I. The US would have had the first satellite in orbit if they were allowed to use military rockets from the beginning. But, Eisenhower was worried he would be called a warmonger if he used military rockets for launching a satellite into orbit. He told the sci... ... middle of paper ... ...faster than the Soviets during the Space Race.

In response to this, the United States created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to quickly catch up and create better and more advanced satellites and propel America forward into leading the race and eventually answer and discover questions that has made mankind wonder for many years and centurie... ... middle of paper ... ...he world? : The space race has made America a more dominant power in the world. It has progressed it politically to mark itself as a greater more powerful nation. Socially, the citizens of America are amazed by how the United States was able to win the space race by landing on the closest outer space object in history. However, though it is controversial that the soviet union should’ve won since they were the first to send an orbiting man, the United States has won the race to seize and gain control and dominance in space.

This lead to the Space Race where another heated competition to whoever get to the moon first and to have the best space technology. Focusing to the whole world U.S reasoned that if one country came under the influence of communism, then the surrounding countries would follow in a domino effect. McCarthyism was the effect of communism to the U.S because it was a time when some people were accused of being disloyal to the government for inappropriate political connection. The biggest factor during the Cold War era was the Space Race creation of the Ranger Mission, Titans, and the contribution of President Kennedy. The things we did in the Space Race such as creating NASA leading to build new technologies was justified because it initially helped U.S protect itself and it still affect us today in being able to accomplish our dreams.

The US and Russia raced to claim the title “First Country to Enter Space.” Russia won that race on April 12, 1961 when Yuri Gagarin entered space and orbited Earth. The US now needed a goal that would "better" the Russian success, and President Kennedy provided one -- the first man on the moon! Kennedy’s goal of space exploration included landing a man on the moon and safely returning him to Earth. He hoped that achieving this goal would bring the US out of the “status hole” it was in. The US sent the first American, Alan Shepard, into space on May 5, 1961.