Space Race Essay

Space Race Dbq
America and the USSR have had a rivalry for a very long time. One huge portrayal of their rivalry
would be the Space Race. It took place from 1955 to 1975.The Space Race was a race between
America and the Soviet Union to see who would make it to space first and other accomplishments
related to that. Such as putting a man in space or on the moon. Even some animals were involved.
The Space Race had a large influence on the United States. It was a time where America changed
and advanced in more ways than just space travel. What exactly was the Space Race? It was
basically, a competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union for the domination of space flight.
At the time of the race, the Cold War was at large. The Cold War was a war between the...show more
content...
Sputnik was also called the "a technological Pearl Harbor" and it was, "a big blow against
American prestige" (Wall). A short month later, Sputnik 2 was launched. American then made its
move with Explorer 1 on January 31, 1958. For example, " Explorer 1, the first American satellite
to reach orbit, is launched. It carried equipment that lead to the discovery of the Van Allen
radiation belt" (The Space Race Timeline). The Soviet Union responded with Luna 1. Luna 1 "was
the first man made object to orbit the sun" (The Space Race Timeline). The US and the USSR
have both made several accomplishments. Eventually, the United States ended the battle with one
fatal blow. Putting a man on the moon and returning him safely back to Earth. The moon landing
took place on July 20, 1969. The first man to walk on the moon was Neil Armstrong. Second was
Edwin Aldrin. The moon landing ultimately ended the Space Race with American at the top. For
example, "Most people agree that the space race ended on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong
stepped onto the moon for the first time" (Conger). All together, the United States of America ended
up winning the Space Race. As you can see, both The US and the USSR had many
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An Outline Of The Space Race In The Cold War
Outline
I.Introduction
A.Attention grabber a.Cold war information (time, reason,how) b.Competition between 2 largest
countries c.Space race in the cold war (why,what,goal) B. Background (60's) C.Thesis statement
(What,3 reasons/areas, impact) a.Exciting,but scary time (atmosphere) b.Cold war/space race
(reason and impact on countries) C.3 reasons why it's important
The space race was a very exciting and scary time in the cold war where the U.S. and the USSR
were competing with each other over who had the better technology and the impact it had on the
U.S., the USSR, and even some other countries was huge due to 3 main reasons.
II.Body paragraph 1 A.Topic sentence a.U.S. Contributions

The Space Race Essay
The years after World War II was a time of great scientific and technological advancements. With
these advancements came great tension and rivalry between the United States and the former
Union of Soviet Socialists Republic (USSR). The biggest rivalry between the two superpowers
was the advancement in space technology. In 1952, the International Geophysical Year (IGY) was
established in which scientists stated that in the time between July 1, 1957 and December 31,
1958, solar activity would be at a high point. The IGY made it so that both the US and the USSR
became determined to be the first to reach space, and so the space race was born. During the space
race, the USSR made many launches that were very advanced and superior to the US....show more
content...
This launch was extraordinary because it put the first living mammal into space. "This satellite was
much heavier than Sputnik 1, having two cabins, one for the equipment and controls and another
for Laika, the dog. Laika's cabin provided her with oxygen, food, water and allowed the dog
enough room to lie down and stand"(Siddiqi). It was predicted that Laika would live for ten days,
but due to thermal problems inside the satellite she only survived for about two. At the time of
Sputnik 2, there was no mention of the US even trying to send any living organism into space
because they were still having trouble with regular satellite launches. This launch not only further
emphasized the Soviet Union's superiority to the United States, but it also provided scientists with
the first data of a living organism in space and foreshadowed the future in human space travel. By the
anniversary of Sputnik 1, it seemed like the United States were catching up to the Soviet Union in
terms of satellites launched. The US had now launched three Explorers and one Vanguard while the
USSR had launched three Sputniks. Although the US had launched more satellite than the USSR,
Sputnik 1 weighed more than all four of the US satellites combined and Sputnik 3 weighed and
astonishing 2,950 pounds. The three US launches couldn't compare to the Soviet Union's launches
because the Sputnik launches were so much more technologically advanced, once

