The Space Race
Brooks Moore
Importance
The Space Race is important because it represents the clash between Communism and Capitalism. Each system strived to prove that they were better than each other and one way to do this was to explore space. They spent so much money trying to accomplish something the other didn't, and eventually, Capitalism completed the ultimate task of putting a man on the moon.
First Artificial Satellite - Sputnik
The Soviet Union became the first country to create an artificial satellite, making America fear that they could launch nuclear missiles at them from space. Only a couple of months behind, however, the U.S.'s Explorer became the first American satellite in space. (October, 1957)
First Human in Space - Yuri Gagarin
Once again, the Soviets one-upped the Americans by being the first to send a man into outer space. (April, 1961)
First Man on the Moon - Neil Armstrong (along with Buzz Aldrin)
The U.S. was the first to complete the ultimate task of putting a man on the moon. In the Apollo 11 mission, NASA fulfilled President Kennedy's promise to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. (July, 1969)
How did the Space Race parallel with the Cold War?
The Space Race paralleled with the Cold War in the sense that it was a struggle for power between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Each country wanted to prove that they were the dominant force in the world.