THE SPACE RACE
and everything about it
How it Started
After World War II, the USA was fighting against the Soviet Union in a different way, in the Cold War.Trying to show who was the top dog, the Soviet Union and the United States started showing their power in different ways, like atomic power. This struggle for dominance led both powers to the final frontier, space. The USSR launched Sputnik,and so this race to show the dominance began.
Kennedy
Kennedy wanted to land a man on the moon more than anything. His goal going into presidency was just that, a landing on the moon. After Gagarin's ( the first man in space, russian) flight around earth, Kennedy felt ashamed, so he got funding for NASA from the government and started the Apollo program. At first this program was a total bust, the first mission resulting in three deaths, but as time went on, and after Kennedy's death, an American went into space, and three men landed on the moon.
Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong ( the First Men to Walk on the Moon)
Buzz Aldrin is an American engineer and former astronaut, and the second person to walk on the Moon. January 20, 1930 (age 85)
Neil Alden Armstrong was an American astronaut and the first person to walk on the Moon. He was also an aerospace engineer, naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor.
Born: August 5, 1930,
Died: August 25, 2012
The First US Man in Space
Another Guy chillen on the Moon
Neil Armstrong
Event Information
Moon Landing Date
When?
Sunday, Jul 20, 1969, 09:00 PM
Where?
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Why Important
The Space Race symbolized power during the Cold War. It was more about being the bigger power and showing who's boss rather then exploring the final frontier. This is a way that power has brought down scientific research. Though we landed on the moon, it wasn't because we wanted to explore it, it was because the USA wanted to show the Soviet Union they can do more.