Essay On The Space Race
There is only so much you can explore on Earth, Space is infinite. The Space Race was a historical
competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for the first humans to reach the moon.
Taking place during 1957–1975, the Space Race showcased the determination between the two
nations to display who had the superior science and technology knowledge. After the Russians
created the first satellite, the United States felt threatened that the Soviet Union would have military
control over space and began to race against their rivals. The money spent on the space race was a
legitimate use of government funds because it showed the world which country had the best
technology and science, shown the significance of rocket science for use...show more content...
The thought that the other nation would have complete military control over the space surrounding
Earth was threatening motivating them to get there first. The same rockets that were used to get to
the moon were able to be changed into a very powerful, explosive–tip rockets. "Von Braun's V–2s
caused around 2,750 civilian deaths; one single V–2 rocket that landed on a Woolworth's store killed
160 Londoners."(The Space Race) With the advancement of rocket technology from the Space Race,
the U.S and Soviets military were able to make weapons of destruction that could kill thousands of
people and could not be shot down due to how new they were and the little knowledge from around
the world about them. Although military advancements were a very important reason why the Space
Race was worth funding, space exploration was also very important.
Lastly, space exploration. The Space Race kickstarted the exploration of space. While rushing to get
an American on the Moon, we learned much about the technicalities of space. While working on the
competition, Eisenhower created NASA, which is still around and alive today "That same year,
President Dwight Eisenhower signed a public order creating the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), a federal agency dedicated to space exploration."(History.com

Economic Impact Of The Space Race
Economic Impacts of the Space Race By: Kimia
The space race was a competition between the United States and the Soviet Union that occurred
during the Cold War. They competed for dominance in space technology and spaceflight, which
spurred many significant inventions and events. Some of these inventions and events include the
first–ever landing on the moon, the first artificial satellite to be launched into the Earth's orbit, the
establishment of NASA, the invention of the microprocessor computer, the invention of satellite
communication technology, and other direct and indirect impacts. Each of the different events and
inventions that spawned from the space race have had significant impacts on the United States
economy.
After the end of World War II on September 2, 1945, a new era called theCold War began. The Cold
War was a non–violent state of political and military tension between the democratic and capitalist
United States and the communist Soviet Union: two of the biggest powers of the world at the time.
However, they were drastically different in both economy and politics, allowing rivalry to build up.
They both wanted to become the most powerful nation of the world, and both feared that the other
nation would rise up to become the most powerful nation of the world.
Throughout the Cold War, the US and the Soviet Union, the USSR, tried to outspend and outdo each
other. They looked for any advantage they could get to achieve more attainments than the

Essay On The Space Race
The Space Race
Imagine you're running in a race, all you have to do to win is run fast and go past the finish line
first. Now, imagine you're in another race, but to win you must walk on the moon! The United
States and the Soviets had that kind of race during the Cold War, called the Space Race. According
to the Merriam–Webster dictionary, aCold War is "a state of political hostility between countries
characterized by threats, propaganda, and other measures short of open warfare, in particular."
This Cold War was "a state of geopolitical tension after World War II between powers in the Eastern
Bloc and powers in the Western Bloc." (History.com staff, 2010) and lasted from 1945–1990. In this
essay, I will be writing about one event of the...show more content...
President Kennedy's goal had been achieved." (Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. History, 2009) On July
20th, 1969, Neil Armstrong was a changed man.
Neil Armstrong was a very significant person. He was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, on August 5th,
1930. In 1949–1952 he was a naval aviator, then in 1955 he joined NASA. For 17 years he was a test
pilot, engineer, astronaut, and administrator for NACA and NASA. "NASA stands for National
Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA was started in 1958 as a part of theUnited States
government. NASA is in charge of U.S. science and technology that has to do with airplanes or
space." (NASA.gov staff, 2009) Armstrong began his NASA career in Ohio. At age 32, he
officially transferred to astronaut status. As spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, Neil gained the
distinction of being the first man to land a craft on the moon and first to step on its surface.
(NASA.gov staff, 2012) After that, he received a bachelor of science degree in Aeronautical
engineering from Purdue University and a master of science in Aerospace Engineering from the
university of Southern California. Sadly, Neil Armstrong died from cardiovascular procedures
complications on August 5th, but died a legend.
The space race was a major part of the Cold War. There were many important events and people
involved such as the first person in space, the first person on the moon, and Neil Armstrong.
According to the

