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The impact of the space race
The impact of the space race
Technologies associated with space exploration
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On September 2, 1945, the two most powerful countries in the world broke into a war of power and pride, known as the Cold War. The Soviet Union and the United States battled fiercely for a reputation that would be revered for ages to come. Aggressively, these two nations pushed to be the greatest in the world through weapons, politics and science. These actions and attitudes significantly promoted the need for space exploration, and soon sparked a pursuit that changed history forever. The “Space Race” of the 1960’s between the US and Russia was very expensive but it yielded a tremendous number of technological advances. It has long been said that the exploration of the cosmos should be secondary to more important things like resolutions to problems on Earth. However, as scientists and engineers reach further and further out into the outer limits of the stars, they gain equally substantial insight on how to solve problems on Earth. The first moon landing brought Unity to America but it also led to conspiracy. 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. On April 12, 1961 Yuri Gagarin was the first man to orbit the Earth in the spacecraft Vostok I. The Russians were winning and it was embarrassing for the Americans, so Kennedy announced th...
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...he world of technology because of the Moon Landing. Conspiracy discrepancies have been debunked and there is no doubt that the moon landing is legitimate. The efforts to explore the universe has had negative effects including the loss of human lives ,a tremendous investment of money, as well as adverse environmental effects both within Planet Earth and the solar system. However, these sacrifices have been made in efforts of propelling humanity into its most technologically and scientifically advanced stages. Therefore, due to the overwhelming social, economic, and scientific technological advancements that have been made because of space exploration, the stakes and sacrifices made do not outweigh the benefits contributed. It is evident that the moon had a lasting effect on the world and it still remains one of the highest achievements of human work and ingenuity.
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.
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.
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.
The Space Race is remarkably similar to that of the arms race because of the parallel between the creation of the atomic bomb and the goal of reaching the moon. The United States’ bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki effectively established its place as the technologically superior nation; however, major milestones in space achieved early by the Soviets damaged America’s reputation. In 1957, Soviet scientists shocked the world by successfully launching the Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, beyond the Kármán Line (the boundary of space). This amazing breakthrough “rattled American self-confidence”. It cast doubts on America’s vaunted scientific superiority and raised some sobering military questions.”
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” was stated by Neil Armstrong once a national goal was accomplished. Landing successfully on the moon was a major goal for astronauts of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin were honored to be the very first of mankind to step foot on the moon, and allowed America to set future goals for outer-space journeys. With the assigned Apollo mission, America was granted much needed hope. Astronauts of NASA in the Apollo Program accomplished John F. Kennedy’s goal of placing the first man on the moon safely for the United States.
Known as the Cold War, this battle pitted the world’s two great powers–the democratic, capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union–against each other. Beginning in the late 1950s, space would become another dramatic arena for this competition, as each side sought to prove the superiority of its technology, its military firepower and–by extension–its political-economic system.” The Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik, “Traveler” in Russian, in 1957 was the first man-made object to enter Earth’s orbit and the starting point of the space race (History.com Staff). The unpleasant revelation Sputnik left spurred efforts by Americans to conquer the next frontier and ensued in patriotic media fervor that captivated the public for well over a decade.... ...
During the Cold War, the United States and Russia had a severe space race between one another. Every time one country would be a step ahead of the other, and somehow one of the countries would catch up to the more advanced country at the time. During the early years of the space race, success was measured by what nation did what first: To the alarm of the United States, each of the early adventures were achieved by the Soviet Union. And all of those events triggered the United States to drive and catch up with to surpass the Soviet Union. This sort of see-saw method happen throughout the space race. Throughout this paper, there will be a discussion on the space race between the United Stated and Russia, but the discussion will be told from the Russia point of view.
Reece Hanchett Ms. Manning English I, Period II 30 January 2024. Wernher von Braun During the space race that lasted from the mid 50’s to the mid 70’s, the Soviet Union consistently beat the United States. They sent the first satellite into orbit, the first mammal into orbit, the first human into orbit and more. In response, the US, led by President John F. Kennedy, pledged to achieve an incredible feat: American boots on the moon within the decade.
