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Effects Of The Space Race

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The Space Race exacerbated the tense relationship between the USA and USSR to a greater extent. From 1957 to 1969 (the accepted duration of the Race), it created tension because the advancements made in Space technology translated directly into ideological superiority and military power. However, from 1970 to 1979, after the Race had ended and Cold War tensions were easing, collaborations in Space encouraged co-operation between the two countries.

The Space Race was characterised by a series of new developments and technological advancements made in Space by the USA and USSR from the late 1950s to the late 1960s (see appendix ii). The Race spawned from the Cold War between the USA and USSR during this time, and was among other conflicts, such as the Arms Race and Nuclear Armament, a source of tension between the two superpowers.

The Space Race exacerbated the tense relationship between the USA and USSR from 1957 to 1969 because the advancements made in Space technology were used as a means to indicate political and ideological superiority. (Garcia & Lusigan, 2005). The yet-to-be-discovered Space became the perfect arena in which each ideological system, namely Capitalism …show more content…

(Anonymous, 2017). The USSR leader, Nikita Khruschev, stated that the “economy, science, culture and the creative genius of people in all areas of life develop better and faster under communism” after the Soviets’ initial achievements in the Race (see Appendix ii). (Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum, 2013). Sergey Korolyov, head of the USSR Space efforts, stated the USSR’s mission would be “to ensure that the Soviet rockets fly higher and farther than has been accomplished anywhere else up until now …, to ensure that a Soviet man be the first to fly in a rocket … and … to ensure that it is Soviet rockets and Soviet spaceships that are the first to master the limitless space of the cosmos.” (Garcia & Lusigan,

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