The Space Race
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. It wasn't an actual
war, but more of a grudge, because there wasn't any real fighting going on. It began in the late
1950's, after World War II. The "war" ended after the Berlin Wall was torn down, and the USSR fell
in 1991. Although they hated each other, both powers had a mutual enemy, NAZI Germany.
...show
more content...
In 1961, John F. Kennedy made a public claim to land a man on the moon before the end of the
decade. Sputnik was credited for instigating President Kennedy's declaration. (Moskowitz) It was
big deal, it was also the most popular thing at the time, and something everybody was talking about.
Many U.S. citizens became worried when Sputnik I's launch was announced. None of them were
willing to lose to the Soviets (The Space Race Lifts Off). In 1959, the Soviets launched Luna II,
which hits the moon. It took thirty three and a half hours to land. The mission confirmed that the
Moon had no magnetic field, and did not find any evidence of radiation belts their either (Bell).
Nasa was established on July 29, 1958. It was created to counter the Soviet's Sputnik (NASA
created). The goal was "To reach new heights and reveal the unknown so that what we do will
benefit all humankind" (Daines). NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Agency. With
the competition rising, and all the growing support, the amount of employees quickly grew from
34,000 to 375,000. The budget also increased almost five hundred percent (Dunbar) going from
eighty nine million to 5.9 billion (Space Race: Cold War Front).
The first manned mission was Apollo 8, and the first to land on the moon was Apollo 11. Apollo 11
landed July 1969, and six more followed till roughly 1972 (Williams). The spaceship itself have the
astronauts about as much room as a

Effects Of The Space Race
The Space Race exacerbated the tense relationship between the USA and USSR to a greater extent.
From 1957 to 1969 (the accepted duration of the Race), it created tension because the advancements
made in Space technology translated directly into ideological superiority and military power.
However, from 1970 to 1979, after the Race had ended and Cold War tensions were easing,
collaborations in Space encouraged co–operation between the two countries.
The Space Race was characterised by a series of new developments and technological
advancements made in Space by the USA and USSR from the late 1950s to the late 1960s (see
appendix ii). The Race spawned from the Cold War between the USA and USSR during this time,
and was among other conflicts, such as the Arms Race and Nuclear Armament, a source of tension
between the two superpowers.
The Space Race exacerbated the tense relationship between the USA and USSR from 1957 to 1969
because the advancements made in Space technology were used as a means to indicate political and
ideological superiority. (Garcia & Lusigan, 2005). The yet–to–be–discovered Space became the
perfect arena in which each ideological system, namely Capitalism...show more content...
(Anonymous, 2017). The USSR leader, Nikita Khruschev, stated that the "economy, science,
culture and the creative genius of people in all areas of life develop better and faster under
communism" after the Soviets' initial achievements in the Race (see Appendix ii). (Trustees of the
Royal Air Force Museum, 2013). Sergey Korolyov, head of the USSR Space efforts, stated the
USSR's mission would be "to ensure that the Soviet rockets fly higher and farther than has been
accomplished anywhere else up until now ..., to ensure that a Soviet man be the first to fly in a
rocket ... and ... to ensure that it is Soviet rockets and Soviet spaceships that are the first to master
the limitless space of the cosmos." (Garcia & Lusigan,

