Space Race 101
Learn everything you need to know about the Space Race
Importance of the Space Race
This race wasn't just any race, this was a race between two Cold War rivals, the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (US), for supremacy in spaceflight capability. At this time these two super powers were always battling over supremacy in not just space but for nuclear power and land. They battled for the privilege of saying that they went into space first.
The first step on the moon
Neil Armstrong and his first step on the moon
The rivalry between Russia and the U.S
Who made into space first and who landed on the moon first?
The Soviet Russians made the first man made object into space called the Luna 2. They were able to land it on the moon but were unable to get it back to earth. While the Soviets were proud of this the U.S was proud of saying they sent the first man on the moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first to ever land on the moon and were able to prove it by placing the U.S flag onto the forefront of the moon.
How did the Space Race parallel the Cold War?
While the Cold War never actually broke out into war there was the silent hatred and disgust they both had for each other. They both wanted to get rid of each other so that they wouldn't have any rivals or competition. Instead of wiping each other out they both took to humiliating each other by beating them in competitions like The Arms Race and the Space Race.They both raced at finding a chance to show there supremacy over each other.