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The Space Race: Competition Between The United States And The Soviet Union

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Intro The Space Race was a competition between the 2 powerhouse nations the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold war. The Space race was not a friendly race towards getting to space first, but rather a battleground of scientific achievements, national pride, and ideological supremacy as both nations wanted to show their scientific prowess, technological advancements, and overall superiority/political dominance. The race gathered the entire world’s attention and inspired future generations to expand on what these 2 nations started, to push the boundaries of mankind as a whole to further our understanding of the world. Cold War Shift Additionally, the Space Races fight for the first to reach a once in a lifetime milestone and …show more content…

To respond to this threat of technological superiority, the United States created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to regain its superiority over the Soviet Union in space exploration. The competition had become more intense as more and more milestones were achieved by both parties as both parties strived to become the first to achieve said milestones such as the first human to be in space (Yuri Gagarin), and the first ever American to orbit the Earth (John Glenn). The moon landing, more specifically the famous and well-known Apollo 11 mission in 1969, marked a symbolic victory for the United States. The Apollo 11 mission was the overall victory of the Space Race since the moon landing was the major objective for both sides as being the first one to step on the moon was a major showcase of the United States technological superiority and conveyed how a free-market democracy was more successful. For the Soviet Union it was a shattering blow to them as their perception of technological superiority was almost …show more content…

Both nations solely focused on creating the most advanced rocket technology capable of launching satellites and humans into space. These technological developments had a direct effect on the Cold War’s arms race, specifically in missiles. This competition to conquer outer space led to the creation of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). This new technology, which was able to launch warheads from space, was an important part of the arms race. The development of these missiles coming from the Space Race impacted the dynamics of the Cold War with both nations striving towards outmatching each other in creating better missiles. The technology that was created as a result of the Space Race was not just utilized for military purposes but was used for other applications such as satellites. Satellites were launched into outer space and since its invention, they have changed the way the world communicates from one place to the other, changed how we weather forecast, and help us navigate from point A to point B. Today we use satellite technology created by the Space Race everyday such as telecommunications, internet connectivity, and GPS

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