Cold War: The Space Race
After the end of the second World War in 1945, there remained only two superpower countries: the
United States and the Soviet Union. The vast differences between the two countries sparked hostility
and distrust between the nations that had lasted since the Russian Revolution. This period, known as
the Cold War, lasted for around 45 years. Although there was not much physical fighting going on,
the conflict continued for many years because of a series of misunderstandings regarding the Space
Race, the rule of Eastern Europe, and the nuclear arms race.
The Space Race caused misunderstandings and distrust between the United States and the Soviet
Union that contributed to the Cold War. The webpage at history.com states that when the Soviets
began...show more content...
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

Argumentative Essay: The Space Race
"Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here."
Have you ever wanted to soar? Fly? Glide through the skies of the earth or even the great unknown
called the universe? Well thanks to todays' technology and the company founded on July 29 1958,
NASA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics), we can now undertake that dream; you can
finally take to the air.
Many people believe that the money we "waste" on space exploration should be spent on something
else such as hospitals, schools etc. Some agree and say that we haven't yet discovered all the
creations of the earth so why use money venturing into a pointless void. Nevertheless, what
innumerable people don't realise is that the cost for us to progress into the universe isn't actually that
much,...show more content...
Space exploration is an inherently worldwide endeavour that attracts broad international interest and
affects people all across the globe producing knowledge, capabilities, and relationships that help
society deal with some of the most pressing long–term global challenges. Another popular benefit of
space travel is the jobs it creates. The fact that a space agency and its network of contractors and
universities help people stay employed is amazing. More than 18000 people currently work for
NASA and many more people work for the company as government contractors. They are hired by
companies that NASA pays to do work for them. Now we've been told by recent study that there is
11,800 jobs to be created per year by space

What Are The Causes Of The Space Race
The space race was caused by the cold war, the cold war was a war that was between the Soviet
Union and the USA, it wasn't so much like a war because almost no one sent any army or any
bombs, but there was still people that died. The USA in the world war 2 invented this new nuclear
weapon, America thought that they could lead the cold war but suddenly the Soviet union started to
make nuclear weapons, so each time the Soviet union made one america did 2 then the Soviet union
did 5. Both countries knew that if one launched a nuclear bomb, there wouldn't be winners so
nobody actually sent any thing.
THE START
The space race started in 1957 when the Soviet Union sent Sputnik. 1t was the first artificial
satellite. After some time the russians sent sputnik 2, it had the first living thing to go to space: the
first dog called Laika. The USA after some weeks they sent the Explorer 1 1n to space, the first
american rocket.
SPUTNIK 1 FIRST
SATELLITE
what happened?
The first man in orbit was Yuri Gagarin he was sent by the soviet union in...show more content...
Apollo 10 was meant to orbit the moon and study for possible landing for Apollo 11. In 1969 they
finally sent the rocket, that changed history the rocket with Neil Armstrong and his crew on the
moon, neil armstrong was the first to step on the moon surface, he brought victory to all Americans
and the world pretty much. After Apollo 11 all the project were based on finding information on
the moon, and how was the moon's surface and all that scientific things. Apollo 17 was one of the
most important because it was the project that ended Apollo and went on the moon and stayed there
8 hours, and got all the rocks and the kind of soil and materials from the

