Technology Developed During The Cold War

Technology Developed During the Cold War

Introduction

The Cold War was a war dominated by the advancement of technology. In many ways, The United States and USSR were engaged more so in a battle of intelligence than of arms. Despite the tragedy and hardships of war, our future would actually benefit from the technology created during this time. Not only did we accomplish the creation of largely sophisticated, military associated projects, such as NASA, but we expanded on the quality of everyday life as well. From microwaves, television, internet, interstates,and cell phones, to lasers, M.I.R.V.S, X-rays,the moon landing, and advanced war technology such as the U2 Spy Plane, our nation came out on top as far as improvement of technology goes. Although seemingly distant and a matter of indifference to the common day people, our lives would be completely different had the Cold War never taken place.

NASA

An organization that still thrives today, NASA was formed under President Dwight Eisenhower in 1975 as a result of the infamous Space Race. After the launch of Sputnik I, a satellite which orbited outside of Earth’s atmosphere, the United States was thrown into a panic believing that the USSR had surpassed the intellectually. NASA had a large roll in created many modern day technologies previously mentioned such as the microwave, cell phones, internet,aviation safety, and even the modern day CD. Many of which were a result of the difficulties and adjustments which had to be made when sending a man into space, and eventually, to land on the moon. This is not to mention the development of military and aircraft improvements which came from the organization.

In the late Winter of the 1950’s, NASA began working on what became known ...

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...d deuterium, a substance which must be cooled to temperatures colder than -250 C in order to liquefy it. As a result, the bomb required a complex refrigerating device in order to maintain the fuel in that condition prior to its being exploded.On Nov. 1, 1952, the United States conducted its first nuclear test of the hydrogen bomb at Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands.It was extremely successfull, and much more powerul than the atomic bomb; roughly 1000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb that had been dropped on Hiroshima.

Another nuclear advancement made during the Cold War was the invention of M.I.R.V.S, or multiple independent reentry vehicles. M.I.R.V.S were essentially rockets with multiple nukes place on the tip. When launched into the atmosphere. The nuclear head would come apart, allowing each individual nuke to land at its own specified location.