The Space Race
major events, importantance, and correlation to the Cold War
Importance
The Space Race was a duration of time where the United States and Russia competed to explore space. It included many milestones such as Sputnik, the first satellite, and landing on the moon. The Space Race was important because it was crucial that the United States beat Russia to the moon. This was crucial because if the Soviets had beaten them, then it would make other countries assume that Communism is better than Capitalism. The United States wanted to make sure that no one would think this, so they put a man on the moon first. It was also important because it was the start of a new era of technology. It is arguable that most of the technology we have today, including smartphones, is a result of technology invented during the Space Race.
Major Events
The Satellite Sputnik
On Oct. 4,1957 the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1 into orbit.
First Man in Space
On April 12, 1961, the Soviets launched Yuri Gagarin into orbit, he was the first human in space.
America Lands on the Moon
In 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land and walk on the moon.
One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind by nsteiner
A quote by Neil Armstrong, said shortly after he landed on the moon.
Parallels Between the Space Race and the Cold War
Space was considered the new frontier, so it was a huge opportunity for Cold War competition. This is because there was a lot of rivalry between the United States and Russia during the Cold War. It began during the Cold War, where the fear of nuclear technology was motivation to begin space technology. During the Cold War, many events were caused by competition between the United States and Russia. So there were a lot of situations that were the United States vs. Russia. Similarily, the Space Race was a situation that was the United States vs. Russia.