Space Race History
On october 4, 1957, in the midst of the cold war, the soviet union launched Sputnik 1, the first
artificial satellite to be sent into orbit sparking the space race, as well as marking the beginning of
the space age(Gaber).The space race was a competition between the two biggest rivals in the world,
the United States and the Soviet Union. During the space race, the United States and the Soviet
Union competed to conquer space exploration. The soviet union ran two main mission Sputnik and
Luna and the United State had three, Mercury, Gemini and Apollo.The space race brought on many
scientific discoveries. From 1947 to 1991, the United States and the Soviet Union fought in a war of
ideas know as the Cold War. The cold war started after World...show more content...
Early in 1959, Luna I made a trip past the moon, and on September 14,1959, Luna II crashed on the
moon. Luna II was truly the first actual visit by spacecraft to another object in space (McArthur,
29–30). The United States started the Apollo mission with the goals of reaching the moon and
sending people to land on the moon safely. The Apollo missions go off to a rough start when on
January 27, 1967, Apollo I caught on fire during the preflight test. Apollo II–VI where unmanned
moon orbiter space crafts. Apollo VII was launched on October 11, 1968, and had three peope on
board.It was in spaced for a little bit less than 11 days and in that time it orbted the moon
colecting data. Apollo VIII was launched on December 21, 1968 and was in space over christmas
and on christma eve they made a telecast were the astronauts red verses from the bible. On Apollo
VII they also made five other telecasts. Apollo IX was launched on March 3, 1969, and collected
more data on the moon and experimented with photography. Apollo X was launched May 18, 1969
and while in orbit tracked the moon's main landmarks. On July 16,1969, Apollo 11 blasted into space
with Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins (Loff). When it came time to attempt to
and on the moon mission control tried to guide Apollo 11 somewhere Armstrong fet was too risky
so he took over and went to land somewhere

Space Race Research Paper
During the space race, both the US and the Soviet Union achieved a lot. Some say the US won the
race because it landed the first human on the Moon but no one can take anything away from the
USSR. Soviet accomplished a lot and had more "firsts" then the US until the US caught up. Both the
US and the USSR won the space race.
As stated before, both sides accomplished a lot. The US say they won because of the first human on
moon, but USSR accomplished way too much for the US to easily win. Both sides look at what
they accomplished first. When both sides find out what they achieved, both do not deserve to be
the loser of the space race. "The problem with assigning a winner however, is that both sides would
define the terms of the Space Race by what they were capable of achieving – and then declare
themselves winners" (Hodgson). This quote shows that they have to look in to what they have
achieved first. Since both achieved so much, there can not be one single winner. It would not be fair
to both sides.
During the race, the USSR had a lot more "firsts" then the US, some examples are the first satellite,
first man and woman in space, and even the first dog in space. When some see this, they would be
confused as to how the US won and not the USSR. The truth is the...show more content...
This accomplishment changed the world in terms of space development. Some can not say the
USSR won too because the US has done what the USSR could not at the time. "Such attention
proved rewarding 12 years later on July 16th, 1969, as Apollo 11, the fifth manned mission of NASA
's Apollo space program, successfully ended the space race as it landed on the Moon" (Ebscohost).
As the USSR accomplished a lot, so has the US. The US made an incredible comeback into the
race after being behind, and that should be respected. As shown, both sides deserve to be called
winners because of what they have

A Paragraph On The Space Race
Space Race
Paragraph 1: The space race was a key factor to the development of spaceflight capability. This
competition between the United States and the USSR for supremacy in spaceflight efficiency began
on August 2, 1955. When the United States said that they would launch artificial satellites in the
future, the Soviet Union acted quickly by beating the U.S. with the the October 4, 1957 "Sputnik,"
that orbited the Earth every 98 minutes with its elliptical path. The U.S. was impacted dramatically,
science became a priority in schools and universities

