The Moon Landing Impact

The race essentially began from the rivalry that has risen between the United States and Russia from the Cold War. The two nations always tried to prove that one is better than the other whether it was from; Who can build the better weapon? Who’s leadership is better? Who is the most powerful? Russia believed that by studying the cosmos with outer space instruments and people it would finally prove that they are the greatest and most powerful nation in the world.

The 1969 Moon Landing: A Giant Leap for Mankind For centuries, mankind has wanted to explore outside the world we live in and into outer space. The idea of landing on the moon seemed impossible. Defeating all odds on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong, 38 years of age, made what many thought impossible, possible. He landed a spacecraft named the Eagle on the moon, and explored its surface with Edwin Aldrin. This event captured attention throughout the world.

After World War II, the capitalist U.S. and the communist U.S.S.R. developed a long period of tension and rivalry, commonly referred to as “The Cold War.” In our history class we learned that this rivalry led to a competition in space between the two superpowers to prove which one had the best economic system, military, science, and technology. This competition became known as “The Space Race.” It all started on October 4, 1957, when the U.S.S.R. launched Sputnik 1 into space. The Sputnik (“traveler” in Russian) was the first satellite made by mankind. It consisted in a small beeping metal ball, with a diameter of less than two feet and a weight of less than 200 pounds. The ball was small, but it started a big space race between the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.

The United States was obsessed with space technology flexing its muscles at acquiring more arsenals albeit to expand supremacy. The world watched as the two super powers rivaled each other. Russia had won the lunar battle but the race was far from over (Reeves 42). America was furious and started a propaganda that since the USSR had the capability of propelling a satellite into space no telling they could do severe harm to the United States by sending nuclear weapons from space and ... ... middle of paper ... ...?NASA’s advancements in technology continues to generate billions of dollars, provide employment to numerous people and most importantly ,save lives. Today we see more and more young people taking up careers and jobs in the field of science.

Ranger 7 marked a turning point in America's exploration of space. Af... ... middle of paper ... ...tes and the Soviet Union to see who could make the furthest development into space first. Creating NASA that lead to build new technologies during the Space Race, was proved because it helped U.S protect itself and today it still affect us in being able to accomplish our dreams. From President Kennedy’s contribution to the program to building Ranger Missions and Rockets Programs made America one of the most powerful and advanced country in the world. The Space Race not just only created shuttles, it created things we used now on daily basis like water purification, chemical detection, solar cells, and many more.

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.

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). Politics controlled the race at first, but President Kennedy later shifted it towards a peaceful space exploration (Holland 114). Before learning about the space explorations and all those courageous astronauts, it is crucial to know the genius masterminds of the explorations. Sergei Korolev was the chief Soviet designer and former political prisoner. His budget was small, yet he accomplished so much (Cadbury 129).

The space race was an important time in history, for the U.S, USSR, and the rest of the world. Soon after World War II, the Soviet Union and United States began a global battle, communism against democracy. Space became a huge entity in the "war." Each side spend billions on besting each other's achievements in what later became known as the famous "Space Race." The Cold War was the United States capitalists, versus the Soviet communists.

Recently, NASA has been spending billions of dollars in researching our second nearest planet, Mars. In understanding the scientific importance that such research can mean, the United States is justified in spending this money on NASA space missions to Mars. President John F. Kennedy said in 1961 that he believed that the United States could put a man on the moon before the end of the decade. Unfortunately, he never lived to see this prophetic feat performed. But in July of 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon before live audiences around the world.

The United States and Russia were advancing throughout the Cold War, and a major advancement was the exploration. Sciences were exponential during the 1950s, and both countries were rivals which expelled the competition to the moon. It involved the efforts to explore outer space with artificial satellites, to send humans into space, and to land them on the Moon. Both countries were exponentially at growth with nuclear powers. “The sense of a "race" was largely abandoned by both sides, further space exploration by both countries continued, but without the Cold War fervor over which society was the most technologically advanced” (Veve).