“On July 16, 1969 the world watched in anticipation as three men were hurtled skyward in a rocket bound for the moon.” (news.nationalgeographic.com). This was the Apollo 11 spacecraft, the first successful manned mission to the moon. This mission was the product of the space race (race to see who would go into outer space first, against the Soviet Union). This goal was set by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961 and he promised that we would be the first to step on the moon by the end of the decade. The Apollo 11 mission is often cited as the greatest achievement in human history. (news.nationalgeographic.com)
...years behind then we are in technology today. The moon landing is one of the most significant events in American history because of the superiority and triumph it had given the United States.
Carl Sagan once said “every planetary civilization will be endangered by impacts from space, every surviving civilization is obliged to become spacefaring—not because of exploratory or romantic zeal, but for the most practical reason imaginable: staying alive. If our long-term survival is at stake, we have a basic responsibility to our species to venture to other worlds.” The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, is executing Sagan’s words every day. President Dwight D. Eisenhower created NASA in 1958 with the purpose of peaceful rather than military space exploration and research to contribute to society. Just 11 years after the creation, NASA put Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon, the first humans to accomplish this feat.
“We choose to go the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because the goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win” Quoted by former president John F. Kennedy. Exploration of space is a huge necessity to our very well being and the funds are very well needed to keep explorations alive. Exploration of space helps us keep track of atmospheric conditions that can potentially bear a threat to human society, it gives us a healthier perceptive of the planet and how humans are effecting it through the scenes of different planets. furthermore
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” It was July 20 1969, the day that reshaped our nation and gave us unparalleled dreams for the future. The impact of the day goes far beyond our pride and nationalism; that day would change space exploration and technology forever. Just like a shooting star, that day would give us a glimpse of hope. A chance to see an event so breathtaking and defying, it would be man’s greatest accomplishment in the 20th century. As millions of people watched from their TV sets, a rush of euphoria came over the nation as Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the surface of the moon. It was the first time in the history of mankind that we would step on the surface of another celestial body. John F. Kennedy dared us to dream, he inspired the nation to reach for the moon, to set ourselves apart from the rest of the world. The Space Race was symbolic of many things. Our future as the technically dominate nation was secured in place; just as secure as Old Glory would be, when she was driven down into the soil of the moon. We not only reached the moon, we conquered it as a nation; united.
The Soviet Union sent the first manmade satellite called “Sputnik 1” and this launch in 1957 (Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space). The Soviet Union also sent the first man to space whose name is “Yuri Gagarin” and he flew for “eight minutes” in orbital flight in the “Vostok 1” which launched at 9:07 in the morning (Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space). In retaliation to the Soviet union the United States of America sent “Alan Shepard” in the “Freedom 7” in 1961 (Freedom 7 MR-3).The “Freedom 7” took off at 9:34 in the morning in Florida and he stayed in orbit for “fifteen minutes and twenty eight seconds and went three hundred and three statute miles at the velocity of five thousand one hundred thirty four” (Freedom 7 MR-3). To place America ahead of the the Soviet Union President Kennedy wanted to put the first man on the moon. The launch from “Kennedy Space Center” which is located in Cape Canaveral, Florida sent the first man to the moon in 1969 (Kennedy Space Center). The
As far back as we as a species can remember, space and the stars have always held specific place in our culture. In many religions the stars are held as the birthplace or homes of the gods, in science it is the panicle of the unknown. It the epitome of what we perceive as “out of reach”. But our understanding of the stars and space in general has changed dramatically over the course of the last few centuries. The more we’ve looked up, the more we recognize out place in this universe. But in the last hundred years, our understanding of space has grown exponentially. But no moment more than in 1969, when a small collection of brave men stepped outside of our known world. To the moon. The overall effects of this event was far more than bragging rights over the Russians, it was the singular turning point in what we believed we were truly capable of.