The Space Race; a period in time, more than a two decades of space exploration. Its competitors,
USA vs USSR. Its length consisting of no more than 12 years yet giving increased knowledge of
flight and the sky and space above it. It consisted of more than thirty overall successful launches and
through each abysmal failure brought new success. The launches increased the overall knowledge of
space and brought new ideas and questions into peoples minds. Sci–Fi sprung up from the ideas that
the events brought. It gave humans new ideas, new thoughts. The purpose of this paper is to
increase the remembrance of that period of space exploration.
My paper will consist of some amount of sections; each explaining certain event(s). The first section
...show more content...
Sputnik 2's success was amazing it launched the first living being into space. The animal was a Part
Husky– Part Terrier stray off the streets of Moscow. Sputnik 2 had a cone like top connected to a
large spherical cockpit. The cockpit had a small bed as well as a feeding tube and a water tube.
Laika was strapped down in the small bed for the journey with seven days supply of food.
Computers monitored Laika's heart rate and oxygen purifiers kept the dog alive. Sadly the mission
had no return launch. Meaning Laika is now floating lost in space.
Laika was Sputnik 2's passenger the dog was a Part Husky–Terrier mix. Laika was the first animal in
space. Explorer 1 was the first American Launch. It was a man–sized cylinder shaped satellite with
four antennas for broadcasting information. It held inside many scientific tools which helped this
US rocket make the first space discovery; The Van Allen Radiation Belt. The Van Allen Radiation
belt had two layers of energetic particles caught in the Earths gravitational pull. The belt is located
in the exosphere layer of the atmosphere.Explorer 2 bore a striking resemblance to Explorer 1 yet it
contained different Scientific equipment to further explorer the atmosphere and space around earth.
However it was destroyed when the launch containing the satellite failed to liftoff. The failed liftoff
consisted of the shuttle splitting in two and exploding thereby destroying the probe. This probe

The US Involvement In The Space Race
The space race, a competition to show superiority of technology and military firepower. The
United States should have entered the space race. If the United States would not have entered the
space race Russian communism would have had a big achievement over democracy America.
Russia's early success in the space race was used to show that communism was superior. The early
success was also used to show that the economy, science, and culture developed faster under
communist rule(Space Race). The launch of Sputnik I set the space race in motion(Wall). Sputnik I
was the first satellite launched into orbit. Sputnik I was no larger than a beach ball that sent
meaningless signals back to earth(The Space Race). Russia had a second big achievement when

Pros And Cons Of The Space Race
One Giant Leap For Mankind
"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," said Neil Armstrong, the first man to be on
the moon. Mankind has benefited so much from the Space Race. The Space Race was a Cold War
competition between NASA and the USSR to reach the moon. The Space Race took place from
1957 up until 1975. On May 26, 1961, President Kennedy laid the Soviet challenge before the
American people. During the Cold War, around a hundred space advancements were made. In the
20th century, more space breakthroughs happened after the moon landing itself. A few more moon
landings followed Apollo 11. The Space Race had a positive effect on the world. Before the Space
Race, most of the space exploration had been done by robots (Miller...show more content...
An artificial satellite is a man–made instrument that orbits another object. To counter that, a year
later, the U.S. launched its own satellite, Explorer 1, designed by the U.S. Army under the direction
of rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, and from that, it was known that the Space Race was
underway (History.com Staff).
Even though the Space Race had a lot of positive things that came out of it, people believe it was
not necessary. They believed too many lives were lost in spacecraft malfunctions (Lewis). The
Space Race gave birth to technology that could be used to spy on other countries giving them an
advantage in war. For example, NASA was also created to exploit the military advantages of the
Space Race (Balestrier). Also, some people believe that it was a complete waste of money. For
example, NASA got around 10 billion a year then. Some people also believe that the Space Race also
caused the amount of space debris. Whenever a spacecraft is launched, parts of it are released into
orbit. There are over 500,000 pieces of space debris larger than a marble orbiting Earth right now.
There are even more untrackable pieces in orbit as well. Each piece moves at a rate of around
17,500 mph, enough for a relatively small piece to heavily damage a satellite or spacecraft (Garcia).
More

Thesis: The race into space changed the course of history; the scientific exploration united nations
and captivated the world. "Vergeltungswaffe zwei" was the designation given to Adolf Hitler's
principal long–range warhead. Long before the Americans and Soviets initiated their pursuit of
space, the Germans had ambitions of their own. The "German Army Ordnance," in fact, toiled
tirelessly constructing rocket–like missiles before the Second World War. Hitler and the Nazis
believed that the capability to attack strategic foreign objectives in a concise period of time would
cripple their counterparts and ordain the Germans unstoppable ("Space Race Exhibition" 1). The
mastermind behind the V–2 missile technology was a young German national...show more content...
Army purposes. The initial test run in the later months of 1945 sent the 700 pound machine a
vertical distance of nearly forty–five miles. Enhancements to the original model provided an
approximate fifteen mile increase to the maximum height ("Space Race Exhibition" 2).
Notwithstanding the fabrication of the WAC Corporal, the progression of airborne weapons was
not a prime goal of the United States. However, at the turn of the next decade, a competition broke
out to see which branch of the Armed Services would create the next great rocket. The 1950s
brought about rapid production of new rockets by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Manufacturing
bigger rockets and anti–aircraft weaponry was the main focus of the Army, while the Navy was
concerned with smaller ship–launched projectiles and the Air Force with other forms of ballistic
missiles. The rivalry was designed to harness the creative genius of each individual branch in hopes
of yielding rocket brilliance, but misunderstandings generated frequent unintended consequences
("Space Race Exhibition" 3). A great portion of the space race is in direct correlation with military
advantages rockets provided during the Cold War. The United States Military was in need of an
astute plan that would provide them with the capability to quickly attack the Soviets without the
trouble of manned flight. Existing technology from the Second World War lacked the speed and
deception

The Space Race, A Space Technology Race
Introduction
"We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other
things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to
organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are
willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others,
too." This quote was made by John F. Kennedy on September 12, 1962, and it encompasses the
dedication the US had to winning the Space Race, a space technology race between the United States
and Soviet Russia. The Space Race would soon become a huge competition led by many big factors
and decisions. Overall, The Space Race started with the USSR's launch of Sputnik, an event which
fueled nationalism in both countries, and ended with the United States landing a man on the moon.
Subtopic 1
Curator's Note 1
(picture and caption on weebly)
This picture depicts a Soviet scientist putting the finishing touches on Sputnik, a satellite that would
soon be launched into orbit around earth. The news of the launch came as a big, unpleasant surprise
to the US (The Start of the Space Race). They feared the military capabilities of satellites in orbit as
well as the advancement of Soviet technology. The US immediately reacted by launching Vanguard
into orbit, but it failed miserably when it was launched (Space Race.). Although the US managed to
successfully put Vanguard 1 into orbit later that year,

The Space Race was a competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy
in space. From 1955 until 1975, both sides battled it out to be the leader in the competition. Fueled
by the Cold War and other causes of the beginning of the race, the Soviet Union and the United States
fought for authority in a very public manner through the media. There were many achievements at
this time and it led the way for many great things to come afterwards.
The origins of the Space Race can be found in Germany in the 1930s. During World War II, Nazi
Germany was researching and building operational ballistic missiles and experimenting with
liquid–fueled rockets. As early as 1942 and 1943, the rocket Aggregate–4 became the first vehicle
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Here, Korolev reverse engineered the A–4 and built his own version, the R–1 in 1948. While this
was going on in the Soviet Union, the United States sent von Braun and his team to the United
States Army's White Sands Proving Ground in New Mexico in 1945. Here, they assembled captured
V–2s and launched them. In 1950, they were moved to the Army's Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville,
Alabama where the Army's first operational medium–range ballistic missile, the Redstone Rocket,
was developed. Because of the threat of the nuclear weapons and communism, the Cold War
developed after World War II between the Soviet Union and the United States. This led to the
expressed conflict through military coalitions, strategic conventional force deployments, extensive
aid to the states deemed vulnerable, proxy wars, espionage, propaganda, a nuclear arms race, and
economical and technological competitions, such as the Space Race.
In 1955 both the Soviet Union and the United States were building ballistic missiles that could be
used to launch objects into space. This became the starting line for the race into space. Four days
apart in unrelated announcements, both the Soviets and the Americans announced their plans to
launch artificial Earth satellite by 1957 or 1958. On 29 July 1955, James C. Hagerty, President
Dwight D. Eisenhower's press secretary,

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